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julek · 4 years

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five times jaskier does nice things for roach, and one time she returns the favor.

(or, jaskier spends a ridiculous amount of time and money on a horse).

“i told you not to touch roach,” geralt says when he hears his mare stomping her feet on the ground, displeased. she’s tethered to a tree near their fire and geralt, now busy brewing some potions, had finished brushing her a few minutes ago.

jaskier curses himself mentally, still not used to geralt and his witcher hearing, capable of listening to a bird’s cry three towns away. reluctantly, he draws his hand away from the horse, grinning innocently in geralt’s direction.

“i was just saying goodnight!” he says, sitting down cross-legged on his bedroll, “first impressions are very important, you know. wouldn’t want her to think i was being impolite on purpose, not when we are this”—he pinches his fingers together—“close to being best friends.”

geralt looks up at him, unimpressed. “she doesn’t like you.”

behind them, roach snorts in agreement, and jaskier splutters in indignance.

the forest is quiet.

no birds chirping, no predators lurking around, no sound. ideal work conditions, in geralt’s opinion. he’s crouched down next to a fallen tree, waiting for the drowners to take his bait.

suddenly, the swamp’s stillness is breached by soft singing and feet stepping on branches. rolling his eyes, geralt stands up as quietly as possible and walks over to jaskier, who’s busy picking flowers from a nearby meadow.

“i told you to stay with roach,” he says in greeting, his eyes narrowed in annoyance.

jaskier yelps and turns around to face him, clutching his heart and letting the flowers fall to the ground.

“gods, geralt! warn a guy, would you? i thought you were one of those, um… what do you call them? swimmers.”

“drowners.”

“my words exactly,” he says, gathering some long stems. “i was waiting with roach, mind you, but i got bored. so i looked around and thought hey! roach looks awfully dull without some pretty flowers weaved in her mane, so here i am.”

geralt lifts his eyebrows, abandoning all hope for a peaceful, quick hunt.

“she’ll trample you to death before she lets you touch her,” he deadpans.

jaskier tsks, already making his way back to their camp with his fresh selection of flowers.

geralt waits for the inevitable.

“fucking ow!” he hears, and feels a smile tugging at his lips. “that doublet was new! that is not how one reacts to gifts, you vicious horse. did that witcher teach you nothing about manners?”

he did, actually. he’s glad she’s putting them to use.

“fuck, i’m cold.”

they’re in the outskirts of blaviken, and much to jaskier’s chagrin, they’re making camp in the forest. winter’s near, and as much as he would have liked to sleep in a warm bed, he would have turned it down anyway. he’d seen the look on geralt’s face as they approached the town, and that had been enough of a reason to follow him into the forest.

jaskier is pacing around the fire, his woolen cloak snug around his shoulders, doing little to protect him from the biting wind. geralt had gone deeper into the forest to hunt something for their dinner and hadn’t yet returned.

he looks over his shoulder at roach, who’s laying down on the ground, her legs tucked under her body. geralt had slung a blanket over her back, and she’d been dozing off for the last half hour, seemingly unfazed by the cold.

he knows it’s a bad decision, and he’ll probably be kicked and yelled at, but right now he can’t find it in himself to care. his fingers are frozen and he can’t feel his ears, and he’s sure he’ll drop dead any minute now from hypothermia, so why not?

“hi, beautiful,” he whispers, crouching down next to roach, watching her reaction. “do you mind if i sit next to you? you see, it’s horribly cold,” he sits down, carefully as not to startle her, “and it’s something my brothers and i used to do, you know? huddling for warmth.”

if roach notices him laying against her side, she doesn’t show it. he gently places his head on top of her spine, and drapes himself in his cloak.

“you’re incredibly warm, did you know that? had i known that before, i would have cuddled you sooner.”

he’s so warm and comfortable he almost doesn’t notice geralt coming back. he hears his footfalls but decides to ignore them, too cozy to move, but roach has other plans. all of a sudden, she stands up, leaving him on the floor, confused.

“wha—roach!” he exclaims, picking himself off the ground. “we were doing fine! what happened?”

geralt smirks as he starts to skin the rabbit. “maybe that will teach you not to bother her.”

“but you don’t understand, i—we were happily laying side by side just a minute ago!” jaskier says, sitting in front of the fire. “you startled her.”

geralt snorts. “i did?”

jaskier rolls his eyes and looks at roach, who’s laying down again, unperturbed. “traitor,” he whispers.

spices, curated meats, oils, and baked goods are all geralt can smell, meaning this particular market isn’t too big and they’ll be out on the road soon. that, if he can get jaskier to hurry and get whatever he so desperately needs.

“oh, that stone is beautiful,” the bard says to a bald salesman, keen on selling him a new ring. “alas, it’s much too expensive for me.”

he gives the salesman a sheepish smile and moves on to the next stall.

“i just need one more thing, dear witcher, and we can be on our way,” he says, grinning.

geralt arches a brow, but says nothing. better not to distract him, he’s learned.

“hello, madam!” he chirps, looking at the goods displayed on her counter, “if you would be so kind, i’d like a full bag of sugar cubes.”

huh. that’s not what geralt had been expecting. cherries, maybe, or a honeycake, not sugar cubes.

jaskier pays the woman and kindly thanks her, then ties the small bag to his belt. “well, i’m done. are we leaving?”

geralt nods.

they make their way to the side of the road, where roach is nibbling on the outgrown grass. he takes the herbs he’d purchased and places them inside roach’s saddlebag, while jaskier resumes his daily chattering.

“you’re looking quite dashing today, my lady,” he says, gently stroking the mare’s neck.

geralt expects roach to hastily brush jaskier’s hand aside, but much to his surprise, she doesn’t, snorting happily instead. he looks at them for a second, dumbfounded.

“geralt? are we going, then?”

“hmm.”

summer is kind enough to let a gentle breeze filter through the trees, giving jaskier a breath of clean air.

he’s got his breeches rolled up to his knees, and his doublet is nowhere to be seen. they’d been traveling nonstop for two long, humid days, the burning sun above them, and jaskier had been too tired to even sing, lazily strumming his lute as he walked next to geralt. then, in the middle of a pointless rant about how the world would be better off without the sun and its infernal heat, jaskier spotted a stream.

grabbing roach’s brush from geralt’s saddlebags, jaskier takes her reins and gently leads her into the stream. she complies, braying lightly as she feels the water on her legs.

“i know, girl,” jaskier says, gathering water on his cupped hands and letting it pour on her head, minding her ears, “it’s too hot out, even for you.”

he looks over to geralt, who’s got his back to them, scrubbing mud from his boots.

“you know,” he murmurs, smoothly brushing her mane, scratching behind her ears, “he doesn’t think we’re friends, you and i.” she snorts in response, and he chuckles. “he still thinks you don’t like me.”

she moves forward, and jaskier’s about to move out of the way to let her walk out of the stream when she bumps her head affectionately against his chest.

“oh,” he whispers, overcome with emotion. “as you know, i’ve become quite the expert at reading geralt’s hums and silences, but this is uncharted territory. animal behavior is foreign to me.”

she swishes her tail, and jaskier huffs out a laugh.

“i’ll give it my own meaning, then,” he says, pressing his nose against her snout. “i love you too.”

the tavern is packed to the brim, overflowing with hearty patrons who served as a great audience, generously rewarding jaskier with applause and tankards of ale with his name written on them.

“thank you, my good men and women, for listening to my tales!” he exclaims, hopping off the stool he’d been using as a makeshift stage.

he heads to the bar, picking up two of the mugs and moving toward the corner where geralt’s sitting, half-hidden under the shadows.

“help yourself, witcher,” he says, smiling brightly. “the crowd was kind to us tonight.”

to you, geralt thinks but doesn’t say. instead, he takes a swig of ale. “so i’ve seen.”

jaskier beams at him, his cheeks flushed and his hair matted with sweat. he downs half his glass, sitting back on his chair, sighing contentedly.

they spend the evening in comfortable silence, jaskier casually making remarks about the town or the last contract, taking small bites out of a piece of bread. after a while, geralt stands up.

“i’ll go check on roach.”

“oh, good!” jaskier says, standing next to him. “i forgot my quill in her saddlebags, i’ll go with you.”

geralt hums, and they walk past the people at the tavern. they reach the half-lit stables at the back, where roach chews on some straw in her stall.

“hey, sweetheart,” jaskier greets, stroking her snout. geralt starts brushing her down, and jaskier looks into her saddlebags for his forgotten quill. a long time ago, geralt had given up on trying to split their belongings into different bags, realizing the your side, my side logic meant nothing to jaskier.

after all, they shared everything. coin, wine, food. beds, sometimes, waking up with their legs entwined, jaskier’s head on geralt’s shoulder, embraced in what they both tried to pass off as the natural seeking of warmth on cold nights, nothing else.

jaskier leans against a pillar, watching geralt take care of his horse. they’d been traveling together for so long, yet it still amazes jaskier to see geralt move around roach. how his gaze softens, and a small smile stretches across his lips, only for roach to see. how he murmurs sweet nothings, rubbing that spot on her jaw he knows she likes.

“okay,” geralt says, “go to sleep, now. we’re leaving at dawn.”

roach bumps her head against geralt’s chest, lovingly, and he gives her a smile.

“goodnight, darling,” jaskier says, sneaking a sugar cube into her mouth. “i’ll see you tomorrow.”

when he turns back, geralt’s looking at them with a fond expression, a small smile on his lips. he moves toward jaskier, his eyes soft.

“you’re spoiling her”, he says, amused. this close, jaskier can see geralt’s got a little bit of mud on his chin, and he wants to wipe it off.

“she’s a good horse,” jaskier tells him, feeling roach’s eyes on him. “she deserves nice things.”

“hmm.” geralt closes his eyes for a moment, exhaling softly.

jaskier moves forward, licking his thumb, and gently wipes geralt’s chin. he opens his eyes, watching jaskier.

“there,” jaskier whispers, his thumb now stroking geralt’s cheek.

suddenly, he feels roach nudge him forward with her snout, and he stumbles onwards, clutching geralt’s shirt for balance. they’re close, geralt’s breath on jaskier’s cheek, his hands on the bard’s waist.

“she’s a clever horse, too,” geralt says, pressing the tip of his nose against jaskier’s, rubbing softly.

“she is,” jaskier murmurs against geralt’s lips.

roach nickers softly in agreement.

#mywriting #geraskier #geraskier fanfic #roach deserves soft things

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justthehiddleswrites · 3 years

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Bah Hiddleston | Tom Hiddleston x OFC (Tamra Harmon) | Chapter 1 | Change Of Plans

Pairing: Tom Hiddleston x OFC (Tamra Harmon)

Summary: Tamra Harmon has no mind to mess with Christmas. All that talk about Christmas magic and the joy of the holidays is just a bunch of mumbo jumbo. But will a chance encounter with perennial Christmas lover Tom Hiddleston change all that?

Warnings for story: smut, oral sex, implied smut, vaginal sex, light angst

Tamra was not sure how she got turned around, but somehow she ended up back at her terminal gate.

“How the fuck…” she whispered to herself as she huffed back the way she came.

She hit something hard and immovable with her shoulder.

“Ow!”

“So sorry. My apologies.” a male British voice cut through the din of Heathrow Airport. Tamra stared in front of her to find a tall man smiling back at her. His reddish blond hair hung loose around his face. “Um, apology accepted.”

He reached his arms out as if to steady her. “Everything in one piece?”

Tamra took a quick inventory and other than a dull ache in the offending shoulder, everything seemed as they should be. She nodded back to the man, whose smiled widened at her affirmation, his smile reaching the corners of his eyes.

“Baggage claim is that way.” He gestured down the corridor. “And Merry Christmas.”

He turned and left Tamra in the busy terminal. Whatever goodwill Tamra had for the handsome stranger dissipated with his parting words.

“Bah humbug.” she scowled as she hitched her purse back onto her shoulder.

She pushed through the holiday travelers, making her way to baggage claim. If Tamra saw the festive Christmas decor in the corridor, she did not acknowledge them with a smile or glance. She only cared to retrieve her luggage and head to her accommodations with minimal fuss and muss.

She located the right carousel where the man gestured, only adding to her irritation with him. After what seemed like an eternity, the belt started moving and bag popped out. Tamra shouldered to the front of the gathering crowd. With the skill of an experienced traveler, she plucked her suitcase and pulled the handle up. She headed out to the taxi stand.

Her frown deepened when she spied a line snaking in front of the terminal. With at least three switchbacks, Tamra huffed as she took her place at the end of the line.

“Merry Christmas, indeed.”

By the Tom got outside, his PA already retrieved his luggage and parked the car right out front. While Tom would not pull the “I’m a Celebrity” card regularly, he would always take advantage of the perk of not having to wait at the airport for a taxi. He appreciated the perk even more now, two weeks before Christmas. The driver put his bags into the boot of the car as Tom climbed into the back.

Tom let loose a sigh as he scanned the London cityscape in the window. It’s good to be home, he reflected. His latest project kept him away from several months filming in the States. Now with Christmas fast approaching, Tom relished the idea of relaxing and spending time with family over the holidays.

His head fell back onto the headrest and Tom closed his eyes as the car moved through traffic. He didn’t sleep well on the flight as turbulence kept him awake. He foresaw a nap once he got home and retrieved Bobby from the kennel. The car came to stop far too soon for Tom’s liking and he groaned as he unfolded himself to head up the stairs of his home. His phone rang as the door clicked behind him.

“Hello?”

“Tom, it’s Sarah.”

“Hey!” Tom’s voice softened at the sound of his older sister’s voice.

“Did I catch you at a bad time?”

“Not at all. I just got home. How are the boys?” Tom smiled at the thought of seeing his nephews in the next few days.

“A handful. About Christmas…” Sarah’s voice trailed off.

“What? You’re still coming, right? Mom has a whole thing planned.” His voice sounded more whiney than he expected, he blamed the lack of sleep.

“Yes we are still coming but it might be later than we planned. Yakov can’t get away until Christmas Day.”

Tom’s face fell. A big part of his Christmas plans included spending time at his mother’s house with his sisters and nieces and nephews.

“Really? But Mom has everything planned out.”

“I know that’s why I called her first to explain.” Tom felt Sarah wincing through the phone.

“And?” He pushed her.

“She agreed to put off the festivities until Boxing Day. Sorry little brother, but you are going to have hold off your preening like a big Hollywood star for a few more weeks.”

“Ha. Ha. Hilarious, Sarah. You missed your calling as a comedian.”

“And you missed yours as a good actor.”

“My Golden Globe says otherwise.”

“If you say so. Are you disappointed?”

“Yes but I understand. Besides it will give me more time to return your present.”

“Whatever, Tom. See you in two weeks. Love you.”

“Love you too.”

Tom ended the call and dialed his mother. The two discussed the change in plans. After an intense back and forth, Dianna won out and Tom agreed to stay put until Boxing Day. Now he just needed to figure out how to pass the time.

Tamra arrived at her Airbnb exhausted. The line for a taxi took forever and the ride to her flat took even longer. Her flight from Orlando must have hit every bit of turbulence along the way. And that screaming child did not help matters.

She opened the door to the small Westminster flat just as her phone rang. She answered as she closed the door with her hip.

“Madeline, you traitor.”

“Please stop with the guilt trip. Not everyone is a Scrooge like you, Tams.”

“Not everyone also deserts their best friend to hang out with their new boyfriend’s family.” Tamra rolled her eyes.

“At Christmas.”

“Bah—”

“Don’t even start with that Bah Humbug bullshit. Most people actually enjoy Christmas.”

“Most people are saps.”

“Tamra, I just called to see if you got in safe and sound.”

“Rough and I got lost in Heathrow, some guy bumped into my shoulder, the taxi line moved at a snail’s pace.”

“So par for the course for you. You always find the worst in every situation. What about London? At Christmas?”

“What about it? It’s crowded and cold. The best part about this town is the history.”

“Says the museum curator.”

“Whole purpose of the trip.”

“Happy Holidays, Tamra.”

“Enjoy the boyfriend’s family, Mad.”

Tamra hung up the phone in an even worse mood than she started. There was not much that could make this day worse. Her phone rang again. The screen flashed her mother’s number. Tamra contemplated letting it go to voicemail but she would have to face the conversation on a different day and she did not want her mother to dampen her time in London.

“Hi, Mom!” Tamra feigned excitement.

“Tamra! How is London? Have you gone to Harrod’s? What about the Tower Bridge? How is Christmas over there?”

She held the phone away from her ear to shield herself from her mother’s shrill voice. “Mom I only landed two hours ago. I just got to my place. I have seen nothing and been nowhere.”

“But I bet it is magical there.”

“It’s London, Mom. Not Neverland.”

“But Christmas — “

“— is a sentimental tradition used for an excuse to support capitalism and Christianity.”

“Wow, way to suck the fun out of everything.”

“It’s the truth.”

“Well I just called to see how was your flight, sweetie. I’m sure you are exhausted.”

“Thanks for calling, Mom.”

“Merry Christmas.”

“Bye, Mom.”

Her mother hung up and Tamra laid the phone down on the kitchen counter. 0 for 2, Tamra. Nice going, you just pissed off your best friend and your mother in the span of twenty minutes. She spent the next several minutes unpacking and taking a long shower to wash away the grime of travel. As she prepared to grab some groceries from down the street, she pulled a folded piece of paper from her purse. Her itinerary.

“Tomorrow the National Gallery and Afternoon Tea.” she commented as she smoothed the piece of paper as she placed it on the nightstand before heading out to the store.

After his morning run and espresso, Tom set out to the stores around Trafalgar Square for some shopping. He didn’t want to face the holidays crowds at the shops but his list only seem to grow with each passing moment. He said a silent prayer that if anyone recognized him they didn’t say a word. Before he realized, he skipped lunch and his stomach growled in protest. He spied a sign for Afternoon Tea at the National Gallery. He ducked into the building hoping they would have a table available.

Tamra made a quick breakfast at her flat before plotting out her route to get down to the National Gallery. She made sure she booked a place near a Tube Station and before long she found herself in front of the museum. Tamra spent all the morning and through lunch, losing herself in the galleries and anterooms. Her phone dinged; a reminder for Afternoon Tea at the Gallery. She made the reservation for her and Madeline but when Mads canceled last week, she called up the restaurant. They assured her they could accommodate the request.

Her stomach growled as she walked up to the entrance. The attendant sat Tamra at a table for two right by the window. Her seat gave a perfect view of Trafalgar Square. The Christmas tree dominated the view and Tamra huffed.

“Madam.” the attendant had returned.

“Yes?”

“There is a last minute seating request for one, do you mind if we seat them with you? We are booked.”

Tamra gazed across the packed room; not another empty seat anywhere to be seen. She nodded, and the girl hustled off to bring the stranger to the table. Tamra looked at the window again.

“It is a beautiful view.” a vaguely familiar voice rang out.

“I don’t ca…” Tamra turned to see the man from the airport. “You!”

Tom’s brow furrowed. “You recognize me?”

“Yes.” she hissed as Tom took the seat opposite from her. “You’re the guy from the airport who hit my shoulder!” her voice raised.

“How’s the war wound?”

“Sore, but thank you for asking. What are you doing here?”

Tom smiled. “Afternoon tea and enjoying the view of that lovely Christmas tree out the window.”

“Bah humbug.” Tamra muttered at the mention of Christmas.

“I beg your pardon?” Tom exclaimed, looking at Tamra with a look somewhere between disgust and shock.

Tamra looked him dead in the eye and leaned forward on her elbows. “You heard me. Bah. Humbug.” She popped the last syllable as she smirked at Tom, whose mouth dropped open.

#tom hiddleston #tom hiddleston fanfic #tom hiddleston fanfiction #tom hiddleston x ofc #tom hiddleston imagine #tom hiddleston fluff #tom hiddleston angst #tom hiddleston smut #bah hiddleston

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voidgremlin · 4 years

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An Oath to Hope (Chapter 3)

Chapter 3: The paternoster gang are back in town !

In town, there is always crime mucking about, is it because of the high density of its people or the rampant capitalism that encourage people in their worst behavior ? Vastra wasn’t sure but she wasn’t complaining, the busy street and the constant tragedy kept her pockets full of coins and her arms full with work.

As she walked inside the Paternoster agency, she observed the office with the team namely Jenny, Oswin and Strax running around with papers, calling on the phone to find out witness and testimonies. So many files closed and many more under work. This year is got to be a good one, this detective agency was her pride and joy and it was thriving.

If she told herself a few years back that she would recover from the burns on her face and she would met a wonderful, witty and loving wife, open an office about her dream job. Her past self would probably slap her, if not more. She had a lot anger issues and frustration at the time. Her past self would definitely stab her future self if she said anything positive about the future that was for sure.

She smiled, that was the past and it felt good to know that she was able to move away from it.

She smiled until she reached her office. Her neatly organized, carefully curated office with mahogany desk, white orchids that Jenny offered her and pictures of the original paternoster team when opening the agency was messed up. Messed up by the presence of a young man, with a purple hoodie sprawled on her desk and some filthy, awful cookie crumb.

It won’t be accepted.

“Strax ! Who is in my office ?!” She screamed, startling the poor man who looked at her with tired and annoyed eyes. As if she cared.

The stomp of Strax was heard while he walked toward her and the curious eyes of her colleagues were trying to catch a sight of the intruder inside her office, she looked at the young man fumbling in his bag for what sounded like a lot of papers. He had unkept hair and for her taste an overgrown beard, she is pretty sure that she saw him in the last week while walking down to the office. Several times even, inside a car, staring at a couple and eating popcorn like a sad sack. She only thought that he was a harmless weirdo but now she would label him as weirdly dangerous.

“What is it ma’am ?” Strax arrived and bluntly asked.

“There is a man in my office” answered Vastra calmly motioning to the office.

“Do you want me to remove the threat ?”

“Or you could ask me to leave.” The man chimed in before getting up, a heavy file in hand. “Hello madam, sir, I’m Ajay, I would like to hire you to find a missing person.”

He looked smug, sure of himself as if breaking and entering plus, most importantly investing her office wasn’t reason for being thrown to the police and she hated him immediately.

“Blimey ! Are you hearing that Strax ? He wants to hire us !” she said ironically. “Oh wonderful !”

Strax, of course, didn’t get the subtility “Well sir ! You should have called us we would have given you an appointment. Now please leave the boss’ office without further notice, we will take care of y-“

“Strax please !” Vastra cut him exasperated.

It made Ajay smile. “Please let him continue . I’m loving the energy !” She hated him more.

“That being said” he says his tone being suddenly more serious “There are some reasons as for why I broke into your office and why I didn’t call for an appointment.” He showed off his files motioning her to take it.

Vastra squinted and snatched it from his hands, Jenny walked to be by her side after mouthing a small “hi” to the man before reading the file with her.

“The person who I am searching for should not be found… not officially.”

“What does that means ? Isn’t the point of searching missing person is to find them.” Jenny said with her sweet voice.

“It means that there’s official people with very official actions shouldn’t find them but I need to find her.”

“Which official people ?” Vastra said curtly

“It is a secret.”

“What kind of official actions.” Strax followed.

“If you don’t put your nose everywhere, only legal and calm actions.”

“You are not much of a help.” Jenny said looking at him, trying to figure out if it was a joke or a full on black ops situation. They didn’t have the kind of money to get out of any legal actions against corporation or hell a government but to her dismay, the young man seemed pretty honest with the paranoia linked to the case. He was tired and shaky, a little scared and if Vastra observation of a man watching the office a few nights ago matched him, It would means that he made a stakeout to be sure that they were worth of trust. She drew the conclusion that it didn’t sounded any good and dreaded to hear what was next.

“I did most of the research for years, so really I am a lot of help.” He sighed “I searched for them for years but it turns out that the “very official” people are on my tails and I do not want to lead them to her… Directly.”

On my tails he thought, they were everywhere he was sure of it. Tapped into his phone, mics into his flat. People asking for him in the neighborhood. He knows… He is being followed and it won’t be long before they will make him disappear, before he could tell them anything. The truth he uncovered.

“That is why you sneaked into our office ? Making us search what you lead them to a false lead.” The burned woman said snapping out of his mind.

“It is the idea. God only knows if it will work.” He smiled trying to be charming and confident.

“It is a no.” Vastra announced.

“W-What ?”

“No. N. O. It is a negation used to …”

“I know what no means ! Why !”

“Person who shouldn’t be found ? You being followed ? Unknown enemies ? I am not taking my team and friend into this mess.”

“I can pay you !”

“I doubt it. You should talk to the police. You are way to helpless to do anything about it.”

“I am not helpless !” he screamed back making loud steps toward Vastra, too short to be anything threatening to her. “I am not helpless. I am into this mess for far far longer than you will ever be. Right now I need help, help to find them before it is too late. Can I appeal to your sense of goodness and kindness ?”

Silence fell unto the group while Vastra though of her response, judging him. He seemed desperate and she does not do despair-motivated case, too much feeling, too much biases.

“Did you choose us for our contacts inside the police ?” Jenny inquired making Vastra smiles, always so clever.

“I- I mean… yes ?”

“You seems someone able and resourceful. Dare I say, if we give you the means and a way to make past you disappear, can you investigate for your friend on your own ?”

“I- I can do that yes. But ?” Ajay seemed a little lost about the proposal.

“We cannot put ourselves in danger without knowing what is it about fully and you seems to not able to share those information. For good reasons I am sure.” Jenny added. “So let’s help each other, we protect you, you protect us and we both help this… Nadzieja Kowalska.” She said staring to file he gave to them. “Do you agree my dear ?” She asked her wife.

Vastra closed her eyes before nodding. “I do not trust you, young man, but I guess this is the best way to deal with whatever this is for now. You investigate your own and only case and as long as you don’t tamper with my office ever again, you are welcome to the team Paternoster sir.”

Strax pouted while watching the whole discussion go before giving back the file to Ajay. “You might need it back then ! Also might need to change your name for the payroll and the administrative papers. I deal with the administrative !”

Ajay stared to the file, slowly caressing an high school’s picture of Nadzieja. He never felt so close to find her, so close to be free of all of it. Finally.

“It won’t be the first time” he murmurs.

#doctor who #doctor who fanfic #dw #an oath to hope #paternoster gang #the master #my stuff

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bluepenguinstories · 4 years

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Remoras Full Chapter VIII: Sunny Days, Sweeping Up the Clouds Away

What a great adventure I’ve had so far. I just had to get my little Ray of Sunshine a souvenir. For the time being, I would have to contend with showing the ferryman all the pictures I had of Ray on my phone.

“Look at him! Isn’t he adorable?”

“Lady, you already showed me that one.”

“Oh. Then let me show you another one!”

Silly me, I must have forgotten all the pictures I’ve shown the ferryman. We’ve been going down the canals of Italy for quite some time now, so it was easy to lose track of time.

I held the phone out to him.

“Here’s one where he’s picking his nose! He didn’t notice I took this one!”

“Look,” he turned around, his arms firm on the gondola. “You paid me to take you across the canals. Nothing more.”

Sheesh. Someone woke up on the wrong side of the panini.

“So you don’t wanna see pictures of my husband?”

“Correct.”

Got it. Loud and clear. So he didn’t want to see the most handsome man in the entire world. I understood. He was jealous. Jealous of our love. Jealous because he probably wanted Ray all to himself. For that, I couldn’t blame him. I would have been jealous as well.

But there were other pictures I could show him. That would comfort him, I was sure. Like the pictures Ray sent me of Tigershark, the mysterious kid who had apparently lost her parents in a blizzard and was now living as an “independent agent” (his words, not mine) in Ray’s diner. Neither of us were really the type to raise kids, and from the sound of things, Tigershark was quite mature for her age, so all the better. She was a cute little thing, all around. Had some orange hair, which was redder in places, to make it look like her hair had stripes.

Then there was Demetria, the scholar. From what I heard, she was a student and stumbled upon the diner. She then found something she loved about the restaurant and became a wait staff as a result. Since, she had been honing her customer service skills. She was also a little cute, with her wavy green hair and serious, studious face. It was clear from the pictures that she was quite a serious and well put together person. In a way, that had its own charm.

“Hey, wanna see pictures of –”

“Lady, I swear to God, if you don’t stop, I will throw you overboard!”

Fine. I crossed my arms, but if I could beat the power of love into him, I would have.

Once we made landing on the docks, I gave him a little extra money for the trouble, then stretched my legs. What a good thing I did, as well. While I stretched, a bullet flew right past me. Just a little closer, and I would have suffered a serious injury to my side!

It didn’t matter who they were or what they wanted, only that I was their target. Near me was a crate, which in spite of such a rickety dock, I figured it was my best bet. I took cover behind it, then peeked out. Mercenaries in rooftops wearing plain clothed baggy pants and T-shirts. Probably hired by some arms dealer, or a museum curator. The latter seemed more likely.

Bullets continued to ricochet off of the crate.

“Ah, being shot at. How nostalgic. This reminds me of my honeymoon,” I remarked. It was a bit of a shame that no one was around to hear me. There was quite a story behind our honeymoon, but that would have to wait for another time. When I could tell it in full.

Ah, I’m going to need to remember this moment. Ray loves to hear about my adventures.

Thinking back wasn’t going to get me anywhere. In the present, I was still in a bit of a tight spot. I got out my phone and texted Ray:

Me: Sorry babe, something came up last minute. I’ll be home a little later than expected.

Also in my pocket was a plastic baggie. I put my phone inside and zipped it up. Then, while ducked, I dived off of the docks and into the waters of the canal. I swam over to underneath the docks, then came up for air. Soon, footsteps were upon the docks and I could hear them yelling.

“She has to be around here somewhere!”

Crap. They’ll surely see me.

Next to me was a boat, docked upside down. I dived back down and swam over to it, then came up, under the protection of the boat.

My pursuers gave up their search for me not long after. Just to be on the safe side, I continued swimming down.

What was the purpose of that ferryman if I’m just going to end up going back?

My detour led me to a nearby beach, where I emerged, drenched. Clothes stuck to my skin. For want of a towel, I shook my head and let the water fly out of my hair. Getting anything out of my pockets was a near-impossible feat. At least I had no problems getting back to my hotel room.

Once there, I emptied my pockets onto the bed and threw my clothes out the window. Not to worry, I had a spare set in my suitcase.

I pulled my phone out of the plastic baggie and checked my messages. Sometime during the skirmish, Ray replied:

Ray: Your presence is a gift floating through the wind. I never ask when the gift will arrive, but I am excited every time I see it.

Me: OMG. I will be home later tonight, I SWEAR!

Ray: Haha. All right. There’ll be dinner waiting for you.

That was all the motivation I needed. Let’s see...a couple thousand miles or so up north? Something like that? Eh. The details didn’t matter. I hurried down the stairs and checked out.

“How was your stay?” The concierge asked.

“It was fine enough, but not nearly as fine as my husband. Wanna see pictures of him?”

“I’m good.”

“Oh, all right, but here,” I held out my phone. “Here’s a pic of the two of us sharing a slice of cheesecake together!”

“That’s nice,” the concierge didn’t sound very interested.

“Well, I’ll be off! Not to get all sentimental, but it’s been almost a year since I’ve seen him, so I ought to get back up there!”

I rushed out the door and made my way to the airport. Of course, I just had to take a detour through a marketplace first. After all, I was dead set on finding some neat little gifts to take home.

One of the shops was selling plushies.

“Hmm...Tigershark might like that, right? Or maybe she’s getting to be that age where she thinks she’s too old for stuffed animals? How old is she? Nine, I think?” I looked around. “I’m never really good at gifts. I don’t even know what she likes. Maybe a tiger plush toy? Or a shark?”

I walked around and saw a tiger stripe print handbag. It wasn’t much, and I didn’t even know if she’d like it, but I picked it up anyway. It was something.

Then, as I walked out, I noticed a shop selling cookbooks. I almost got it for Ray, but then realized it might have seemed condescending, since he was already a bit of a know-it-all when it came to things like that. But, at a nearby stall, I spotted someone selling earrings.

I leaned over and pointed down. “Hey, you got some neat stuff.”

“Thanks,” the merchant replied. “See anything that fits your fancy?”

I shook my head. “Nope! But I think those small star shaped ones would look great on my husband!”

As I got out the money to buy them, I got stopped.

“Hey, it’s Sunny Reyes!”

I turned my head. Looks like I had been spotted.

“Can you hold on a sec?” I held my finger up to the merchant, then stood up to face the mercenary.

“Hi! How’s it going?”

Then, another showed up right beside. Great. Two against one. Just my luck.

“Sunny Reyes? I thought her name was Sunny Sunshine,” the other mercenary asked.

“Actually,” I corrected. “It depends on the day. Since today is a special day, I’ll let you guess which one it is.”

Then, before we could really gear up for a fight, I felt the poke of a machine gun against my back.

“Aw, come on guys! You wouldn’t open fire in the middle of a crowd, would you?”

“You kept us from getting the treasure! We’ll take the risk!” One of the ones in front of me barked.

Which treasure? I’ve kinda been all over the place.

I reached behind me and grabbed on to the gun that could have fired right into my back. Then, I threw it overhead along with the person who had held so tight onto it, and tossed them right into the other two, knocking all three onto the ground. I couldn’t tell if there were any more behind me, but I was also willing to take a few risks. While they were on the ground, I leaned over, hands on my hips, and smiled.

“Hey, wanna see a picture of my daughter? She’s just the sweetest thing in the whole wide world,” I got out my phone, but then I thought better of it. “Actually, I’ll tell you about her. She’s got such wonderful dark hair and such a bright smile. She loves to draw and she loves to cook and I haven’t seen her in years, but I love her to pieces.”

They all growled and were about to get up, but then I slammed my foot into their pile.

“Here, keep the change,” I threw money the merchant’s way and snatched the earrings. If only those folks had given me more time, I would have probably gotten a little bag to keep them in. Oh well, none of that mattered. At least I had something to bring home.

Home sweet home.

To think I was about to step through those doors after so long. There was no helping it. I couldn’t contain my excitement any longer. I burst through the doors and held out my arms.

“Hello! I’m back!”

My eyes darted around the restaurant until I saw Ray at one of the booths. He perked up, went over to me, and held out his hands as he took a bow.

“Welcome back, madame!”

I couldn’t help but laugh.

“What’s this ‘madame’ business?”

“It’s the food I made you for dinner,” he explained. “Tartiflette with croque madame on the side.”

“My favorite!”

“Is it really?” He looked surprised. “Did you have it while you were away? I don’t recall making it for you before.”

“No, silly! Everything you make is my favorite.”

Across from where Ray had sat, I noticed someone’s head poked out.

“There’s a new customer!” She gasped. At last, I got to see her: Tigershark. She ran up to me. “I helped make the dinner! I shredded the cheese and helped carry the pan!”

“Aw, aren’t you cute?” I pat Tigershark’s head. She reached her hands up and growled.

“You’re a customer! Use eti...eddy…”

“Etiquette,” Ray corrected. “And this is my wife, Sunny.”

She gasped. “You’re who the food’s for!”

I beamed, unable to hide my smile. But then I turned to Ray. “Can I talk to you for a sec?”

“Sure thing, hun.”

We walked away and into the kitchen. Tigershark tried to follow along, but Ray motioned for her to stay put for the time being. Once I was certain we had our privacy, I began.

“I thought we agreed it was for the best not to raise any kids,” I folded my arms as I spoke.

“Indeed we did. Not to worry, just as I said, she’s pretty independent. Plus, I got Remora to take care of her. She just likes to visit. If anything, I’m more like her uncle.”

“Wait,” there was a key word in what he told me. “Remora is here? Or, you guys are in contact, at least?”

“Dammit,” he stamped his foot, but smiled as he said it. “I wanted to keep it a surprise.”

What a pleasant surprise it was, too.

“Well, in any case, it sounds like you’ve been teaching her many things.”

“Guilty. Remora’s not really...the mom type.”

I let out a laugh. “Right, that’s more you. You always were the maternal one.”

He looked away and scratched his chin. “Well, what can I say?”

“You can say ‘bon appétit’ since you made a french dish.”

“Or...I could say ‘you are the greatest woman alive’.”

I nudged him. “Come on! Let’s go eat!”

We walked back to the booth and sat.

“We’re going to eat, right? Right?” Tigershark asked, antsy.

“Mhm,” Ray and I both answered. It was refreshing, us as a duo. I didn’t want to leave any time soon.

My main source of curiosity was still the legend herself, the one who called herself ‘Remora’. We met once, when she refused to meet up with us again. Then, I left. If only the call of adventure wasn’t so strong, there had been so much I never got to experience. But in a way, it was exciting, being able to meet all the newcomers at once. Oh! That reminded me! I pulled the earrings out from my pocket.

“For you, my ray of light.”

“How sweet of you,” he placed it up to his ears. “If only those pesky lobes hadn’t gone and filled themselves in. Been years since I wore any piercings. No matter, I’m always down for a little bit of pain.”

“And, for you,”I reached behind me and pulled out the little handbag.

“Ooh! I can fit so many cookies in here!”

“When Ray told me about you, I thought he said ‘tiger stripe’ so I thought that would work.” No I didn’t. I was just trying to save face.

“That’s funny! Zebras have stripes! My name isn’t even Tigershark, I just forgot what it is! So Tigershark can be my name too!”

In that case, wouldn’t that mean it’s your name?

“I didn’t know what you liked, so I hope that’s okay.” Again, saving face.

“It’s okay! I like penguins!”

Note to self: get her a penguin plush toy.

After we ate, I made my way to the back, where sure enough, Remora was, in the chair that Ray used to sit in all the time.

“Oh wow! It really is you!” I exclaimed. She was slumped and looked bored and listless, but once I said something, she looked up.

“Oh, hi.”

“You probably don’t remember me, we only met once, and –”

“You’re Sunny. I know.”

“Yes! You remember!”

“You get mentioned fairly often. It would be hard not to know who you are.”

“Ooh wonder what they say about me,” I snapped my fingers.

“Just things like ‘wanna see what my wife just sent me?’ and ‘Sunny is so pretty’.”

“Aw, I didn’t know you thought of me that way.”

“Yes. You are pretty. But I’m not the one who said those things and also I am not married to you.”

“Would you want to be?”

“Stop that.”

“Aw, all right. So anyway, what’s new?”

“Basically, I’m in charge now.”

“Of the restaurant?”

She glared at me.

“Of this little side-hustle you guys got going on. The whole requests thing. I get to decide who does what and when.”

“Ooh. Now that you’re in charge, wanna send me out to do a mission?”

“Any in particular you have in mind?”

I thought it over. “Hm...it doesn’t matter. Oh!” My hand shot up. “Give it to me hard and rough!”

“Don’t phrase it like that.”

It took me a good second to figure out why she scolded me like that, but once I did, I was elated.

“Hey Ray!” I called over. He came into the back. “Our good friend Remora knows innuendo!”

“Aw, how cute,” Ray chimed in.

“Stop that, both of you. I’m not a baby.”

I sat down in the empty swivel chair across from her. From the moment I heard she was there, I just had to test that rumored strength of hers.

“Wanna have a drinking contest?” I grinned.

“No.”

“Aw, why not? Afraid you’ll lose?”

“No. I just don’t think it’s a good idea. I like strong liquor, yes, but I don’t like to gorge myself.”

“Sounds to me like you’re chickening out.”

“I just don’t want to be held liable if you get alcohol poisoning.”

Ray stepped in. “I concur. Between the both of you, I fear our whole reserve will run out. We need to save some for the customers.”

“Oh!” I perked up. “Speaking of customers, isn’t there someone who works here now?”

“You mean Demetria?”

“Yeah! Where’s she been? I haven’t seen her around since I got here and I was really looking forward to seeing her, too!”

“She went off to take care of one of the requests,” Ray explained.

“Oh! That’s cool! What are her special skills?”

“Well...she’s smart.”

“Mm-hmm,” I nodded. “That is a good trait.”

“But only when it comes to marine life. Otherwise she doesn’t know much,” Ray clarified.

“Is she strong? Good with any kind of weapons? Resourceful? Resilient? Is she charming?”

To each, both Ray and Remora shook their heads.

Everything around me slowed down. It was like a truck had hit me.

“So you’re telling me...she’s normal?” My jaw was about ready to drop. I got up and began to pace. “If it were either of you, I’d understand, but really?”

“You’re not going to ask what kind of request it was?”

“Sure. I’ll bite,” I huffed.

“It was to cleanse a haunted house.”

“Yeah,” I crossed my arms. “That doesn’t make it any better. Even if it may have turned out to be hokey, that’s still dangerous!”

“I told her as much, too.”

“Why, then? Why would she go and do something like that?”

Remora shrugged her shoulders, then spoke up. “I don’t know. She said something about wanting to prove herself.”

“Prove herself? What was there to prove?”

“I told her the same thing,” Ray seemed to be trying to reassure me, but it was cold comfort. I decided to walk upstairs. Ray followed behind.

“Where are you going?” He asked.

“Upstairs. Care to join me?” As if I would give him a choice. I’d drag him upstairs by the pinkie. I wanted that man all to myself. But not for anything so sultry. That wasn’t the right night.

In fact, when I got upstairs, I sat at the edge of the bed and shook my head. I knew I had been gone for almost a year, but it seemed like the entire dynamic had changed so fast. Of course, when I last left the diner, it was just Ray and I. We had tried to invite Remora to little success.

Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t that I didn’t like the dynamic change. I was actually excited for it, too, up until the moment I heard that one of the newcomers was nowhere to be found.

Ray sat beside me and lifted my chin.

“You’re worried about her, aren’t you?”

I nodded. But that wasn’t quite right.

“More than that. These requests, it was a thing for you and I, because we could handle such things. Remora, too, she’s exceptional. But the kid? Demetria? It feels like we’re putting people in needless danger.”

“I agree, but I figured it would be fine as long as those two stayed at the diner.”

“Elodie stayed at the diner, too,” I pointed out. “It’s not exactly the safest place to live.”

As soon as I had said that, I winced. Neither of us wanted to think of that, I was sure.

“The funny thing is, I tried to stop her. I forbade her from going and told her I wouldn’t be paying for her plane ticket. But, she managed to go out there. Pulled a fast one on me, too, by managing to trick Cybele into giving her a ride. Can’t say I blame her, though, seeing as she wants to impress her crush.”

“Wait. What?”

“Oh, right,” he leaned back and laughed, hand over his head. “When I said ‘she found something she loved about the restaurant’ I was being a little vague, wasn’t I? Our little scholar friend’s heart flutters for our frosty friend.”

I stood up. That changed everything. I couldn’t believe it.

“That’s all the more reason!” I ran back downstairs.

“How long has it been since she left?” I asked both Ray and Remora.

“A little over a week, I think,” Ray answered. “Now that you mention it, didn’t she say she’d be back within a week?”

Remora shrugged. “Yeah, she did. Oh well. Things happen.”

“That’s all you have to say? You, more than anyone, should be worried about her! What if something terrible happened to her?”

“She’s an adult and can make her own decisions. She knew the risks.”

“But what about love? Love is the most important thing in the world, and it can make you feel like you can punch a meteor! Without love, you would only see a shooting star as a shooting star! But it’s the power of love that makes it so much more! It makes you see a comet and wish that that comet was headed toward you –”

“Pretty sure that would kill you.”

“Ahem! Yes! Love is a thing that can kill you and that is why...you should be worried about her!”

She blinked. “I don’t get it.”

“That is also why she should not have gone out there!”

“Wait. You don’t think she died, did you?” She leaned forward. By the sound of things, it was a sign of genuine concern. At least I hoped so, anyway.

“I don’t know, but I should go and find out.”

Remora sighed. “I’ll go. May as well seeing as I didn’t do anything to stop her.”

“You’ve done quite enough,” I scolded.

“What? I’ve just been sitting here the whole time.”

I wouldn’t hear another word. I made my way to the front. Ray followed behind.

“Leaving so soon?” He asked.

“I’ll be back soon. I just need to check it out.”

He nodded. Even if he may have thought that I shouldn’t worry so much, I still had that pain in my gut, telling me to hurry.

At the airport, I found Cybele taking a nap in the break room with a fantasy novel on her lap.

“Cybele, honey,” I whispered, then tapped on her shoulder. She jolted up.

“Oh shit, sorry,” then she blinked. “Sunny?! Is that you?! I didn’t think I’d see you here. You usually go out and about on your own. Though I don’t know how you do it…”

“Never mind that right now. Do you remember a girl with wavy, green hair, kind of short?”

“Oh yeah. She said she had family in New Hampshire and then as soon as we got there, it turned out she tricked me.”

“Can you take me there?”

“What? You too? What’s so special about that place, anyway?”

“It’s about her. She’s in danger. Just trust me.”

I say that, but I’m not even sure if she is or not.

“Okay. If it’s for you, we’ll go.”

We flew off at once. As we drew closer, I noticed smoke from out the window. Upon landing, I got out and felt the ashen air and began coughing. I covered my mouth before looking back at Cybele.

“Can you wait for me in the plane? I’ll be right back.”

She squinted her eyes. “Yeah, but sheesh. You be safe too, okay?”

I followed the cloud of smoke to its source: a woodsy, forested area. At that point, it was too overpowering to get any further. There were efforts to put out the flames, fire departments on the scene, but it looked like it continued to rage on. I ran back and in a nearby town, took to a rooftop. Once I was high enough, I pulled out binoculars and checked out the woods once more. As soon as I was able to get a closer look at the source, I dropped the binoculars. All my fears had come true.

I have to get back to the others. This is horrible.

Along the way, I managed to talk to someone who lived in the area. The more details I heard, the worse it got. By the time I got back to the plane, I choked up. Cybele saw me as I entered, I tried to greet her like normal, but between my smoke-filled lungs and the revelation, little came out.

“Sunny?” She asked.

“She…” It was no use.

“Sunny? Tell me what happened.”

I sat down in one of the seats and shook my head. That time, I was able to answer properly. “The building she went to investigate is burned down. The surrounding woods caught fire. I asked one of the locals about it. They said it started burning last week. Someone in the fire department said a body was found, burnt to a crisp. I can’t…”

I wanted to get closer, to see for myself. To find some proof that she could still be okay, that she was still out there. But I couldn’t manage to. The flames were too strong and I had nothing to protect myself against them.

“My God,” Cybele gasped. “I’m sorry. I feel like it’s my fault all this happened. If I had stopped to think about her story, I wouldn’t have agreed to help her, and she’d still be around.”

“No. You did nothing wrong. Let’s go back.”

When I made it back to the diner the very next morning, I didn’t make any big greetings. I couldn’t bring myself to do that.

Tigershark was the first to greet me.

“You’re back!” Her energy was so vibrant, so pure. I hated that I was about to crush her spirits.

“I have some bad news,” I announced, rather than a greeting. I sounded so dull and lifeless. It almost seemed to mirror Remora’s regular tone.

“What?”

“Your friend, Demetria, she won’t be coming back.”

“Why not? Did she go back to her other home?”

Oh dear…

“No. She’s dead.”

Her face changed from that of excitement to anger.

“You can’t just say things like that!” She yelled, her hands up in the air.

“I’m sorry. It’s true.”

“You don’t know that!”

“I know it’s not what you wanted to hear, but –” She interrupted me.

“You don’t get it!” She ran off to the back.

I tried to follow her and as soon as I opened the door, Ray got up and wrapped one arm around my back and comforted me.

“What’s wrong?” He asked.

“It’s Demetria. There was a fire. I don’t think she could have made it out.”

He went silent. The whole room did. Remora, in her usual spot, looked down at the desk and flipped through stacks of papers. That wouldn’t do. I went up to the desk and slammed my hands down.

“I know you heard me!” I shouted. My face was burning red, on the verge of tears. “Don’t you have anything to say?”

She looked up. “What about it? It’s unfortunate. I know you’re upset, but these things happen.”

“That’s it?”

“I get it. When someone dies, it’s normal to be upset. But that doesn’t mean I am. If either of you know anything about me, this shouldn’t come as a surprise.”

I released my hands and stood back up, taking a deep breath as I did so.

“You’re right. I’m not mad at you. Or anyone. I just wish things were different.” I paced around the room, and then came to a conclusion. “I think taking on all these requests got out of hand. It might be best if we stopped.”

“In that case, there’s no more reason for me to be here,” Remora pointed out.

Ray turned to me. “Under any other circumstance, I would urge you not to be so hasty. But I understand.”

It seemed like such a quick decision to make, but it was so hard to imagine it happening. My husband and I spent years doing that second job and earned most of our money that way. It was a source of joy for us. But I just couldn’t imagine it being fun anymore.

“I also think we should hold a memorial service for her. I’ll carve her name into a stone. It can serve as a grave.”

Tigershark ran out from one of the rooms. “You guys are being dumb!”

“Sweetie,” I tried to calm her. I wasn’t good at this.

“No! She promised! Just wait a few more days!”

“I don’t want to believe it, but –”

She ran off again. I felt like it was hopeless.

I went out and found a large stone on the ground. After a while of looking around, I found a smaller rock with a jagged edge that I could use to carve her name in. I got to work, each letter at a time. I didn’t know when she was born, so I left it at her name. Just as I finished up and stood back up, I looked behind me to see the others. Even Tigershark was there, although begrudgingly. She still looked like she didn’t want to face me.

“I discussed it with the others, and we agree that a memorial is the least we can do,” Ray explained.

Remora didn’t say anything. Neither agreed, nor disagreed. I didn’t know whether she felt obligated to show up, or just wanted to. Whichever it was, I was glad she was there. From what little I had heard of Demetria, I thought that she would have wanted Remora to be there.

“I guess I should start,” I began. “Though it’s hard to know what to say. I never really knew her. I think that’s the point…” I coughed, then began: “Demetria, I wish I got to meet you. I have no doubt we would have gotten along.”

I took a few steps back and let Ray walk up to the stone. He wasn’t smiling, rather, he pushed his glasses up and looked down.

“You were a delight to have around. Although you weren’t the best at everything you did, I really appreciated how you gave everything your all.”

He walked away after that.

“Tigershark, do you have anything to say?”

She didn’t look at me. Or any of us. But she ran up to the stone and kicked it. The stone didn’t budge.

“You promised! You said you would come back!”

Ray picked her up and set her aside. She continued to yell, “it’s not fair!”

I turned to Remora, who looked straight ahead. Not down, not up. It was as if none of us were there. “Do you want to say anything?” I asked her. She shrugged her shoulders and took a couple steps forward.

“I feel like I should mourn her, but I’ve never been able to feel anything when someone died. It’s never meant anything to me.”

“Any words you could say about her?” I pressed.

She shook her head. “She was...interesting.”

After a moment of silence, we all looked at each other. It felt like we were all on the same page; unable to figure out what to do going forward. We were about ready to go back, or go our separate ways, when we heard someone’s voice call out.

“Fuck y’all!”

We turned around and saw someone approach, badly bruised and limping. One step at a time, she drew closer.

“I don’t believe it…” I stood, wide-eyed.

Tigershark ran up to her and gave her a big hug.

“You came back!”

“Ow, ow, ow. What gives?” She groaned, looking like she was about to fall over. “I said I would, wouldn’t I?”

“I know! But nobody else listened!” Tigershark whined.

Again, I couldn’t believe what I saw. It didn’t add up. Still, I couldn’t deny that she was there. I walked forward. She didn’t know me, and I never got to meet her, but even still.

“There was a fire, I thought for sure…”

“Yeah,” she looked up, scowled, and pointed at herself. “Because I set the fire!”

Even if what she said was true, if I wasn’t just seeing some kind of illusion, there were still so many unanswered questions. But for the moment, I allowed myself to believe she was there.

It looked too real to be anything but, anyway. She looked like even if she was alive, she was on the verge of collapsing, and in really bad shape.

“You’re alive,” I murmured.

Everyone else looked just as confused as I was. Remora, however, walked up to her.

“Good job,” she said, then walked away. Demetria stood wide-eyed, then looked at the rest of us.

“That’s right. I’m really back, aren’t I?” She smiled as she said that, even if her smile looked weak.

Maybe the kid was right and I should have waited longer. As if I really should have believed that promise. But even though it had come true, I still couldn’t help but think: Promises don’t mean much in the face of reality.

For once, though, I was glad to be proven wrong.

#remoras full #stories #drama #adventure #writing #death #demetria #remora #arctic #sunny

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eiosys · 3 years

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Top OTT Platforms in India

When televisions emerged in the Indian market, people were struck with the idea of watching movies and shows from their homes. The concepts of advertising, entertainment, news also saw a gradual change when the shift from radio to television began. Similarly, nowadays OTT or ‘over-the-top’ platforms are gaining prominence over television with their phenomenal features.

OTT platforms have gained immense popularity in recent years. Especially in the lockdown period when theatres were closed, OTT apps gave us a theatre-like movie experience within the comfort of our homes. Many famous movies were released on different OTT platforms.

OTT platforms consist of numerous regional, national, and international movies and web show to attract a wide audience. Some OTT platforms also provide live streaming of cricket and football matches. You can watch them whenever you’re on the go. You just need a stable internet connection and a proper subscription.

Today, there are an array of OTT apps in India. Whether you’re a Bollywood lover or fan of English movies, there’s everything on offer on Indian OTT platforms.

This blog will highlight some of the best OTT platforms in India, their plans, reviews, and ratings to help you choose the right fit for you!

11 Best OTT Platforms for every binge-watching lover!

Do you love binge-watching? If yes, then these OTT apps in India will give you a phenomenal binge-watching experience. So, let’s check them out!

Table of Contents

1) Netflix

Netflix was presumably the first OTT platform to emerge in the Indian market. Soon after its emergence in India, Netflix started streaming regional and national movies apart from international movies/shows.

This American-based OTT platform is widely popular for streaming ad-free movies and web series. What’s more? The subscription plans of Netflix start from an optimal rate of 199 INR to 999 INR.

Netflix rules the hearts of the Indian audience with its abundant varieties of shows and movies to spur the appetite of every viewer. Moreover, users can access Netflix from Mobile Phones, Tablets, Laptops, Smart TVs, and other streaming devices.

Even if you’re a Hollywood or a Bollywood fan, Netflix has got everything covered for your entertainment! Though the theatres were closed due to the pandemic, Netflix took proper care for the entertainment of its audience. Several blockbuster movies and web series were released on Netflix even during the pandemic period.

The platform also offers a 30-day free trial. After the trial period, as per the subscription you choose, the amount will be debited from your account. Moreover, you are always FREE to step back if you don’t want to continue with Netflix.

Installs: 1 billion-plus download on Google Play Store.

Reviews: More than 11 million reviews

Ratings: 4.4 stars on Play Store

Most Popular shows/movies: Breaking Bad, Delhi Crime, F.R.I.E.N.D.S, Sacred Games, The Big Bang Theory, Mirzapur, Money Heist among many other national and international movies. Apart from these, Netflix also provides a great deal for regional movie lovers. Shows like Hoichoi, CityShor, Planet Marathi, Koode, Thackeray are most beloved among regional audiences.

2) Amazon Prime Video

Looking for a fusion of regional and international shows and movies? Amazon Prime Video is nevertheless the right fit for you!

Amazon Prime Video is popular among the Indian audience for its varied and fresh video content. To access Amazon Prime Video, users must be prime member of Amazon’s e-commerce platform.

Also, Prime membership gives you free access to Amazon Prime Music and e-books on Amazon Kindle. Moreover, a prime member also experiences quick delivery options, exclusive discounts, and deals on the e-commerce website along with the boons mentioned above. Isn’t it a win-win situation?

Apart from English, the platform also offers movies and shows in six different Indian languages to suit regional audiences. Amazon Prime Video has also delivered several super-hit Indian web series. Shows like One Mic Stand, Tandav, The Family Man on Amazon Prime Video have earned lots of acclaim from audiences. The present cost of prime membership is 129 INR per month and 999 INR for a year.

Installs: 100 million-plus downloads on Play Store.

Reviews: 2 million reviews

Ratings: 4.3 stars

Most Popular shows/movies: Paatal Lok, Shameless, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, Homecoming, Hanna, The Boys, Undone, etcetera. Movies/shows in an abundance of genres like animation, comedy, crime, science-fiction, historical drama, and many others are available on Amazon Prime Video.

3) Disney+ Hotstar

Disney+Hotstar is one of the most renowned OTT platforms in India, owned and operated by Walt Disney. The platform offers access to a plethora of content for children, young adults, and adults. Disney+Hotstar’s subscribers get access to all the Disney movies and shows such as Marvel, Star Wars, among many others.

The platform offers tons of varieties of content such as cartoons, sports, web series, national and international movies, comedy shows, drama, etcetera.

Disney+Hotstar offers Premium as well as VIP subscriptions to its users. The Premium package includes complete access to international shows and movies while the VIP plan offers access to domestic and national movies and series. VIP plan also includes access to live sporting events including IPL and other tours of the Indian Cricket Team.

Installs: 500 million-plus downloads on Play Store

Reviews: 9 million reviews

Ratings: 4 stars

Most Popular shows/ movies: 24, The Mandalorian, Star Wars-The Clone Wars, and American Crime Story. Also, How I Met Your Mother, Silicon Valley, Malgudi Days, Game of Thrones, Sharp Objects

4) Voot

Voot serves as an extension of Viacom 18’s online arm featuring tons of video content suiting the Indian audience. All the movies, television shows, web series, cartoons, etcetera run by Viacom 18 are hosted on Voot.

Television channels like MTV, Colours, and Nickelodeon share their content with Voot to lure online audiences too. Apart from Hindi and English, Voot also hosts shows and movies in Bengali, Kannad, Marathi, Telugu, Tamil, Gujarati for regional audiences.

Voot hosts its original series known as ‘Voot Originals’ only to the paid subscribers of Voot Select. Also, subscribers can even access the episodes of their favourite television show on Voot a day before it is telecasted on TV.

Subscription plans for Voot Select start from a mere 99 INR per month which is truly cost-effective. Also, you can access the Voot app on Android or iOs as well as browse on its website to access through a laptop.

Installs: 100 million-plus downloads on Play Store

Reviews: 2 million reviews

Ratings: 3.7 stars

Most Popular shows/movies: Asur, Marzi, The Office, A Million Little Things, Elementary, Why Women Kill, The Affair, Madam Secretary, etcetera.

5) Sony LIV

Sony LIV as an OTT app brings all the shows, movies, sports, and cartoons broadcasting on various domains of Sony Entertainment into one shed of an umbrella. It consists of more than 18 years of video content owned by Sony Entertainment available at a single click.

If you’re a sports lover, Sony LIV provides a great deal to watch all the live broadcasting of your favorite national and international sports tournament. Moreover, it offers premium quality content at the mere subscription cost starting from 199 INR/ month.

Also, you might be pleased to know that Sony LIV is India’s first OTT platform to produce music content for the Hindi version of the blockbuster film ‘Passengers’.

Installs: 100 million-plus downloads on Play Store

Reviews: 1 million reviews

Ratings: 3.8 stars

Most Popular shows/movies: Scam 1992, Girls Hostel, Gullak, Sandwiched Forever, Avrodh, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, Hillary, Dark waters, Indebted, 1917, Alex Rider, Lincoln Rhyme, along with many other popular movies and shows.

6) ALTBalaji

ALTBalaji is another OTT platform in India offering plenty of regional content. It hosts several web series, shows specifically curated to suit the taste of the Indian audience. Also, ALTBalaji hosts adult content for an 18 plus audience.

Apart from English, the platform also has a bunch of series and movies in Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Tamil, Punjabi, etcetera. ALTBalaji app is available for Android as well as iOS users while laptop users can browse via the website. The content on this platform covers a wide range of genres ranging from romance, comedy, thriller, mystery, etcetera.

The subscription plans of ALTBalaji are certainly pocket-friendly ranging from INR 100 for 3 months, INR 180 for six months, and only INR 300 for a year.

Installs:10 million-plus downloads on Play Store

Reviews: 294K reviews

Ratings: 3.3 stars

Most Popular shows/ movies: Bose: Dead or Alive, Cyber Squad, Dev DD, Home, Romil and Jugal, XXX, etcetera.

7) MX Player

The journey of MX player from being just another video streaming app to one of the most recognized OTT platforms in India is amazing. MX Player has been regarded as an OTT platform since 20 February 2019.

MX Player is available as an app for Android and iOS users. Users can browse it via its website as well. It is completely FREE to use and operates on ads. The platform also claims to consist of 150,000 hours of video content available in more than 12 languages.

The platform hosts MX players’ Originals as well as licensed movies and series from several partners such as Paramount Pictures, Sony Entertainment, Shemaroo, Hungama, along with many others.

Though the content on MX Player is completely free of cost, the ads in between might strain a user’s experience.

Installs: 500 million-plus downloads on Play Store

Reviews: 10 million reviews

Ratings: 4.2 stars

Most Popular shows/ movies: High, Ashram, Cheesecake, Flames, Hello Mini, Damaged, etcetera.

8) Eros Now

Looking for blockbuster Bollywood movies? Eros Now is your one-stop destination! Eros Now is raising the bars in the OTT industry with its premium quality and quantity of contents. The platform hosts movies and series in Hindi as well as English to attract a majority of the Indian audience. Moreover, it also claims to host more than 10,000 movies, and a plethora of music videos, audio tracks, television shows, etcetera.

With the sole aim to provide tons of entertainment options at the customers’ fingertips, Eros Now is constantly upgrading its content. Currently, it offers breathtaking features like HD videos, multi-language subtitles, and easy-to-download movies.

What’s more? You get access to thousands of movies, hundreds of shows, and music albums at just INR 99 per month.

Installs: 10 million-plus downloads

Reviews: 117k reviews

Ratings: 2.8 stars

Most Popular shows/ movies: Smoke, Metro Pack, Flip, Operation Cobra, Side Hero, Investigation, etcetera.

9) Jio Cinema

Hey Jio users, are you looking for an incredible binge-watching experience? What’s better than Jio Cinema! Jio Cinema is an exclusive OTT platform for Jio users. The most interesting thing about Jio Cinema is, it is available for FREE.

Jio cinema offers a wide range of video content such as movies, documentaries, web series, music, originals, etcetera for its users. Also, Jio Cinema has collaborated with Disney India to host popular Disney movies for its audience.

Looking for regional movies? Jio Cinema has covered everything for you! Recently, it collaborated with Hoichoi to telecast Bengali regional movies and many more! Jio Cinema’s app is available on Android as well as iOS.

Installs: 50 million-plus downloads on Play Store

Reviews: 833K reviews

Ratings: 4 stars

Most Popular shows/ movies: Jobs, The Kite Runner, Macbeth, Baywatch, The Founder, The Voices, Into The Wild, The Forgiven, The Sum of all Fears, etcetera.

10) Zee5

Do you love watching international drama series and movies? ZEE5 offers a hybrid of movies, web series, music, TV shows, etcetera available in more than 12 languages. ZEE5 also claims to host more than 100,000 hours of TV shows along with more than 500 web series. Since its partnership with Ditto, Ozee, and ALTBalaji, ZEE5 users have free access to the content available on those platforms.

To add more sprinkle on its content varieties, ZEE5 also hosts a bunch of international web series such as Turkish and Korean dramas. Moreover, the subscribers also get access to 90 plus Live channels to watch their favourite show, documentary, or sport LIVE. The most interesting point is all these benefits come for only INR 99 per month. Isn’t it mind-blowing?

Installs: 100 million-plus downloads on Google Playstore

Reviews: 1 million reviews

Ratings: 3.3 stars

Most Popular shows/ movies: Code M, Mafia, Mentalhood, Poison, Rangbaaz etcetera.

Conclusion

Binge-watching is a new hobby in today’s era! The current market is brimming with plenty of OTT platforms available in India. The video streaming boom is here to stay in the future!

So, if you’re contemplating a business idea that will help you make handsome profits and at the same time provide entertainment to the masses, OTT is the space! At Eiosys, we can help you create an OTT app that is user-friendly, and enriched with top-notch features. Get in touch to know more!

#ott platform #ott players & digital media #ottapps #ott apps #ott app development #zee5 #prime video #netflix #hotstar #sonyliv

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makelovenotporn-tv · 7 years

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Written by Madam Curator, Sarah Beall.

Hello darlings,

I’m so thrilled to announce that the 15 min SFW documentary MakeLoveNotPorn: The Social Sex Revolution has finally arrived! This project was a labour of love for many people, and one particularly close to my heart. Read on to hear the story behind how the MLNP team and MLNPstars Efi & Walter, Colin/Gray, and FeverDream ended up together capturing the #socialsexrevolution at Mermaid Ranch!

The entirely SFW long trailer for MakeLoveNotPorn: The Social Sex Revolution

In late winter of last year, the MLNP.tv team began working on a very special project. Imagine our delight when Jason Harler of Chandelier Creative reached out to Cindy asking if our team would like to spend a week at Mermaid Ranch working on a project of our choice as part of their Summer of Sex and Love series! One look at the dreamy photos of the ranch and we were hooked. Now we had to decide what kind of project we wanted to complete. With such a beautiful space at our disposal we wanted to create something equally beautiful, and really dig into the transformative power of sex and love.

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We took a lot of photos!

As Madam Curator of MLNP.tv, I’ve been uniquely privileged to witness the revolutionary and often life-changing impact sharing #realworldsex has had on our MLNPstars. Since going live in public beta in January 2013, I’ve received a steady flow of testimonials from MLNPstars of all walks of life talking about how the process of capturing their everyday #realworldsexlives has helped them communicate better in their relationships, understand their sexuality more, and given them more confidence asking for what they really want in bed, all while embracing their #realworldbodies in all their messsyawesomehumanness. You can’t make this stuff up — it’s better than we could have hoped when we were concepting this tiny, bootstrapping #socialsex experiment.

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From my previous work creating and curating feminist smut, I had a hunch that the entire process of talking about, capturing, and sharing #realworldsex would be enriching for our MLNPstars. And my heart flutters anew every time these brave #socialsexrevolutionaries share their stories. What I didn’t totally anticipate was the transformative effect curating #realworldsex would have on me, and the close relationships I would end up having with our MLNPstars.

When you think about it, the best relationships are built on trust and great communication, and MLNP is a venture built pretty much entirely on those things. Well, those things and vision, grit, and determination in the face of a crazy number of obstacles, but I digress.

Our MLNPstars put their trust in MLNP and Ariel and myself when they submit their most intimate moments for review (!) and we in turn treat them with the utmost gratitude and respect because, this is not hyperbole, they are our superheroes. Without them and their incredible generosity in vulnerability, we would not exist.

Waiting in anticipation of Efi & Walter’s arrival!

In addition to the trust and deep lines of communication established through often years-long email communications and social media #funtimes, MLNP takes the opportunity to meet up IRL with our MLNPstars when a few of us happen to be in the same city at the same time. To date I’ve shared cocktails or at least chatted in person with Colin/Gray, Janira Wolfe, Modesty Ablaze, lovesurfsing, MrandMrsLau, Rickat, Dale Cooper, bzandgloria, VonBettie, Lily Cade, Fox+Aphrodite, Andy+Becky, xxxotter, SaulofHearts and Violet+Rye. Cindy’s friendships with Danny Wylde, Lily LaBeau and Lily Cade was what introduced them to us originally, and one of our former interns made a point of grabbing tacos with Efi & Walter while on vacation in Mexico City.

Side note: Janira Wolfe actually found out about MLNP from MLNPstars AllenandtheJean. More proof that the future of sex is social. Talk about it!

In person gatherings with our MLNPstars are always a joyful occasion, and have the feel of old friends meeting up for a much needed catch-up. When I met Janira Wolfe at the documentary premiere last week she said to me, “You’re exactly what I was expecting. When I first saw you tonight, I forgot that I don’t actually know you.” To which I replied that well, we do know each other! The thing is that our bond — based on trust and communication and the values of MLNP — is deeper than one might expect given it started with her uploading #realworldsex videos through an online form.

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And these were the thing I wanted to capture and bring to life at Mermaid Ranch. I wanted to bring together our MLNPstars and manifest the experience of MLNP on the spot through conversations, fun, and yes, filming on-location #realworldsex. We are so grateful to Chandelier Creative for supporting this vision and to Thalia Mavros and her crew at The Front for capturing it so completely and in such a stunning way. And, we’re bowled over with appreciation for the MLNPstars who joined us at the ranch — Efi & Walter, FeverDream, and Colin/Gray — our #socialsexrevolutionaries who brought all of the courage, vulnerability, trust, and sexy to our time together.

MLNP is bucking conventional wisdom that says that interacting online is making people feel more isolated. It’s challenging the idea that sharing sex videos online is an impersonal act that trivializes sex, and it’s proof that sharing and watching #realworldsex has the power to transform lives and relationships for the better.

Holy energy shift! Ariel and I feeling the love (and exhaustion) on the last day of our three day shoot

MakeLoveNotPorn is the #socialsexrevolution, and I truly believe that it creates more love in the world. A revolutionary, lasting, and empowering love that has the potential to change the world for the better.

One last trailer for the road! Now please go watch MakeLoveNotPorn: The Social Sex Revolution in it’s full 15 min SFW glory, here! You can read what our MLNPstars have to say about their experiences at the ranch, here and here. And you can rent the #realworldsex videos shot at Mermaid Ranch, here.

MakeLoveNotPorn: The Social Sex Revolution is here! The backstory, behind the scenes photos, and more!

Written by Madam Curator, Sarah Beall. Hello darlings, I’m so thrilled to announce that the 15 min SFW documentary…

MakeLoveNotPorn: The Social Sex Revolution is here! The backstory, behind the scenes photos, and more! Written by Madam Curator, Sarah Beall. Hello darlings, I'm so thrilled to announce that the 15 min SFW documentary…

#Madam Curator #MakeLoveNotPorn #MakeLoveNotPornStars #Mermaid Ranch #realworldbodies #realworldlove #realworldsex #social sex revolution

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