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fallout4hancockfanfiction · 3 years

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My first time writing fanfiction

It was that day for Nora. The past few years, before the bombs dropped, this very day was one of the happiest days for her. But not this year.

Today was her and Nates Wedding day, at least it would have been. It was the middle of the night no later than 2am, she was sitting with Hancock in the old State house, sharing a bottle of bourbon. Nora has never been the type to talk about her feelings.

Hancock could feel that something was off today, he couldnt put his thumb on it, so he just sat next to her quietly. Both sipping from the half full bottle, sharing the golden liquid that made Noras throat burn. In the background you could hear diamond city radio play "one more tomorrow" by Frankie Carle & Marjorie Hughes. Nora let out a quiet sigh and turned to Hancock: "Lets go to the Third Rail" Hancock looked back at her, nodded, and together they left his lounge room leaving the beverage on the table next to the Jet and Mentats which were placed on it.

They stepped inside the doors when they were greeted by Ham: "A friend of mayor Hancock is a friend of the Third Rail, go on in entertainment is down the stairs."

Downstairs Hancock was immediatley greeted by some of his citinzen, "perfect" she thougt. Magnolia just finished her song. She sang train train. "thank god this song is finished, im not sure if I coud have handled listening to it right now." nora thought to herself.

She walked up to Magnolia and asked her: " Hey Mags, could you sing "I'm the one you're looking for" please? "of course gorgeous, anything for you" Magnolia replied seductively.

Nora bought some beer and walked over to one of the couches and seated herself there.

("...have you gotten history that needs erasing... did you come in just for the beer and cigarettes..")

She took a sip of her beer and looked over to hancock, he's still occupied with his citizens who involved him in a conversation.

(... "ou well im just a girl to make you forget"..)

"perfect... maybe I can sneak out of here", nora slowly gotten up, without letting hancock out of her sight and started walking towards the exit. She just made it out of the door when hancock looked over to the couch and noticed that Nora was missing. He let his gaze wander through the room, looking for hs companion but he can't find her. He turned to his interlocutor and gave them one of his smooth " I could stay here and listen to how wonderful I am till the rest of my days, but I really think I need to get going"! he turned away and rushed to the exit.

" But hancock you've just gotten here..!"

He didn't even hear them, he was too focused on finding The Soule Survivor.

Upstairs he asked Ham if he had seen Nora and he said that she had just left through th door two minutes ago.

He went back inside the old state house, and saw that her gear was still laying on the couch next to the table where they left the bourbon and the chems. "Damn it Nora?? Where are you going, unprotected and without me?" he grabbed her stuff and headed toward the exit.

Just outside Goodneighbour he heard a Group of Raiders. "Fuck Nora!, why would you do something like this?"

(A few Hours later)

Arrived at Sanctuary, nora went back into her old house. She walked past the kitchen and straight back into her old bedroom. Its been looted empty so she sat on the floor and played "Hi Honey!" on her Pib Boy.

"...Little fingers away... *baby giggles*... Hi honey!" She started tearing up, hearing the sound of his voice. "Listen... I don't think Shaun and I need to tell you how great of a mother you are... but we're going to anyway. ... But everything we do, no matter how hard... we do it for our family. Now say goodbye, Shaun... Bye bye? Say bye bye? *baby giggles* Bye honey! We love you!

She passed out on the Floor. When she woke up, Hancock caught up to her. Nora walked out of her house, on her way to the vault. She doesnt see Hancock but he sees her. As soon as he spottet her his heart skipped a beat because of relief to see her alive. He was about to call out to her when something told him not to. Instead he followed her quietly. Arrived at the Vault, she pressed the button and let herself into the ground. Hancock watched her and did as she did after waiting a few minutes.

"Wow..." he thought to himself upon entering.

Nora was sitting infront of the opened cryopod crying, holding Nates frozen, ice cold Hand while playing "Hi Honey!" over and over again.

Slowly Hancock stepped into the room, his face pained by what he saw.

Noras eyes shot up in Horror, just to be equal parts relieved and upset to see him there. She quickly wiped her eyes and stood up, cleared her throat and asked: "Wh... what are you doing here? how .. how did you find me?"

He walked up to her and wordlessly hugged her. Her face in his chest and her arms around him she couldnt help herself but started crying again. He put his forehead on her head and they stood motionless.

Hancock was the first to speak: "hey, look, if you wanna get outta here..."

Nora looked up to Hancock, eyes swollen and nose red.

Hancock looked back at her and thought:" how can she still be so beautiful while crying? what stop, what why did I think that??" Before he could say anything nora took a long breath in and let an even longer breath out. She turned towards the cryopod and closed it back up. Then she liftet her necklace with the two weddingrings from under her shirt and looked at them.

"You know...she started.. nevermind, nothing... lets get going"

Hancock handed nora her gear and together they left the vault and headed back to santuary.

Nora fixed or rebuild every building except of her own pre-war home. She didnt want anybody else living in it.

When they gotten back to sanctuary, preston and the other settlers were awake and started their daily tasks.

When preston spottet her he approached her, smiling from ear to ear. "GENERAL! I'm so happy to see you! What brings you to sanctuary?"

"Hey Garvey, how have you been? Its been a minute, I thought I'd come see how things are going."

"Your time is impeccable! There is a settlement near by that needs our help! I'll mark it on your map."

Nora looked down and let out a slight chuckle. She turned to Hancock and asked him: "ready to help an other settlement?"

John looked back at her smiling: "Of course, lets go"

So they started wandering towards Finch Farm.

They have been on the road for three hours already when John turned to Nora and said: "look, I got there something i wanted to talk to you abou.." Before he could finish his sentence Gunfire started and they both duked behind an old car.

"Raiders, shit!" said both of them simultaneously and looked at each other and giggled. The group of raiders were on a bridge. One with Power armour and one with a Rocket launcher. The rest were regular raiders. Luckily they hadnt noticed them yet, too occupied with the ferals.

"Should we take them out or walk around them?" "Well, those three shouldn't be difficult to eliminate but the one In the Power armour and the one with launcher seem more difficult"

Nora pulled out her sniper rifle annd took out the Launcher guy with a headshot.

"Guess we fightin'" said hancock with a grin.

Hancock pulled out his shotgun and killed the two raiders running towards them with meele weapons. "nice shot!" said nora.

"easy.." replied hancock smug.

Taking out the regular Raiders wasnt a problem but the Metal man put up a tough fight. He shot nora in her stomach. She let out a loud defening scream. Hancock isnt the type to easily lose his shit but he looked over at nora with panick in his eyes.

He had to do something, and he had to do it quickly. He ran over to the Rocket launcher and aimed it at the last standing raider, pulled the trigger and he heard the loud almost unbearable sound of the explosion. With a ringing in his ears he ran over to Nora ( who was huddled on the floor in a small puddle of blood) and picked her up. Panic in his eyes, he grabbed one of the stimpaks and injected her. "You're not going to die on me! I'm sorry! this is going to hurt a little, but I cant let the stimpack fix you while the bullet is still inside you" He put his bony rough fingers into her wound and pulled out the bullet.

Nora was whimpering in agony. Hancock sat down on the floor and held Nora in his arms. "It's going to be okay! I promise!"

John carried her back to Tenpines Bluff. Once arrived the settlers looked at Nora and gasped! " OH NO!" They ran over to Hancock and helped him carry her to the next bed. Nora, still unconcious was recovering inside the shed. Although the Settlers reassured him to get some rest because they would take care of her, he wouldnt leave her side. Then, after two days Nora opened her eyes. Hancock sitting on a chair next to her bed, barely able to keep his eyes opened shot up in relief once he saw that she had opened her eyes "NORA!, oh god nora! I was so worried! How are you feeling?"

"J..John? Wh..What happened?"

"You were shot in the stomach, here this is purified water, please drink something. We were fighting the raiders when the last one shot you. I carried you back here."

"Ar..Are you okay John?" Hancock looked at her in disbelief. It took him a second to realize what she had asked. "Youre the one who almost died but youre asking me if I'm okay? I have never met a more selfless person in my life Nora!

"Can you lay next to me?" she said, in almost a whisper. John looked at her stunned. "Are...are you sure? he asked?

"Yes please."

She pulled up the blanket and motioned for him to lay next to her.

He did as she asked and she layed her head on his chest. "Thank you"

"Anything for you sunshine"

With nora on his chest, he finnally passed out from exhaustion.

The next morning she woke up before him, when she opened her eyes she didnt recognize where she was. Then she noticed that she was not laying on a pillow but indeed his chest. "SHIT...what have I done? why am I sleeping cuddled up with Hancock? Oh fuck..." she thought to herself. she looked up to him "okay good he is still asleep"

As carefully as possible she gotten out of the bed trying not to wake him. As Nora placed the first foot on the floor an audible "Ouch" left her mouth, her face grimaced.

"Are you okay?"

"Fuck" she thought.. "uh yes im fine, my stomach hurts a little. "I have some Med-Ex if you need some" he said. "oh no im sure im fine, thank you, "ouch...oh god" her face twitsted in pain.

"PLease take it". He reached out his hand to give it to her.

"Thanks hancock" she took it and immediately injected herself.

"So uhm, what are the plans for today?" she asked

He looked over to her and answered: "Well I wasnt sure on when you were going to be ready to travel again. But we still gotta talk to the settlers at Finch Farm. But first of all, lets get you something to eat."

They got dressed and left the shed together. "How about tato salad?" "Yea sounds good, actually please pack some for the road too."she said.

he looked over to her slightly surprised: "Oh you feel ready to travel again?"

"Maybe its the Med-ex speaking but I feel ready to head out after breakfast." "Alright" he said "I'll pack our bags in the meantime. Meet me when youre done eating."

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mira-shard · 4 years

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Fluff Alphabet (Marina X Jae edition)

Thanks for tagging me @mizutoyama! 💖

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A= Attractive (What do they find attractive about the other?) The first attractive thing Marina noticed was Jae's defiance of the rules. She strongly believes rules shouldn't always be followed. One of the most attractive things is how loyal Jae is to his family. Jae loves Marina's sense of adventure and loyalty. During their first trip to knockturn alley, she almost immediately became ride or die for him and loyalty means a lot to him.

B = Baby (Do they want a family? Why/Why not?) Both of them always thought they'd grow up to have a family. But when the wizarding war came they decided to wait until everything was over and settled down. But life had other plans as it turns out Marina was pregnant during the final battle at Hogwarts. Once things had settled down they decided to expand their family when they both felt it was safe enough to do so.

C= Cuddle (How do they cuddle?) Preferbably with Jae on his back and Marina on top of him. Marina's very clingly while cuddling and Jae likes being able to grab a drink while cuddling cause she ain't getting up for hours (Not like he actually minds)

D= Dates (What are dates with them?) As long as it's the two of them and they're having fun away from the castle? It's a date. Sometimes when they're joking around they call detention a date.

E= Everything (You are my ____ (e.g. my life, my world…)) Marina: You're my safe place. Jae: You're my partner in crime. Marina: .... This shit is equally dope. Jae & Marina: You won't believe the kinda shit that comes out of this kid's throat (I had to, they totally would)

F = Feelings (When did they know they were in love?) Alright, so I actually wanted to write a two shot fic about them realising their feelings for one another but basically; Marina realised it when he was comforting her after she broke down from the pressure of the portrait vault. When Jae told her she was just one girl and that it's okay to take a step back for her own sake, she felt really seen and vulnerable and that made her realise it. Jae realised his feelings during a divination class. They were paired up together and sure, he thought she was attractive but when he noticed how sweaty his palms were and she just took his mind of it by talking about a prank they could pull on Pitts or adding something other than sandwhiches to the menu. It was those little things that made him think "Oh, shit. I love her."

G = Gentle (Are they gentle? If so, how?) Iiiiiiii honestly don't know if this question is like, slightly NSFW?? But considering it's the fluff alphabet XD Yes, they're quite gentle with one another. Sometimes they can play a bit rough, like wrestling or shoving one another, but most of the time they're careful around each other.

H = Hands (How do they like to hold hands?) They actually rarely hold hands. They prefer to link arms cause, well, when you're walking through knockturn alley it's quicker to draw your wand that way. Plus Marina likes staying as close as possible.

I = Impression (What was their first impression?) Marina immediately noticed Jae was a joker during their first detention together. When they talked about the things they did to get into detention she thought he was sneaky and someone who would sell her out to Dumbledore for a galleon. Luckily, he proved her that that assumption was completely incorrect. Jae thought she was kinda cueless when he saw her stare at the bread in confusion. He assumed she never had to do it before and was probably a rich kid who would complain about detention. Some of their first assumptions about each other are completely inaccurate but they got ofter those assumptions once they spent more time together.

J= Jealousy (Do they get jealous?) Marina gets jealous easier than Jae does. Marina's jealousy mostly stems from her own insecurity and can be a little bit petty about it, but Jae isn't one to avoid confrontation and calls her out on it if she's acting up when they're in private. Jae rarely gets jealous cause he's quite easy going and is confident in Marina's feelings about him. On the rare occasion that he does get jealous, Marina noticed quickly and gets a bit more affectionate and PDA to reassure him non verbally.

K = Kiss (How do they kiss? Who initiated the first kiss?) Some quick pecks during detention or in the library are quite common. But the longer ones are in places where they can be alone, both prefer privacy and aren't that much into PDA. Unless Jae is in a teasing mood. As for their first kiss, it was in the restricted section of the library. The two snuck in to find something they could use with either the vaults or useful information. Marina noticed a book she also had at home that she loved reading as a child. She started fangirling slightly cause it's very advanced magic and Jae thought she looked so adorable, like a kid in a candy store, so he couldn't help himself and kissed her.

L= Love (Who says ‘I love you first?) Marina did, in their seventh year. I still need to figure out a few of the details there.

M = Memory (What’s their favourite memory together?) Probably will be the summer festival side quest. Will definetely write a one shot about it once it comes out. But for now I'd say the time they made fudge together for Pitts.

N = Nickel (Do they spoil one another? Do they buy the person they love everything?) Jae gives small gifts from time to time, like a banned item he think she'd like or find useful. Most of his gifts are practical or cute. Sometimes he wishes he could spoil her more but Marina reminds him she prefers his company over anything material. Marina comes from a very wealthy family and loves spoiling her friends, but sometimes she takes it a bit too far. Jae doesn't mind it that much but had to explain to her that sometimes he prefered a hug over some kind of expensive item. That conversation took place a few times before Marina finally managed to reel it in. (She still goes all out on occasions like Christmas or Jae's birthday-)

O= Orange (What colour reminds them of their other half?) Marina immediately thinks of yellow, cause of the signarture "gold" hoodie. Jae thinks of purple, without a doubt.

P = Pet names (What pet names do they use?) They only started using pet names to tease one another but somewhere along the line they started saying some of them unironically. Mostly in private, tho. Marina's usual pet name for Jae is "darling," and Jae only ever really calls her "kitten." Altho that one is purely to tease her for her animagus form.

Q = Quaint (What is their favourite non-modern thing?) Exploring Hogwarts. The castle is very old and has more secret passways and tunnels than they could probably ever find.

R = Rainy Day (What do they like to do on a rainy day?) So there's a hidden room in the dungeon that's under the black lake and is entirely made of glass. The ceiling, the floor, the walls, you can see trough it all, as if you were in the lake. These two love to just go there and stare at all the mermaids and sea life that goes by while they sneak in some blankets, pillows and some butterbeer.

S = Sad (How do they cheer each other up?)

When Marina is upset, physhical affection works almost always. Something as simple as holding her for a few minutes calms her down pretty often. She just needs a safe spot to let all the tears out.

When Jae gets sad, he rants to let it out. He paces around in the room while ranting and Marina listens quietly. Once he's done she'll pull him in for a hug and tries to talk about whatever the issue is. If Jae doesn't want to talk about it, she'll start making stupid, corny jokes to make him laugh.

T = Talking (What do they like to talk about?) Practically anything. For Jae it's cooking, pranks, how to bend the rules, hobbies and interest and funny/weird things he noticed. Marina loves talking about advanced magic, gossip she learned from the mermaids, quidditch or joking around in general.

U = Unencumbered (What helps them relax?) Jae likes to take long walks outside of the castle to help him relax. Marina prefers to stay in a room with some music on, where she won't have to do anything but just breathe. If they both need to relax they often just take a quaffle and toss it around while making small talk.

V = Vaunt (What do they like to show off? What are they proud of?) Jae likes to brag from time to time, most of the times it's about a new recipe that he got in one try, or an especially difficult item that he managed to sneak in. Marina mainly brags about things related to quidditch. Only very sometimes when people are being annoying she brags about the cursed vaults to make a point.

W = Wedding (When, how, where do they propose?) Hehehehe, no spoilers ;)

X = Xylophone (What’s their song?) Can't help but immediately think of Rollercoaster by Bleachers, not sure why. They don't really have a song yet, but maybe that'll change?

Y = Yes (Do they ever think of getting married/proposing?) Honestly? Neither never thought about it seriously in the beginning. It's about two years after they graduated when they decide together that they'll start considering it but sadly then rumors about voldemort returning showed up.

Z = Zebra (If they wanted a pet, what would they get?) Marina wanted a kneazle, Jae a crup pup. They end up getting both and named them, ironically, Merlin and Arthur.

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Tagging @hanihonii perhaps you would like to do it~? Cause I wanna know more about Stephanie and Ben 👀

#jae kim #marina willow #fluff alphabet #marina x jae #jae x marina #hogwarts mystery mc #hphm #hphm mc #hphm jacob's sibling #jacob's sibling

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courage-a-word-of-justice · 3 years

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Deca-Dence 5

“…cannon won’t ignite in time!” The subbers spell cannon as “canon” later as well.

Off to the cliffside, where Kaburagi goes to die…

Deca-Dence 6

“Maybe someone intervened.” – I think Minato did, somehow.

This Death Dive reminds me of Wipeout.

Moriarty 3

I once made up a quote that goes, “When life detests you, fight back.” I think it’s also roughly along the lines of advice Albert needs.

I remembered an odd line from Macbeth: “Brother, he has killed me!” Seriously, Moriarty is scarier than some actual horror anime, I swear…Update: It’s actually “he has killed me, Mother!”, but same impact.

I had my hands over my mouth from the moment the fire began. That’s how intense this is.

This ED…doesn’t sound like an ED. It sounds like the OP for a different anime, like Joker Game or something. Also, having Saito Soma as Gentaro and Moriarty…is a bit unsettling because they have a lot of overlap but one’s basically the evil twin of the other.

Yashahime 4

“…was raised here…”

“…we can…”

I felt a heart twinge when I saw Towa tear up…man, it’s been years since I last dealt with Inuyasha properly.

“…nights where I can’t fall asleep.” – So…you’ll play it a lot then, Setsuna.

Oh, so Kirara is a nekomata? I never knew until now.

Kikyo!

According to the mythology, the kirin rules over the middle…so why is Kirinmaru the monster in the east?

Is “s***” unwarranted here? I didn’t have the volume on, so I don’t know…Going back, I think Moroha said “kuso”, but it’s still kinda weird to have a swear word in a mostly family-friendly series in a slot near Detective Conan. (Then again, Detective Conan is where I learnt “kuso” from…so my standards are probably not as up-to-scratch as they should be.)

Rin! People keep saying Rin is the mother of the girls and it’s basically the only conclusion that could be done, considering the relationship the two had…but it’s still kind of squick…(Says a person who has no problem with SGRS s2’s ending.)

Update: Someone on ANN said the teacher’s name (Osamu Kirin) being similar to Kirinmaru is sketchy and I agree.

Maou-jou 4

There’s no pun for Rocket Turtle…that’s kinda startling, actually.

I’m not going to translate the eyecatches anymore. Seems they were actually translated in the manga and someone just copies them over or something.

I’ve seen some characters use wa when they really aren’t that feminine. However, the voice Suwabe uses for the Sorceror leads me to believe this guy really is trying to be feminine, even if in just a vocal capacity.

…aw, no puns here too.

Oh no, the seal…!

…hmm? The Scissors Sorceror’s info is…we’re not allowed to look at it. That’s what the red text says.

…my brain exploded for a second when I suddenly heard jazz music. It’s a Detective Conan parody! *screams*

Iina! doesn’t really mean “Lucky!” It means more like “cool!” or “It’s good, isn’t it?”

I7 s2 5

I missed these boys!

I like the Kinako transition. It’s cute.

I don’t really like it when Tenn looks at the screen…it gives me 1st person cam vibes.

Why is Tsunashi being called “this”, anyway?

Oh yeah…mensore = youkoso = welcome.

Uh oh…is Yuki actually evil???

Riku (earth) vs. Tenn (heaven). Hmm.

I still can’t believe they don’t believe Gaku is the soba guy. It’s so obvious!

Chikuzen-ni.

Someone on staff ships Gaku and Tsumugi together…hmm…

Oh! So this is DESTINY, huh? I’ve probably heard it on Spotify before, but I don’t recognise it by sheer sound like I do HypMic. (Then again, the half-year off the airwaves probably really hurt I7, man…)

Akudama 4

Say what you will about how bad Funi translations can get…they’re definitely entertaining!

Geesh, Doctor gets all the sexy shots, but Brawler gets all the ab shots. Can I get a sexy Courier shot…?

“…she’s right.” – There’s a lot of dialogue here, so…uh, who’s “she” in this case?

What’s a “bro fro”?

Wow, Brawler, talk about being punched into next Tuesday…(partially joking)

Swindler’s face, LOL. (I know she’s an ordinary gal, but calling her “Swindler” is shorter to type.)

I remember reading around and people agree Swindler works at the Seal Centre.

The shark and bunny’s shirts say things like “Kanto/Kansai”, “earth, air/water” and “pollution/clean” during their montage.

“feminist” – Uh, ex-squeeze me?! Feminism does not equal “ladies first” or “going easy on ladies”. Update: I went and listenend to it and although one of my ears is mysteriously almost constantly plugged these days, I’m fairly sure Doctor did not say “feminist” (in katakana). Update 2: Then I listened to it again and…I’m not sure anymore.

LOL, Hoodlum hit the in-series camera. With his face.

Oh, vault = garage or storage. Right, how did I not know that?

Cat, nooooooooooooooooo! Don’t die!

HypMic 5

After the two “darker” divisions, it seems almost strange to not have a “dark” introduction about the seedy underbelly of alt. future Japan…

Oh, my gosh. That’s Ichijiku on the phone.

The studio has the word “drops” on it.

Lemme guess: Neither hand!...Yup.

The only spoiler I know for this ep. is it’s a Halloween episode, and “Ramuda ruins Halloween”. That quote is way too subjective to mean anything, though…

…hmm, Gentaro doesn’t say “shousei” in that sentence involving “this humble bard” (not that I heard, but one of my ears is mysteriously plugged after I stayed up late browsing Twitter on my phone – don’t tell anyone that, though! They’re not meant to know!). Gentaro is not a humble bard (although that would translate “shousei” quite correctly in the Shakespearean), he’s an author.

LOL, that “ding!”

Gentaro actually says “ghostbusters” in katakana, LOL.

I almost thought this Shinjuku man was Doppo…but no, this Aoyama Cemetery exists. It has nice cherry blossoms.

The “dun dun dun” soundtrack is great. It really sets the atmosphere.

Gentaro really is an idiots’ minder, just as I used to characterise him. (Then the FP and M manga and developments regarding Ramuda being evil changed my mind.)

I-Is this just gonna be an episode of FP being scared and Ramuda yelling? It’s fun for a bit, but when you’re stopping to analyse every few seconds, Ramuda’s voice is gonna get annoying eventually…

Kurosu seems to be a cross between Jyushi and Doppo.

This ep…makes FP look money-crazy. Dice is only money-crazy when he’s broke…because of course you would be…but the others aren’t.

That rock track that plays when FP hand out flyers is cool!

Are they…eating squid?...Welp, squid jerky. I’d say I’m correct.

Oh, so they’re all street photographers? Not just Tom?

I was wondering…how would the “tie to a different division” occur in episode 5, considering episode 6 is where the plot really kicks in? Turns out…they tie back to BB, which is not a thing I was expecting at all.

BB have a BB tablet…makes sense, because I think Hypster have iPhone cases for each division.

Oh, they’re planting the seeds of Ramuda’s ability here, so to speak. By knowing what Hypnosis Mics are capable of doing, you can see the building blocks of Rap Abilities as well.

Okonbanwa! The extra O is meant to make things formal, but only in front of nouns (sometimes it’s “go”, e.g. goshujin), so it’s Ramuda being overly formal to be cutesy and unconventional.

*lightbulb goes off in head* It makes sense that the group affiliated with illusions and randomness does the Halloween episode, actually.

…Yargh! Of course all these onee-sans are FP stans!...*lightly touches temple, as if to get rid of a headache* I should’ve known.

The new song is “Shibuya Ghost Night” by Tokyo Health Club, Yuki “T-Groove” Takahashi and Yuma Hara.

*stops video before the darn airhorn sounds* Thank goodness…hey, isn’t this quote from Magical Girl Spec-Ops Asuka…?

This episode is very seasonal, but doesn’t really make sense outside of airing on Halloween. C’mon, couldn’t you have given us a Sasara appearance instead of having Ramuda yell down the house…? I knew the FP episode was going to be either lighthearted with a dark undercurrent, like the BB ep (considering we haven’t gotten to Ramuda dying yet), or full-on lighthearted, but…I somehow wonder if the staff had an empty spot labelled “Fling Posse episode” due to COVID and went, “Okay, it airs on Halloween this year, let’s make it Halloween-inspired”…or something. Also, I feel Gentaro got the short end of the stick here.

Update: As for yakuwarigo, Ramuda trends towards the feminine side, which is not something I noticed until my groupwork partner pointed it out to me. The message in this episode has a “yone”, which proves that point even further. “Dayo~n” is a variant of the gender-neutral “yo” ending. Meanwhile, I have game samples that prove Dice uses “ze” like BB/MTC, while Gentaro uses “yo” and desu/masu like Jakurai, so it was really Ramuda anyone wanted to pay attention to since his speech patterns are the most feminine-leaning, possibly due to his extensive hanging out with ladies. (I once read a Tofugu post on how non-binary people deal with language that said if you hang out with ladies a lot, you take on feminine yakuwarigo and if you hang out with guys a lot, you do the same in that direction, but I clearly remember Ramuda using “sa”, which is a slightly male-leaning ending.)

Taiso Samurai 4

There’s something in the background which stops me from listening to it and one of my ears is blocked, but I gotta find out what Tackey was saying about the NHK Cup (the joke, I mean). Update: So I think it’s ninja/nukihara/kekkou, but I may have heard that wrong due to my blocked ear…I should get someone to clean it out properly.

Here’s the YoI monologue about competitions again. <- (neutral on it) Also, NHK is in English letters/romaji in the term “NHK Cup”, but the “Cup” isn’t (it’s in kanji).

Sekigahara had a huge historical battle.

Huh? This episode’s called “Samurai Musume (daughter)”, so…where did “Battling Samurai” come from? That’s one of the previous episodes, right?

Selfies, before they were cool.

I was wondering if Leo actually calls Rei “Rachel” like he calls Jotaro “Joe”…and he does. I just haven’t paid much attention to the audio, that’s all.

The Battle of Chibi? Never heard of it until now, but the Battle of Red Cliffs is the same thing.

Leo Naruto runs…LOL.

If Rei was in 4th grade in 2002…are we going to see the characters in the present in the end? She would be 28 in 2020.

I guess I should’ve guessed from “hat trick”, but a Bergkamp trap is related to soccer.

There’s a random Japanese-sounding track in the background…didn’t expect that.

A cemetery…on the day after Halloween.

“Grandma’s place” = the bar…Ohhhhhhhhhh. I was wondering, didn’t the grandma and Rei live together? Then it all came together.

Jim Beeam (sic), LOL.

I wonder, are Tackey and Ayu dating like he asks?

Gotta love a man in a suit! *chef’s kiss*

Yashahime 5

Who’s this Tokotsu guy again…? Also, the “ja” in Jakotsumaru means “young”.

Oh, Myoga. It’s been a while.

Can there be 4 Perils when there’s only 3 of them…?

Well, it makes sense that a dog demon would have demon fleas…in a sense.

Why is “trying to swallow up this world and turn it into a degenerate age” (or whatever Kirinmaru’s aim is) so vague? You could say the present is already an age of mass degeneracy…

Maybe the Dream Butterfly took Moroha’s memories…?

Wait, why is Myoga only allowed to drink Moroha’s blood when she puts on the rouge?

So this is an arhat. Also, aren’t morals an Anglophone ideal imported into Japan and the rest of Asia? That’s what separates Towa from Setsuna.

Akudama 5

This drone definitely won’t come in handy at all…(sarcastic)

There’s an Evangelion feel to these “masks”…

That box is like Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs! It’s great!

I like how the kids jump to the potential fact (?) this is a Swindler trick.

You can see Courier’s bike in the background when the bunny says “…and I mean everything.”

*Knights of Sidonia music starts playing* Search! And! Destroy! *record scratch as music stops*

I think this little discussion between Courier and Swindler will go down in Akudama Drive history as one of my favourite moments because it’s the little conversations that count. Also…does Courier have a mechanical hand, or is that just me thinking weird things…? Is that a glove?

Ooh, scars. Sexy. (On the Executioner Master, at least.)…Now I get why the guy wears that mouth covering.

HypMic 6

Halfway through the season already…? Yikes, how time flies. By the way, my assignment’s come and gone so I don’t need to focus on it anymore.

Hmm? Why did the subbers put “Prime Minister” when Ichijiku merely says “yes”…?

Wait, 1st question: how does one sign up for a rap battle? I don’t think that’s ever been answered. 2nd question (well, not a question): Dice is paying attention to Otome now…

I’m fairly sure that red brick warehouse was just that…as in the Red Brick Warehouse in Yokohama, which was also featured in Bungou Stray Dogs. Update: Oh, it’s (partially) a shopping mall…? I didn’t know that until now.

See, I told you they’re (Tom, Iris and Rex) probably foreigners…

That one shot of Jakurai? *chef’s kiss* Beautiful. Give me a million of ‘em. (Okay, I’m kidding to some degree, but I can’t help staring at it. Jakurai’s just too pretty…)

“Tweet-like lyrics”? Eh? When was Twitter a collective pessimist?

Oh, that’s basically the scene from the drama track. Where the heck is Jakurai fishing though…? I always imagined it to be at a river or a pier, not some concrete complex. Update: According to a user on Twitter, the fishing place is called “Ichigaya Fishing Centre”. It is, as you would expect, found in Shinjuku. Apparently, even Osomatsu-san featured the place...which would explain why it looks vaguely familiar to me.

Wow, I can’t believe how upfront they’re being about Ramuda breaking up TDD.

Ramuda thought in his deep voice…I almost didn’t recognise it for a second. It doesn’t even sound like Shirai. It sounds more like…Hayami, in fact.

“F*** yeah!” - …and they’re still going with the F bomb. Keep being you, subbers, keep being you.

That shot of Saburo in a dimly-lit room almost looks like the SR card in ARB, except in that one he has his headphones on (and might be outside, to my memory).

Oh, so the round thing really is Ichiro’s ring. It’s got an “I” on it too, i.e. the Roman numeral for one.

*Ichiro explains what happened to TDD from his and Samatoki’s side* - I don’t think we’ve ever seen the story from Ichiro’s or Samatoki’s perspective enough to know either thought this (or this way).

“Jiro! Saburo! Let’s go!” - …and Tom’s just taking photos as they leave, LOL.

I didn’t expect the TsudaKen guy to be back again, really.

Well, if this Google route is to be believed, “Sadamezuka’s soul” only lasts about 30 minutes by car crossing from one point to the other, hence Jiro’s remark.

Googling “Toyotama” and “Toyotama Line” gets you…Ghost of Tsushima links…?

…hmm. I’m not listening to it on a hugely loud volume, so I can’t quite tell what the pun is, but I think the word for “monk” in this case is “bouzu”. Then what’s the word for “electric dynamo”…? Update: The pun, according to Takahisa Maeyama, is Erekiteruteru Bouzu.

That ticking thing was really effective in terms of the song…but sasuga HypMic. Things went ka-blammo again.

So we’re probably going to see BB’s first DRB round next ep…or Matenrou doing another takedown similar to ep. 3. Or both. Both is good. (Or it could be the FP/M side of things, much like we got the BB/MTC side of things here.)

...Uh, shouldn’t that be “dawn”? The anime’s generally been very good about this (aside from the obvious typo in the BB logo), but…welp, they’ve done it now.

Update: The LOVE you see Hifumi and Doppo near is this one.

Update 2: As for the yakuwarigo, it…turns out, to no one’s surprise, it stays oddly consistent across all media, although individual treatment of the characters can differ depending on the author.

HGPC 4

Ooh, is this Element of Light?

Fate/Stay PreCure! Here we come!

Moriarty 4

Why is the “to” capitalised? (Is that even capitalised?)

Quinine.

I kind of knew the grapefruit and the heart condition and/or quinine would be relevant somehow…and boy howdy, was I right! I just didn’t really know what it was going to do, that’s all.

I thought the ED didn’t match very well, but looking at the translated lyrics…now it kind of makes sense.

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gyromitra-esculenta · 4 years

Text

The penultimate chapter for Something Ends, Something Begins - still ‘Bad Witcher AU’. The song sung in the beginning is Lament of Orpheus by Darren Korb.

Warnings: none (unless you count friendly ribbing and calling names, weasels (one particular weasel)).

Gabriel wakes up alone and with the aftertaste of the chaos on his tongue. From the outside, a melody plucked on lute's strings floats. Absentmindedly, he picks straw from his hair and rebinds it in a low-hanging ponytail. Custom calls for it to be shorn with the mourning ended but he is hesitant, not willing to make his mind up yet – what is the point of keeping the customs he does not know the true weight of?

He loosens the buckles and clasps of the armor, the particular feeling of having slept in it fading – the drops of dried blood on it reassuring. Soon, the brassards join the chest piece on the blankets, and Gabriel turns his attention to the bags showing obvious signs of having been tampered with, obviously so. A fresh shirt, although wrinkled, hangs above them, thrown haphazardly over the wooden wall of the box. He runs his fingers against the dyed cloth, the weave tight and simple, the stitching reinforced with strips of cured leather.

Outside, a distinct voice meandering between harmony and dissonance carries a maudlin melody.

"Hear, o gods, my desperate plea, to see my love beside me."

He changes, listening to the song and wondering over its rhyme, or maybe he's trying to look too deep into it, and the words of warning to not mistake the stars for their reflection on the surface of the water come to mind.

"Sunk below the mortal sea her anchor weighs upon me."

Still, it's one of those songs performed when drunks had either slipped under the tables or turned contemplative – and when the brawls and the boasts transformed into the philosophies discussed over the cups of mead and dirty tables.

"Fasten her tether unto me that she may rise to sail free."

Gabriel steps out into the open. The sun pleasantly warms his skin, the smell of meat roasted with juniper and rowanberry wine wafts on the air.

"Don't look back," Sombra holds the melody on her tongue, the words mingling fluidly together into one flowing utterance. She puts her palm across the strings of the lute held in her lap, a fleeting smile on her lips. By her side, with his legs crossed, sits Jack, looking up with an expression equal parts fond, apologetic, and the kind a mischievous kid caught stealing apples might wear.

"I was looking for clean clothes for you, and you had her crystal at the bottom of one bag, so I thought..."

"...you'd call me in the middle of the night?" Sombra snorts.

"It was an hour before noon, witch."

"The middle of the night, as I said, you incorrigible forest pest."

"Oh, excuse me, your witchness, I forgot about your never-ending moral hangover."

"Rich, coming from an ungulate," Sombra tries to sound offended but her face betrays her with how red-rimmed her eyes still are, and her hair curl around her cheek naturally, the coiffure forwent. The same with her garments, the frilly shirt with several laces undone and breeches more akin to something gathered at a moment's notice in a frantic hurry. Gabriel smiles, coming closer, beckoned with Jack's outstretched hand.

"It's not me with a weasel betwixt my tits."

"He likes it there because there is something he can lie betwixt, warm and soft, and voluminous."

"I'm still growing so that's uncalled for," Jack gives her a look full of almost genuine hurt as he pulls Gabriel down to the ground to rest between his now uncrossed legs.

Gabriel lets himself be guided and falls with his back against Jack's chest, different yet so familiar – arms circling his waist and the chin wedged over his shoulder as Jack laughs with a huff. "Oof, you're heavy now, cub."

"At least, we're past the puberty," Sombra smiles indulgently.

"Don't get me started, witch, the pimples were the least of my worries, the wenches are like bloodhounds after a wounded stag," Jack jests with a note of challenge in his tone. Sombra brushes her fingers against the strings, wresting a whimsical accord out of the lute.

"Forgive me for having no sympathy, ungulate. Now," she cocks her head, mischief in her gaze, "what are your plans?"

"I was thinking, I've never been to Skellige, little cub."

"Skellige?" Gabriel questions, shifting somewhat. "Why Skellige?"

"Oh," Jack moves one hand to his hair and picks at the stray blade of straw Gabriel must have missed earlier, "lots of druids to piss off, and we might still get there for the sirens’ nesting period, I hear they're testy and irritable then, more than usual."

"I'll give you two months and meet you at Bremervoord. I'm booking the passage because I absolutely do not trust you both not to choose a hole-ridden tub that will sink if the wave rides higher than a hem of priestess' skirt," Sombra clicks her tongue at the end.

"Three months."

She stares at Gabriel, at first incredulous, then her expression morphs into a sly look unbefitting her lousy appearance.

"Yes, yes, a vast quantity of time to make up for, indeed, I do feel a ballad calling to me."

"No," Gabriel sighs, closing his eyes. “No ballads..."

"Yes, absolutely no ballads, I am still very much traumatized by your appalling rhymester vagaries," Jack pitches in his two crowns and Sombra is opening her mouth to object already.

"We have to drop by the stronghold to pick something up."

"We do?" Jack sounds surprised and Gabriel feels his chin shifting on his shoulder – imagining the inquisitive tilt of the head he needs not to see to know well.

"Your swords."

"You kept them."

"Of course I did. They were-are good swords," he catches himself too late. Only now, Gabriel notices how profound the shift from 'was' to 'is' is - it's one thing to believe this reality, and another to accommodate it and let it redefine the pain and the loneliness, and finally the acceptance, in the years before – and some surprise resentment lingers.

He's reminded of how everything – and nothing at all – had changed after he had acquiesced to Jack's attentions for the first time.

"I need a leak." Sombra pulls herself up, leaving the lute on the ground. "Don't wait for me," she adds before briskly moving to the fence and vaulting over it. Strangely, no retort is coming from Jack, and Gabriel notices the tears when a brush of the lips on his cheek smears the moisture. How kind of her to leave.

"I'm sorry, cub. I am," Jack whispers, "truly, terribly, horribly sorry, for all. For everything. I could feel you, know that you are out there, but the knowledge of seeing you was beyond my grasp," he muses, his palm rising to Gabriel's other cheek. "The flower weaves its protections, even from me, so I could only wait for you to come to me until I could go to you myself."

"Your farewells."

"Today, the same as Nielub's hair-cutting, but it doesn't mean I have to leave in the evening," Jack sighs, fingers playing with Gabriel's hair again, twirling the loose strands with a doting tempo. "Tomorrow's not too late, and neither too early."

It strikes him that maybe Jack does not want to leave having known family life now, something he would have not experienced before. Something of the thought must reflect in him because Jack chuckles and nuzzles his cheek with his nose before speaking again.

"It's my time to leave, with you, cub. You're all I need, and want," he sighs. "It won't be the easiest, I did get used to this kind of existence, but... I didn't know better, it was wrong of me to take them from you."

"You're keeping them safe for me."

"Always will."

The irony of 'I didn't know better' does not elude Gabriel; having his own words turned against him in a strange twist brings comfort rather than uneasiness – two admissions of guilt neither of them faults the other for.

"It's enough, knowing they are with you."

He wants to add his own apology but the unexpected screech has him looking at the source: Sombra frantically trying to wriggle her hand into her shirt from the top.

"Watch the claws, you furry Nilfgaardian bastard! Out! Out!"

"I think that's our cue, hm, cub?"

"Did you...?"

"I'd never. He just got bored," Jack chuckles as Sombra turns twice on the spot unsuccessfully attempting to halt with her hands the bump moving under the cloth, the weasel each time squeezing under or between her palms.

"Your whore mother of..."

"Murder mother!" Jack quips, slipping away from behind Gabriel. "Just stand still."

"The demon has the claws in my belly," Sombra hisses, arms outstretched and held away from her sides. "Get it out. Now. Or there will be a fried weasel appetizer."

"You wouldn't," Jack puts a palm against his chest with a horrified gasp, stopping just before her and leaning down. "Lord Murders-A-Lot does not deserve such a barbaric end!"

"Or a ballad."

"Now, this is a fate worse than death."

He grabs Sombra's shirt and pulls the bottom out of her britches, catching the falling weasel with his other hand. Lord Murders-A-Lot scurries up his arm with a chirp and briefly nibbles on his ear.

"I'm scratched all over. Devil, not a weasel."

"All weasels are devils."

As Jack pets the Lord, Gabriel feels himself slipping and falling back into the rhythm of it, the equilibrium snapping into place like the last piece of an astrolabe tracking the movement of the spheres.

"Just don't get him started."

"You're just jealous of my wee murder ribbon."

"I don't get his obsession with weasels," Sombra mutters, stuffing her shirt back where it belongs before she leans down for her lute.

"Neither do I?" Gabriel chuckles looking to Jack who smiles softly - his gaze warm and content, and something more elusive swirling behind it.

"C'mon," he beckons with his head, offering his hand to Gabriel, "it's about to start, would be rude to keep everyone waiting, wouldn't it?"

"It would." Gabriel accepts and grips his palm, pulling himself up and stumbling Jack for a moment – at first trying to steal a quick kiss but losing himself in it amidst the laughter.

#sometimes I write #r76 #reaper76 #totallynotwitcher!au #murder-deer #lord murders-a-lot is a menace

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readbookywooks · 7 years

Text

In which Phileas Fogg and his companions venture across the Indian forests, and what ensued

In order to shorten the journey, the guide passed to the left of the line where the railway was still in process of being built. This line, owing to the capricious turnings of the Vindhia Mountains, did not pursue a straight course. The Parsee, who was quite familiar with the roads and paths in the district, declared that they would gain twenty miles by striking directly through the forest.

Phileas Fogg and Sir Francis Cromarty, plunged to the neck in the peculiar howdahs provided for them, were horribly jostled by the swift trotting of the elephant, spurred on as he was by the skilful Parsee; but they endured the discomfort with true British phlegm, talking little, and scarcely able to catch a glimpse of each other. As for Passepartout, who was mounted on the beast's back, and received the direct force of each concussion as he trod along, he was very careful, in accordance with his master's advice, to keep his tongue from between his teeth, as it would otherwise have been bitten off short. The worthy fellow bounced from the elephant's neck to his rump, and vaulted like a clown on a spring-board; yet he laughed in the midst of his bouncing, and from time to time took a piece of sugar out of his pocket, and inserted it in Kiouni's trunk, who received it without in the least slackening his regular trot.

After two hours the guide stopped the elephant, and gave him an hour for rest, during which Kiouni, after quenching his thirst at a neighbouring spring, set to devouring the branches and shrubs round about him. Neither Sir Francis nor Mr. Fogg regretted the delay, and both descended with a feeling of relief. "Why, he's made of iron!" exclaimed the general, gazing admiringly on Kiouni.

"Of forged iron," replied Passepartout, as he set about preparing a hasty breakfast.

At noon the Parsee gave the signal of departure. The country soon presented a very savage aspect. Copses of dates and dwarf-palms succeeded the dense forests; then vast, dry plains, dotted with scanty shrubs, and sown with great blocks of syenite. All this portion of Bundelcund, which is little frequented by travellers, is inhabited by a fanatical population, hardened in the most horrible practices of the Hindoo faith. The English have not been able to secure complete dominion over this territory, which is subjected to the influence of rajahs, whom it is almost impossible to reach in their inaccessible mountain fastnesses. The travellers several times saw bands of ferocious Indians, who, when they perceived the elephant striding across-country, made angry arid threatening motions. The Parsee avoided them as much as possible. Few animals were observed on the route; even the monkeys hurried from their path with contortions and grimaces which convulsed Passepartout with laughter.

In the midst of his gaiety, however, one thought troubled the worthy servant. What would Mr. Fogg do with the elephant when he got to Allahabad? Would he carry him on with him? Impossible! The cost of transporting him would make him ruinously expensive. Would he sell him, or set him free? The estimable beast certainly deserved some consideration. Should Mr. Fogg choose to make him, Passepartout, a present of Kiouni, he would be very much embarrassed; and these thoughts did not cease worrying him for a long time.

The principal chain of the Vindhias was crossed by eight in the evening, and another halt was made on the northern slope, in a ruined bungalow. They had gone nearly twenty-five miles that day, and an equal distance still separated them from the station of Allahabad.

The night was cold. The Parsee lit a fire in the bungalow with a few dry branches, and the warmth was very grateful, provisions purchased at Kholby sufficed for supper, and the travellers ate ravenously. The conversation, beginning with a few disconnected phrases, soon gave place to loud and steady snores. The guide watched Kiouni, who slept standing, bolstering himself against the trunk of a large tree. Nothing occurred during the night to disturb the slumberers, although occasional growls front panthers and chatterings of monkeys broke the silence; the more formidable beasts made no cries or hostile demonstration against the occupants of the bungalow. Sir Francis slept heavily, like an honest soldier overcome with fatigue. Passepartout was wrapped in uneasy dreams of the bouncing of the day before. As for Mr. Fogg, he slumbered as peacefully as if he had been in his serene mansion in Saville Row.

The journey was resumed at six in the morning; the guide hoped to reach Allahabad by evening. In that case, Mr. Fogg would only lose a part of the forty-eight hours saved since the beginning of the tour. Kiouni, resuming his rapid gait, soon descended the lower spurs of the Vindhias, and towards noon they passed by the village of Kallenger, on the Cani, one of the branches of the Ganges. The guide avoided inhabited places, thinking it safer to keep the open country, which lies along the first depressions of the basin of the great river. Allahabad was now only twelve miles to the north-east. They stopped under a clump of bananas, the fruit of which, as healthy as bread and as succulent as cream, was amply partaken of and appreciated.

At two o'clock the guide entered a thick forest which extended several miles; he preferred to travel under cover of the woods. They had not as yet had any unpleasant encounters, and the journey seemed on the point of being successfully accomplished, when the elephant, becoming restless, suddenly stopped.

It was then four o'clock.

"What's the matter?" asked Sir Francis, putting out his head.

"I don't know, officer," replied the Parsee, listening attentively to a confused murmur which came through the thick branches.

The murmur soon became more distinct; it now seemed like a distant concert of human voices accompanied by brass instruments. Passepartout was all eyes and ears. Mr. Fogg patiently waited without a word. The Parsee jumped to the ground, fastened the elephant to a tree, and plunged into the thicket. He soon returned, saying:

"A procession of Brahmins is coming this way. We must prevent their seeing us, if possible."

The guide unloosed the elephant and led him into a thicket, at the same time asking the travellers not to stir. He held himself ready to bestride the animal at a moment's notice, should flight become necessary; but he evidently thought that the procession of the faithful would pass without perceiving them amid the thick foliage, in which they were wholly concealed.

The discordant tones of the voices and instruments drew nearer, and now droning songs mingled with the sound of the tambourines and cymbals. The head of the procession soon appeared beneath the trees, a hundred paces away; and the strange figures who performed the religious ceremony were easily distinguished through the branches. First came the priests, with mitres on their heads, and clothed in long lace robes. They were surrounded by men, women, and children, who sang a kind of lugubrious psalm, interrupted at regular intervals by the tambourines and cymbals; while behind them was drawn a car with large wheels, the spokes of which represented serpents entwined with each other. Upon the car, which was drawn by four richly caparisoned zebus, stood a hideous statue with four arms, the body coloured a dull red, with haggard eyes, dishevelled hair, protruding tongue, and lips tinted with betel. It stood upright upon the figure of a prostrate and headless giant.

Sir Francis, recognising the statue, whispered, "The goddess Kali; the goddess of love and death."

"Of death, perhaps," muttered back Passepartout, "but of love-- that ugly old hag? Never!"

The Parsee made a motion to keep silence.

A group of old fakirs were capering and making a wild ado round the statue; these were striped with ochre, and covered with cuts whence their blood issued drop by drop--stupid fanatics, who, in the great Indian ceremonies, still throw themselves under the wheels of Juggernaut. Some Brahmins, clad in all the sumptuousness of Oriental apparel, and leading a woman who faltered at every step, followed. This woman was young, and as fair as a European. Her head and neck, shoulders, ears, arms, hands, and toes were loaded down with jewels and gems with bracelets, earrings, and rings; while a tunic bordered with gold, and covered with a light muslin robe, betrayed the outline of her form.

The guards who followed the young woman presented a violent contrast to her, armed as they were with naked sabres hung at their waists, and long damascened pistols, and bearing a corpse on a palanquin. It was the body of an old man, gorgeously arrayed in the habiliments of a rajah, wearing, as in life, a turban embroidered with pearls, a robe of tissue of silk and gold, a scarf of cashmere sewed with diamonds, and the magnificent weapons of a Hindoo prince. Next came the musicians and a rearguard of capering fakirs, whose cries sometimes drowned the noise of the instruments; these closed the procession.

Sir Francis watched the procession with a sad countenance, and, turning to the guide, said, "A suttee."

The Parsee nodded, and put his finger to his lips. The procession slowly wound under the trees, and soon its last ranks disappeared in the depths of the wood. The songs gradually died away; occasionally cries were heard in the distance, until at last all was silence again.

Phileas Fogg had heard what Sir Francis said, and, as soon as the procession had disappeared, asked: "What is a suttee?"

"A suttee," returned the general, "is a human sacrifice, but a voluntary one. The woman you have just seen will be burned to-morrow at the dawn of day."

"Oh, the scoundrels!" cried Passepartout, who could not repress his indignation.

"And the corpse?" asked Mr. Fogg.

"Is that of the prince, her husband," said the guide; "an independent rajah of Bundelcund."

"Is it possible," resumed Phileas Fogg, his voice betraying not the least emotion, "that these barbarous customs still exist in India, and that the English have been unable to put a stop to them?"

"These sacrifices do not occur in the larger portion of India," replied Sir Francis; "but we have no power over these savage territories, and especially here in Bundelcund. The whole district north of the Vindhias is the theatre of incessant murders and pillage."

"The poor wretch!" exclaimed Passepartout, "to be burned alive!"

"Yes," returned Sir Francis, "burned alive. And, if she were not, you cannot conceive what treatment she would be obliged to submit to from her relatives. They would shave off her hair, feed her on a scanty allowance of rice, treat her with contempt; she would be looked upon as an unclean creature, and would die in some corner, like a scurvy dog. The prospect of so frightful an existence drives these poor creatures to the sacrifice much more than love or religious fanaticism. Sometimes, however, the sacrifice is really voluntary, and it requires the active interference of the Government to prevent it. Several years ago, when I was living at Bombay, a young widow asked permission of the governor to be burned along with her husband's body; but, as you may imagine, he refused. The woman left the town, took refuge with an independent rajah, and there carried out her self-devoted purpose."

While Sir Francis was speaking, the guide shook his head several times, and now said: "The sacrifice which will take place to-morrow at dawn is not a voluntary one."

"How do you know?"

"Everybody knows about this affair in Bundelcund."

"But the wretched creature did not seem to be making any resistance," observed Sir Francis.

"That was because they had intoxicated her with fumes of hemp and opium."

"But where are they taking her?"

"To the pagoda of Pillaji, two miles from here; she will pass the night there."

"And the sacrifice will take place--"

"To-morrow, at the first light of dawn."

The guide now led the elephant out of the thicket, and leaped upon his neck. Just at the moment that he was about to urge Kiouni forward with a peculiar whistle, Mr. Fogg stopped him, and, turning to Sir Francis Cromarty, said, "Suppose we save this woman."

"Save the woman, Mr. Fogg!"

"I have yet twelve hours to spare; I can devote them to that."

"Why, you are a man of heart!"

"Sometimes," replied Phileas Fogg, quietly; "when I have the time."

#EightyDays

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