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starfriday · 5 months

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Teamwork Arts presents Mumbai Preview of Jaipur Literature Festival 2024 at The Quorum, Mumbai

Unveiled key themes and highlight sessions for the upcoming Festival

14th December 2023 – Anticipation is building for the 17th edition of the iconic Jaipur Literature Festival, scheduled to take place from 1st to 5th of February 2024 at Hotel Clarks Amer in the vibrant Pink City of Jaipur. Teamwork Arts, the producer of the iconic Festival, hosted a celebratory evening at The Quorum, Mumbai yesterday and brought together the city’s dignitaries, Festival speakers and audiences. The Festival also announced the official bookstore for the 2024 edition – Crossword Bookstores.

Apart from talking about the much-awaited Festival programme and offerings, the evening featured a dialogue between Amish, bestselling author, diplomat and Director of the Nehru Centre in London, and Sanjoy K. Roy, Festival Producer and Managing Director at Teamwork Arts. They delved into the significant role that myth plays as a mediator of memory. There was also an exciting jazz performance by percussionist Vladimir Taravos and saxophonist Liudas Mockuinas at the event.

William Dalrymple, writer, historian, and Festival Co-director, said, "Every year we try and raise the bar at the Jaipur Literature Festival, but 2024 will be our finest festival yet. It is going to be utterly extraordinary and should on no account be missed!"

Sanjoy K. Roy, Managing Director of Teamwork Arts, producer of the Jaipur Literature Festival, said, “At the Jaipur Literature Festival, we inspire people through the power of stories. It is an opportunity to be engage with a cross section of the arts, knowledge and innovation An experience you definitely do not want to miss – a celebration of the joy of literature.”

Aakash Gupta, CEO, Crossword Bookstores, said, “Crossword is very proud to be the bookstore partner at JLF. We are on a mission to grow the readership in India. The Festival is at a pinnacle of celebrating the joy and importance of good books. This partnership between the Festival & Crossword is a perfect match and aligns with our shared visions. Watch out for an exciting bookstore experience at JLF 2024!”

Saloni Puri, Director of Programming at The Quorum, “I am a Jaipur Literature Festival patron from 2006 - since it was founded. Their highly versatile programming has been instrumental in adding to the cultural conversation in the country. Quorum and the Jaipur Literature Festival share a DNA - curiosity and passion for ideas and imagination, thought leadership and conversation. It gives us great pleasure to partner with them for the Mumbai Preview of the 2024 edition.”

The evening also revealed some of the key themes for the 17th edition of the ‘Kumbh’ of literature. Art & culture are key themes and will have interesting sessions such as one exploring the artistic genius of our country’s foremost modern artist, Raja Ravi Varma with Ganesh V. Shivaswamy, two of whose six-volume series, Raja Ravi Varma: An Everlasting Imprint, navigates the life, artistic style, and everlasting impact of Raja Ravi Varma's creative journey. In another session, museum curator, art historian and Director of the Fitzwilliam Museum at the University of Cambridge, Luke Syson, will talk of Leonardo da Vinci's reputation as an inventor and scientist, and the complexity of his creativity and personality that have sometimes almost overshadowed the importance of his aims and techniques as a painter. Syson’s highly acclaimed Leonardo da Vinci – Painter at the Court of Milan exhibit attempts to understand the complex nature of one of the most sought-after artists of the Renaissance period.

The biographies theme includes a session on the book Irrfan: A Life in Movies by film critic and writer Shubhra Gupta. The book is a collection of conversations with the late actor’s contemporaries and their memories of their time with the legend. In conversation with Irrfan Khan’s beloved wife and theatre actor Sutapa Sikdar and filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj, the session will dive into the art, craft, and life of Irrfan.

Pulitzer Prize winning writer Kai Bird will speak at another session on his writing life and literary journey. Famously co-authored with the late Martin J. Sherwin, Bird wrote, American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer, which acted as the inspiration for the Chirstopher Nolan film, Oppenheimer.

Sharmistha Mukherjee’s remarkable biography Pranab My Father: A Daughter Remembers offers a fascinating glimpse into the illustrious life of Pranab Mukherjee, former politician and the thirteenth President of India. In this session, Sharmistha will talk about her workaholic and devoutly religious Baba who narrated events in the spirit of adda at the dinner-table and who never tried to impose his faith or beliefs on her.

The poet who wins every heart - Gulzar Saab - continues to create magic with each new poetry collection, interweaving the allure of old favourites through verse. Translated by award-winning translator and writer, Rakhshanda Jalil, Baal O-Par is a definitive collection of Gulzar Saab's poetry comprising the complete text of six volumes of poems. Together they will take us through this masterpiece, offering a kaleidoscopic view of history, human experience, and poetic expression.

The Festival will also feature Fashion Designer Tarun Tahiliani. His creations navigate sartorial histories, from the lens of the impact of globalisation and colonisation on attire to the revival of long-forgotten techniques. His book, Journey to India Modern, written with investigative journalist Alia Allana, reveals the paths he takes for his craft, and the significance of his luxury design studio in today's world. In conversation with television anchor and fashion consultant Ambika Anand, Tahiliani will share insights into his explorations in fashion around the globe, his efforts to merge stories across time and space, and the questions he seeks to pose through his designs.

The Festival will also delve into spiritual histories. The sacred terrain of the high Himalaya has a timeless tradition of spiritual and mystic quests. How do enlightened masters become an enduring and living presence for religious and spiritual communities? Celebrated academic and writer Andrew Quintman has written extensively on the Tibetan master and spiritual poet, Milarepa. Actor and writer Kelly Dorji is a practising Buddhist. His book, The Hidden Rainbow, makes an attempt to take us on a spiritual journey through Buddhist symbolism in the quest for inner peace and acceptance. Together, they will discuss the literary representations of Milarepa's life and consider the manifold ways in which these life stories move beyond the written page into artistic, ritual and lived dimensions. This session will also include the launch of the Hindi edition of Mystics and Sceptics: In Search of Himalayan Masters.

Leading classicist and cultural commentator Mary Beard’s recent book, Twelve Caesars: Images of Power from the Ancient World to the Modern, explores how Roman art has shaped the Western world’s understanding of power for over two millennia. Examining the relationship between ancient imperial imagery and the modern visual imagination, Beard will take us through the images of Roman emperors, especially the ‘Twelve Caesars’, from the ruthless Julius Caesar to the fly-torturing Domitian, to understand their modern significance. In conversation with historian, writer and podcaster Tom Holland, she will discuss changing identities, deliberate misidentifications and the often-uncertain representations of authority.

This year too, the Festival offers an exclusive Friend of the Festival (FOF) package which promises an unparalleled experience. FOFs gain access to a private Festival Lounge, where they can unwind and network, occasionally mingling with Festival speakers. The package includes lunches and dinners on Festival days, priority access at select sessions, and entry to the live music performances at the Jaipur Music Stage. In addition, FOFs will be invited to a cultural evening at the majestic Amer Fort as well as an evening of cocktails at the Festival Lounge. They will also get access to the coveted Writers’ Ball that concludes the spectacular literary show.

‘Friend of the Festival’ packages can be booked using this link: https://jaipurliteraturefestival.org/friendsofthefestival-registration.

For further information on the Festival, please visit:

https://jaipurliteraturefestival.org/

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triflesandtea · 2 years

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Something I posted on Instagram and decided to share here. ---b Please note that this applies to no one here on Tumbl(e)r; I just want to help y’all out in case you need this reminder. :)

#reminder #just some random thoughts #friends are fickle things (:#watch yer back mate #JLF #JLF out #Jehovah's Little Fireball #jehovahslittlefireball

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kaworuscott · 3 years

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Vaporwave Sanwa Dreamcast Agetec mod done by myself. Vaporwave artwork by @vincenttrinidadart an excellent print I ordered from his shop. All premium Sanwa joystick and button parts. Sanwa mesh balltop. Custom Bison shadaloo clear dustwasher. The best guide online by far is the DC Agetec mod video on youtube by @scanlinecity even if you aren't doing a mod yourself it's a great techie watch. I've done many partial mods but I wanted to mod an Agetec DC stick from start to finish myself. As you will see in the pics, it requires alot of dremeling away plastic to fit in the Sanwa JLF and around the button casings, also had to dremel down the VMU surface plastic as it sticks out which got in the way if art/plexi. The original metal plate has about 28mm button holes which is no good for the standard 30mm buttons arcades use. You have to dremel the metal holes wider to fit. I dremelled mine but I also had a clear plexi cut for me with 300mm holes many years ago from a friend at tournaments and just never used it until now. I would normally solder but instead I tried out heat wire connectors to attach the original cables to the new quick disconnects which worked a charm. I used cable ties and sticky cable holders to tidy up the inside wiring a bit. I also painted the front panel security screws pink to match the aesthetic. Stick works perfectly for all my Dreamcast fighting games and looks fantastic. So happy with it! #vaporwave #japaneseart #agetec #modding #sanwa #sanwadenshi #seimitsu #controller #arcade #retrogamer #instagamer #arcadegame #fightstick #fightinggame #streetfighter #playstation #dreamcast #sega #nintendo #ps2 #gamestagram #retrogaming #gameroom #retrogamingcommunity #oldschoolgaming #gamecollector #arcadegamer #anime https://www.instagram.com/p/CHK42vrn2GO/?utm_medium=tumblr

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simon-newman · 3 years

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Newman’s Anime Reviews - Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion

Hello and welcome again to the 2nd of my 2021 anime challenge review.

For February I’ve watched something that my friends were trying to make me watch for years.

It might actually be more than a decade that I’ve been putting this title off and they were quick to add this to my challenge list once the opportunity arised.

Were they right to recommend this title to me? Should I have watched this anime earlier? Those 10 years ago?

Perhaps. Still - I’m coming here with mixed feelings on this show. But… I’ll talk more about it in the review proper.

Today’s title is the 2006’s anime by Sunrise.

Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion

Now where do I even begin with this show? What even is this? What the hell is happening?

Well…

The Empire of Britannia is one of the 3 major political powers in the world of Code Geass - ruled by the Emperor Charles zi Britannia they invaded the country of Japan 10 years before the start of the plot.

Their absolute military dominance thanks to the use of cool mecha has led to unconditional surrender of Japan which is now known as Area 11.

It is there that our protagonist - Lelouch - the young Britannian student plans to take his revenge on the Emperor himself for what he’s done to him and his wheelchair-bound sister.

I feel that it is important to put emphasis on this last part here because this is the ultimate motivation for our MC. Something that’ll drive him forward no matter what.

He wants to create a safe world for his sister. That’s it.

Need to protecc.

The question that remains is: How?

How do a teenage boy banished to one of the colonies is supposed to change the world and cause a major power shift?

We get first glimpse at his supposed skill almost immediately - with Lelouch easily defeating an adult player in the game of chess. Nothing much so far but it’s an indication of his real power “shown” later on.

Lelouch is a genius… Or at least this is what the anime tries to convey to us. He is clearly smart and a gifted strategist with lots of charisma and a penchant for theatrics.

However - this is still not enough. That’s why something happens to push our protagonist forward at this stage. In a weird turn of events, a run in with anti-britannian terrorists and a top secret research subject Lelouch obtains the titular Geass.

What is a Geass? It is a power gifted to an individual which in case of Lelouch allows him to give anyone he establishes an eye contact with a single command that this person must follow.

This is actually one of the tame ones.

From there on Lelouch joins and reforms the “terrorists” into “Black Knights” - a Rebellion led by his alter-ego the masked man called Zero - and starts executing his plan to take revenge… I mean to make the world a safe place for Nunnally.

From there we follow Lelouch as his Rebellion grows while he himself learns the limits and drawbacks of his power and tries his best to hide his identity as Zero.

Initially the show is quite entertaining - especially when it comes to battle scenes where we get to see Lelouch improbable planning and tactical skills at work. As for the other parts…

Yeah… I should have watched this show those 10 years ago because right now the parts with MC’s school life just don’t do this for me… They really slow down the plot and while they do serve the purpose of establishing various plot-important details it’s just...

Well the pacing sucks.

Without any breaks and just the action sequences the anime would be very much rushed but the break parts at school just go on forever, developing into trivial stories used to deliver some little bit of exposition or character development. The balance is off and the show doesn’t get better until the mid point…

Speaking of which…

Nice mountain you’ve got there...

There’s a major shift that happens somewhere in the mid-point of the anime that is bothering me to this day.

Who is the bad guy?

It might seem like a trivial question to many.

Obviously it’s Britannia! With their world conquest, asshole Emperor, warmongering royals, discrimination of conquered nations they call Numbers (in case of Japanese it’s “Elevens”) and engaging in wanton destruction and genocide for no good reason. They’re basically the Nazis.

With the above in mind there’s nothing wrong with Lelouch being willing to use all means at his disposal to achieve his goals… Right?

Monsters need to be stopped.

That was kinda the thing until the Battle of Narita where the Black Knights’ tactics caused the destruction of a town.

Now - this by itself could have been used to drive the point home with the Rebellion losing a lot of PR. After all the town was in the JLF controlled territory, inhabited by the Elevens and stuff…

Well. You see - the creators of the show didn’t think that was enough and/or missed the opportunity.

First of all - there’s no PR backlash for the Black Knights whatsoever. Nobody cares. The Britannian are now leading the rescue and recovery operations in the area and… It’s just weird. Why would they suddenly bother?

Secondly - it suddenly turns out that the people in the enemy-controlled territory were… Britannians? SOMEHOW. This is made to inflict personal level suffering to MC and some other characters as one of the character’s relatives dies in the event.

Third of all - after this very point there’s a major change. We no longer get to see Britannians committing atrocities but do get Lelouch crossing line after a line in the pursuit of his goals.

I think the creators realized that to make it appear more grey vs grey they can’t show Britannians as complete monsters but… It really doesn’t feel to occur naturally here. Were the person in charge of Britannians change again? Yes - I could accept that they are a better person than the previous leader. It isn’t so. And even if it was it wouldn’t undo their previous actions and made the characters that stayed seem really inconsistent.

It’s a major turn off for me when consistency in storytelling takes a back seat for a point to be made.

Because Zero’s not edgy enough without it I guess...

There’s also another kind of inconsistency here when it comes to battles.

The cool mecha used by the Britannians are… Well. In the early parts they seem indestructible until the plot demands they’re not.

At first it seems that only other mecha have the weapons that can affect them. Then we see that some weapons do work BUT it is only when MC is commanding the battle.

It’s a magic wand that removes the plot armor from Britannians whenever Lelouch is there and often gives them to the allies.

Often - being the key word here.

One good thing is that it doesn’t stick. Plot-important characters don’t die but they are not immune to damage either. The mechas often get wrecked and require fixing. Lelouch himself is subject to this quite often as he’s not an outstanding pilot like others on his side.

It is thanks to that aspect of the action parts that the anime is not becoming one-sided and remains entertaining. You’re drawn to it to see what’s happening because it’s not just another battle.

Yes... Really entertaining battles...

I think it is becoming apparent what’s the issue here.

There are a lot of things done wrong with this anime. Things that don’t necessarily break it but I can’t just overlook them. Things that are putting me off. Inconsistency, bad pacing, weird editing where some scenes are cut extremely abruptly - as if to reduce time.

There’s also the usual issue of geniuses written by people who are not geniuses. Lelouch brilliancy is only guaranteed by the fact that people on the other side will do something stupid. Some of his actions are not the brightest and some are just downright stupid and easily could lead to his downfall were his enemies to have half a brain. Or worse - one action is such a poor choice it simply falls apart on it’s own - and you could expect it to the moment “it” happens (is there a point in keeping spoilers on this show? I’m talking about Geasing Shirley).

There’s also the braindead Suzaku - a subject so controversial on the Internet that I’ve hesitated to touch it here and decided to only reduce it to a small paragraph.

Yes. Suzaku is an idealistic foil to Lelouch. He serves his purpose. BUT. His idealism is stupid - not by the virtues he’s holding but by remaining blind to what is happening around him. He wants to end the discrimination without using violence but the Britannians are killing Elevens for no reason whatsoever. Time and time again the side he’s on goes against his principles and he still sticks to them. It is becoming less and less possible to emphasise with him with each incidence.

Still - there was a certain charm to this anime. It was fun to watch and only getting better the farther in I’ve gotten.

Not including the school drama.

All in all the score I was about to give was still going to be pretty low at this point. The anime was decent but far too flawed for my tastes… That was when the last story arc started.

The pizza...

I must say. The rug was pulled from under my feet.

Those events were really unexpected. Emotionally draining and yet entertaining as nothing before in this show.

So many lines have been crossed in an instant - there was no return. Not anymore. Shit was happening and it was a spectacle to watch. Some men just want to see the world burn. Duh. I watched events unfold and I enjoyed it very much until the very end.

The end of a 1st season that assured I WILL watch the 2nd one when I find the time (I didn’t so that it wouldn’t affect this review).

All in all - the show’s grand finale is the high point that offsets all the problems I’ve talked about earlier. It is simply done perfectly.

And speaking of endings. It is time to finally end this review as well...

Final Score: 7/10

Status: Completed Season 1

Sentence: Lelouch vi Britannia commands you: Watch Season 2!

Previous: Kimetsu no Yaiba

#Anime #Review #Code Geass #Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion #Lelouch Lamperouge #Lelouch vi Britannia #C.C.#Kallen Stadtfeld #Geass

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xjoseylynnex · 3 years

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2:24am thoughts

Sleep can be a difficult thing for some people. Sometimes one cannot quiet their mind enough to rest. So they lie awake staring at their ceiling, watching the nonexistent stars flicker. They let all the noises just pass through, like a crickets song in summer time. Wondering if they can possibly get what most people call “sleep.” Sad thing is they don’t mind if they don’t get any. They’re use to it, not resting. Maybe tomorrow will be different, maybe they’ll sleep during the day, maybe they just won’t sleep at all till their body collapses. But either way, they remain laying on their bed, staring at the ceiling with a peaceful aura around them, and a constant chaos in their mind.

-jlf

#dark grunge #dark academia #indie #writing #writer #excerpt from a story i'll never write #writeaway #writerscommunity #anime aesthetic #sad boi hours #sadbeautifultragic #sad thoughts #insominac #inspiration #poetscommunity

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author-aj-jacobson · 3 years

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I am an author of Adult Dark fantasy, avid reader, fantasy junkie.

I have loved reading since before I can remember and have always avidly consumed fantasy, anything with any kind of fantasy element I loved. then I developed my love the mythical creatures I fell in love with the idea of mermaids when I first watched the Australian tv series H20 Just Add Water and my love for fantasy, mythical creatures and legends only grew when I watched Avatar The Last Airbender, what can I say I was a cliché child of the early 2010s then that obsession only grew as when I started learning about the legends and folklore from all around the world, which of most were fairly dark and twisted, of which said creatures originated from this also presented me with the opportunity to explore other cultures and legends and interpretations of these creatures, not long after all this began I found out that writing dark tales featuring these creatures and legends was surprisingly even more enjoyable than reading those stories.

When not writing I can be found avidly consuming Netflix and books, learning more about the legends and myths that started my love for my sub-genre and Interesting fact about me I have two other pen names I write middle grade under J Jacobson, young adult and new adult fantasy under JLF Jacobson

#author writer writingdarkfantasy darkfantasy

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inevitably-johnlocked · 5 years

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JLF Reqs: Do They Know They’re in a Relationship?

@extrasupercelestrial said: Do you know of any fics where John and Sherlock are in a relationship but Sherlock has no idea? Those are my fav! Thanks :)

Hi Lovely!

Ahhhhhh you know what? I’m... not sure??? I can recall a few, though moreso for John, that kind of fit this description:

A Need To Know Basis by mattsloved1 (G, 934 w. || Humour, Romance) – As the cab door shut firmly, the DI had yelled out they were to make an appearance at Scotland Yard the next day. It was while John watched London pass by that it happened.

Acceptable Behaviour by bbcatemysoul (M, 3,449 w. || Fluff, Dev. Rel., Miscommunication, First Time) – Sherlock isn't really sure why John wants to shag him, but he's certain that if he's careful to behave properly about it, John can be persuaded to keep doing it. In other news, John is a good boyfriend and Sherlock is an idiot.

Five Times John Noticed But Didn't Really by ScandalousMinds (T, 6,383 w. || Domestics, Fluff/Angst, Bratty Sherlock, Idiots, Pre-Slash, Jealous Sherlock, Love Confessions) – 5 times John (thought) he noticed something peculiar about his and Sherlock's relationship but really missed the obvious.

On the Losing Side by missselene (E, 8,210 w. || Anal / Oral, First Kiss / Time, Angst, Misunderstandings, Mild Dub Con / Drunk John) – After Mary's death, John moves back into Baker Street, but is still upset at the loss of his wife and child. Eventually, he and Sherlock stumble into a sort of relationship, but it's more physical than anything and they don't talk about it. They especially don't talk during sex. If they are going to have sex, Sherlock notices the signs hours beforehand, and he prepares carefully. The lights are off, they're under the covers, he prepares himself using lots of lube so he can make it feel as much like a woman as he can, and he doesn't let himself make any noise so that, if John wishes, he can pretend that he's still with Mary.

Bread and Wine and Curry Once a Week by cwb (E, 8,737 w. || Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Stroppy Sherlock, Love Letters, POV John) – Sherlock asks John for relationship advice. Little does he know that it’s him that Sherlock is in love with.

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

----------

If any of my lovelies can point out fics I missed, please, let me know! <3

#extrasupercelestrial #steph replies #johnlock fic recs #idiots in love #relationships

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jlf23tumble · 4 years

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I was tagged by @homosociallyyours to answer a few questions, and I’m taking a mini break(down) from a truly hellacious work project, so let’s go!!

Birthday: March 11 (It’s coming soon, shower me in love)

Zodiac sign: Pisces (sun), Capricorn (moon), no clue what’s rising/falling (Aries in Mercury...is good, I guess??????? Help me, Blake Kenobi)

Height: 5'8″, but I could stand a good stretch

Last song listened to: Usher’s terrible version of Little Red Corvette from the grammys, and I’m doin’ my best to scrub it

Hobbies: fighting both google and pinterest to find dumb pictures of One Direction on the Internet, creating niche sideblogs, reading, hiking, hangin’ with friends and fam, roadtrippin’, exploring cities whenever I can, making up excuses for why I don’t have time to stretch my shoulders out

Last movie I watched: The Rise of Skywalker! I usually have horrifically outdated answers for this one because I never go to the movies, but I had to see my finnpoe (stormpilot??) play out one last time on a jumbo screen, and boy, did they deliver, so subversive!!

Favorite color: anything bright or flashy, hot pink, gold, orange, peacock blue, etc.

Favorite book: I’m gonna go basic white lady, bb, and say Pride and Prejudice!! A classic! Always holds up!

Dream job: For all my bitching, I’m actually doing it, I’d just love to get paid a helluva lot more for it so I could take as much time off as I wanted to, zero worries about cash, and wander around the world, visiting friends and family whenever I felt the urge

Meaning behind my URL: I answered this one last week, but here it is again! My first job outta college gave me jlf23 as my email handle (because there were 22 jlf’s in front of me, which was wild in a lot of ways), so it keeps me humble, it’s easy for me to remember, and it’s really hard for assholes to asterisk out and have it make any goddamned sense, so I like it on a lot of levels

I’m gonna randomly tag some folks, but please do consider yourself tagged, too!! @pattern-pals, @statementsue, @sedfierisentio, @dykes4louis, @42mins, @newleafover, @alienfuckeronmain, @setsailtomorrow, @vibey-lesbian, @kerasines, @thewindmakesnicewaves, @harryincamp, @silverfoxlouis

#me

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jadelotusflower · 22 days

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I’ve mostly found the prison plot a little meandering, but I do appreciate it as a microcosm of the rebellion. When you oppress a populace by forcing them to bond and work together as interconnected cogs in the machine, once turned, the machine works back against you. The Empire builds the weapons that are used against them.

#contrast this to the compartmentalisation and competitiveness of the isb #and to an extent this early form of the rebellion #it’s so disparate and segmented #by necessity #but it won’t become fully functioning and a genuine threat #until reformed into a coherent and collective alliance #that we see in the ot #jlf watches #andor

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bittysvalentines · 5 years

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Switcheroo

From: @justlookfrightened

To: @happyzimm

I tried to give you some mild angst, through the eyes of both Jack and Bitty, with a happy ending.

No real content warnings, although sexual activity is discussed.

Happy Valentine’s Day, Happyzimm! I had a lot of fun looking through your blog before I wrote it. I hope you like it!

JLF

Switcheroo

Jack woke up and stretched. He felt … lighter than usual. Not as sore, anyway. Well, last night had been good. Really good.

He reached over to run a hand down Bitty’s side, to see if he would be amenable to waking early. Maybe reprise last night.

But when he reached over to where Bitty should be, his hand bumped the back of a shoulder rather than dropping onto Bitty’s arm. It was like Bitty had grown several inches broader across the shoulders overnight.

Jack opened his eyes and nearly jumped out of bed. Whoever that was, it wasn’t Bitty. The man was turned away so Jack couldn’t see his face, but he was big and had messy dark hair.

Then Jack saw his own hand. Or the hand attached to his arm, which was definitely not his. It was small, with slim, tapering fingers. The hair on the back of it was barely visible in the clear morning light. Blond. It was blond.

Instead of caressing his boyfriend, Jack used his small hand to prod the man’s shoulder.

“Wake up,” he whispered.

The man grumbled – a deep voice, not Bitty’s tenor – and turned over, opening ice-blue eyes.

Then he scrambled to a sitting position, arms and legs flailing.

Whoever it was was in Jack’s body, complete with pale skin, the bruise over his ribs from the Bruins game, and stretch marks that were visible as the man pulled his thighs to his chest, eyes raking over Jack.

“Jack?” the man asked in Jack’s own voice. “You look like me.”

“Bitty?” Jack said, relief flooding him at the sound of Bitty’s drawl, even if the pitch and timbre of the voice was all wrong.

“What happened?” Bitty asked, looking down at himself. “You’re … me? And I’m you?”

“I still feel like me,” Jack said. “But, yeah, it looks you have my body, and I have yours.”

***********************

Jack had to move the seat in his truck up almost as far as it would go to drive Bitty to Samwell. Actually, to drive himself to Samwell. Where he would go to Bitty’s class on the creation of consumer society and take Bitty’s French quiz.

“I can’t go,” Bitty said. “Madame Battier knows me. Or what I look like. And you can’t go to practice looking like that.”

“I don’t know, bud,” Jack said. “I think I look pretty good.”

Jack had spent extra time in the shower, getting familiar with Bitty’s body. So many things were different: The angle of the shower head was all wrong, and the front of his hair drooped into his eyes when it got wet. His toothbrush felt too big for his mouth, and when he went to shave, he realized it really wasn’t necessary.

He wore a pair of Bitty’s skinny jeans, which were more comfortable than he expected, with a black T-shirt and a flannel shirt that didn’t fit him (Jack) any more. Bitty had to help him get his hair right.

Bitty found a pair of blue sneakers in the back of Jack’s closet, refusing to wear Jack’s favorite yellow shoes. He’d pulled on a pair of Jack’s tailored jeans and a sweater, with Jack’s usual athletic gear in a gym bag in the back of the truck.

Bitty had accompanied Jack to morning skate often enough to know the Falconers’ routines. He was a good skater, a good hockey player, and he knew Jack’s style of play better than anyone.

When Jack pulled up in front of the Haus, he pulled Bitty’s messenger bag from the back seat, then tried to kiss Bitty goodbye. Except he forgot he had to look up.

“Up here,” Bitty said. “Ugh. I still sound like me, don’t I? It’s your voice and my accent. I’ll just try not to talk much to the Falcs. They’ll believe I’m you if I just grunt at them, won’t they?”

“Haha,” Jack said. “I’m planning to stay out of the Haus as much as I can. You have practice tonight, right? Maybe we can meet up and try to switch back before then.”

“And how are we gonna do that?”

“You know how last night was so good?” Jack said. “I thought maybe that’s what did it. I mean, I felt like we really connected. Maybe if we do it again, we’ll switch back.”

“You think we should …”

“Well, yeah,” Jack said.

“And not just because you want to try that in opposite bodies?”

“Not just because of that,” Jack said, then watched ablush rise in his own face, and saw himself giggle before Bitty leaned down to kiss him and climbed in the truck and drove away.

***********************

Of course Tater was the first person Bitty saw when he arrived for morning skate. Of course he wolf-whistled at what was really a very unexceptional outfit. The only reason it looked good was the body inside it, and Bitty couldn’t take any credit for that.

But Tater didn’t know that.

“Looking good, Zimmboni,” he said. “B picked out your clothes today?”

Bitty snickered – drawing a strange look from Tater – and said, “Something like that.”

“Is B coming to the game tonight?” Tater asked. “He’ll bring pie? Or jam? Or cookies?”

“Uh, I don’t think so,” Bitty said. “I think he has practice.”

“He was here, I think,” Tater said. “You sound like him, a little bit.”

Dang. Bitty shrugged. “He went back to Samwell this morning.”

Then he ducked into the locker room to change.

Warm-ups in the gym weren’t bad – between watching the other guys and knowing Jack’s routines, Bitty did alright at imitating Jack. Until he tried to lean over to stretch and couldn’t reach his ankles. How did Jack even move around like that?

Skating like Jack was more difficult. Jack was a good skater, clean and efficient in his use of edges, but he was all power. Any grace was a side effect of his commitment to getting from Point A to Point B in the straightest line possible.

Which was not at all how Bitty skated. He was powerful too, but he put his momentum to use, swinging around defenders, going right when they thought he’d go left, spinning away from defensemen instead of skating through them.

He thanked whatever deity was looking down on him that he was mostly over his checking problem, and soon realized that both giving and taking hits felt far different in Jack’s bigger body.

He thought he was succeeding at skating like Jack until he was faced with Guy looming in front of him. He deked around him, spun off of Thirdy and carried the puck in on Snowy, leaving much of the team slack-jawed in his wake.

“It’s just practice,” Thirdy said. “No need to show everyone else up, right?”

Bitty looked back, suddenly uncertain, and Thirdy grinned to show there were no hard feelings, but it looked a little shaky. Because, yeah, morning skate before a game was not the time to make the Falconers’ defensemen question their skills. And it wasn’t Thirdy’s fault; he had been expecting Jack to skate like Jack.

“What’d you have for breakfast?” Marty said. “You’re spinning around like your boyfriend.”

“B was here,” Tater chimed in.

“Then maybe don’t tell me what you ate,” Marty said. “But keep it up, kiddo.”

He kept to himself and thanked his lucky stars that Jack wasn’t the motivational speech kind of captain while he stripped out of his gear and headed for the shower. Then he dressed for the fourth time that day. No wonder Jack favored athletic clothes with as few fasteners as possible.

Bitty joined the lunch line, loading his plate with chicken (bland), sweet potatoes (baked) and steamed asparagus and broccoli. He was starving like he used to be when he was thirteen and had just started working with Katya five days a week. Jack must feel like this every day.

He took his lunch to the end of one of the tables, hoping the team would get the message and leave him alone.

“You okay?” Marty asked, speaking softly as he approached. “If I was over the line before, implying – well, if I went too far, I’m sorry.

“I’m fine,” Bitty said.

“Are you sure? Because you’re usually in a better mood when Bitty’s been in town,” Marty said. “You don’t really seem like yourself.”

You don’t know the half of it, Bitty thought.

“Yeah, I don’t feel quite right,” was all he said.

“Do you think you can play tonight?” Marty asked.

“Yeah,” Bitty said. “I’ll go home and nap and – and I’ll be fine by the game. Y’all don’t have to worry.”

Bitty re-ran the sentence in his head when he saw Marty’s delighted look. Dang.

“Y’all?” Marty said. “That kid really is rubbing off on you.”

“Haha,” Bitty deadpanned.

There was a brief film session after lunch, which Bitty tried to pay attention to, even though he was sure Jack had watched these clips last night. Then, mercifully, he could head for Samwell.

***********************

Pick me up at Annie’s? Jack texted.

He’d tried to avoid Bitty’s team, but it seemed like wherever he went on campus, he was accosted by someone Bitty knew. Nursey waved from across the quad, and Dex walked the last stretch to the history building with him, complaining about his own history class all the way. At least Dex didn’t seem offended that Bitty wasn’t talking much.

Then a woman – Jack thought it was Shruti, the women’s rugby captain – caught up to him near the D-hall, followed him to a table, and started talking about a joint fundraiser for a local charity.

Jack knew the event was happening – Bitty had been talking about for the past month – but it hadn’t seemed like something Jack needed to retain details about, especially since the details Bitty went on about were mostly what he could make for a bake sale.

After ten minutes, Shruti seemed less than impressed with his (Bitty’s) commitment to the project. That really wasn’t fair, because Bitty had probably done everything he promised. Probably at the expense of his schoolwork, even.

“Look,” Jack broke in. “I have to go study for my French quiz, but would it help if I got Jack to come and sign autographs and take selfies and such?”

Shruti pulled up short.

“That’d be great,” she finally said. “But you said at the beginning of the year that one thing you would not do was bring your boyfriend into things like this. ‘He deserves to live a normal life,’ I believe you said.”

Jack shrugged.

“The cause means a lot to him,” he ventured.

“Providing feminine hygiene supplies to a domestic violence shelter means a lot to him?”

Her disbelief was plain.

“Well, yeah,” Jack said. “Did you ever meet Shitty Knight? He played with Jack all four years.”

“Shitty who now?”

Anyway, Jack didn’t trust himself to go to the Haus.

He was standing outside Annie’s with his herbal tea, looking for his truck, when Chowder ran up to him, calling and waving.

“Bitty! Bitty, did you get the message?” he was saying.

“Uh, no?” Jack said.

“No practice. There’s a problem with the boards at Faber,” Chowder said. “You know – new Zamboni driver and all.”

“Okay,” Jack said.

“So I was wondering if maybe you’d make –”

Jack didn’t let Chowder finish.

“I think I’ll take the free night to see Jack’s game,” he said.

“Oh, okay,” Chowder said, still cheerful. “Oh, is that why you have the tea? Did you already know? Tell Jack good luck!”

“I will,” Jack promised as his truck appeared. Crap. He should have gotten a latte for Bitty.

“See you tomorrow!” Chowder said as Jack climbed in the passenger seat.

***********************

The attempt to switch back didn’t work.

With practice being canceled, It seemed like the universe was paving the way for them.

But when they got back to Jack’s condo, and tried to find the connection they’d felt in bed the night before, it just wasn’t there.

First, they had to decide just how to do things. Did it matter who had done what, or just what body had done what? When it came to some things, they just decided to play it safe and try it both ways. They couldn’t do everything like that, both because there was such a thing as a refractory period and because Jack had a game in a few hours.

Maybe they still could have found the connection, if they tried hard enough, but Jack found it distracting to feel things the way Bitty did, to find spots on Bitty’s body that he hadn’t yet discovered were extra sensitive. Bitty seemed thrown by having a bigger body than he was used to.

“Oh, my gosh, look at us,” Bitty said. He had Jack’s body curled around Bitty’s body, and Jack found the sense of being surrounded oddly comfortable. “I can cup your rear end in my hands.”

“It’s your rear end,” Jack protested. “And we knew it fit in my hands. I do that all the time.”

“I know, and now I can see why,” Bitty said. “It’s kind of fun.”

“It’s a nice feeling from here, too,” Jack said. “But I guess I never asked – is it okay that l like to do that? Do you like it?”

“Sweetpea, of course I do,” Bitty said. “You know how nice it feels now, and if I didn’t like it, I would have said. Don’t worry yourself. You’ve got a game tonight.”

“Looks like you might have a game, bud,” Jack said. “If we don’t switch back. What do you say we both get some sleep?”

“That’s probably smart,” Bitty said. “After all, we were asleep when it happened.”

***********************

Bitty knew he was still in Jack’s body when he woke up. His own body never ached so much. He slipped out of bed to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, using the whole-grain bread he baked especially for Jack, the organic peanut butter and Aunt Judy’s strawberry jam.

He was staring at the sandwich when Jack stumbled out of the bedroom.

“You’d better get ready to go, bud,” he said. “You need to wear a suit.”

“I can’t do this, Jack,” Bitty said. “Going to morning skate and team lunch is one thing. This is a game. I can’t do this.”

“Yes, you can,” Jack said. “You belong out there more than I do right now. I don’t know exactly what happened, but Marty texted to see if I was feeling better, and he said, ‘As long as you skate like this morning, you’ll be fine.’”

“But I don’t play like you.”

“Just try,” Jack said. “Play like me as much as you can, but if you can do a spinorama and make a shot, feel free. You’re a good player, Bits. I’ll be there watching; I texted George to get a ticket for you.”

An hour later, Eric walked into the arena, dressed in Jack’s charcoal gray suit with his favorite blue tie. He changed again – for the the sixth time? – and took the ice for warm-ups. He didn’t look for Jack in the crowd. He just skated his circles and took his shots, and made sure to make encouraging noises at the rookies.

Then the game was starting and Bitty skated into position across from Foligno for the faceoff.

He lost it and had to chase the puck. The Jackets passed it around until Poots managed a steal and Bitty chipped it down ice and came off.

He won his first faceoff on his third shift, mostly by not thinking about it and letting Jack’s hands do what Jack’s hands did.

By the middle of the second period, the game was tied 1-1. Bitty didn’t feel like he (Jack) was having his best game, but he was holding his own. Then Thirdy leaned over and said, “Skate like this morning, man. You gotta get around them.”

So Bitty did. He won a faceoff from Foligno, passed to Poots at the blue line and headed into the zone past Savard. Then he took the pass back, spun away from Johnson, and buried the puck over Bobrovsky’s right shoulder.

His hands were still in the air when he realized he wasn’t on the ice. He was on his feet, in the stands, wearing his own jeans and Jack’s jersey over a T-shirt, cheering for himself. His eyes were on Jack, now on the ice, looking right where Bitty was sitting.

He pointed at Bitty, skated past the bench for fist-bumps, and lined up for the faceoff.

Bitty pointed back and sat down to enjoy the rest of the game.

***********************

Jack pointed at Bitty in the stands, embraced Poots, and headed for the faceoff dot.

He didn’t know how he got here from the stands, but he wasn’t about to question it.

Later, driving back to the condo, Jack said, “Congratulations on your first NHL goal.”

“Not really,” Bitty said.

“Yes, really,” Jack said. “You might have been in my body, but it was all you. Maybe that was the point of the switch – for you to know you could do that.”

“Maybe,” Bitty said. “But the NHL was never my dream. Maybe the point was for you to know I could do it.”

“I always knew that, bud,” Jack said.

“Do the words ‘checking practice’ and ‘lucky shot’ ring any bells?”

“Okay, not always, but for a long time,” Jack said.

“Maybe it’s just – the ice is how we met, and how we got to know each other, and how we came out,” Bitty said. “Maybe it’s just a little ice magic for us, because on the ice is when we’re most ourselves.”

“Maybe,” Jack said. “I’m glad we’re back to normal, though. I’ve missed looking at you.”

#happyzimm #bv2019 #bittysvalentines #submission #bittyjack

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logophilia-education · 5 years

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At the Jaipur Literature Festival 2019 Logophilia was expecting almost complete anonymity, with this being our first time, and with us having zero celebrity value. 😁 But life has cool ways of surprising one, when least anticipated. On the very first day, when we were walking around with vacant glances and lost looks, we were suddenly greeted with squeals of "Dhruv Sir!"! ❤️❤️❤️ A whole battalion of our favourite Sunbeam Schools was right there, with familiar faces delighted to see their favourite Black Kurtas! 😍😍😍 Out went the vacant glances and the lost looks! This was home! ❤️❤️❤️ These kids were so sweet! They probably took pity on us (or not) and asked us for autographs and selfies! And, there it was: our 15 minutes of fame! 😍😍😍 Meet Saurabh, Shweta, Ashish, and Neha! Beautiful people, accompanying those beautiful kids! ❤️❤️❤️ Thank you, Sunbeam, for making Logophilia feel at home, away from home! After you flagged us off we ran into a surprisingly large number of people who knew Logophilia! You helped us take off our cloak of invisibility! ❤️❤️❤️ ________________________________ Want to watch @dhruvrajsharma speaking at JLF? 😍😎😍 Click here: https://youtu.be/Z71Z-39sscs ____________________________________ 2018 © Logophilia Education Pvt. Ltd. #Etymology #LogophiliaBooks #VocabularyBooks #Notebooks #follow #EnglishEtymology #EtymologyEducation #WordOrigins #Understand #LogophiliaWorkshops #FEW #PSP #WorkWithLogophilia #LogophiliaIsHiring #StudyWithLogophilia #Education #Allahabad #UttarPradesh #India #LogophiliaMerch #JaipurLiteratureFestival #JLF #Jaipur #Literature #Festival #DhruvRajSharma #LogophiliaTalks (at Jaipur Literature Festival) https://www.instagram.com/p/BtsQtEond0T/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=6xhbfc349lq3

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eachainn · 6 years

Text

Picking up the Pieces

Lelouch stared at the blank search field, his hands hovering above the keyboard.

He knew better than this, it was the same thing every time. There was a list of people he shouldn’t search, because it would just remind him of everyone that he was distancing himself from. It had been bad enough watching their reactions when they thought that he was dead, Lelouch didn’t want to see them moving on with their lives. It was his own fault for choosing this course, but it was the best that he could muster. He knew that he could bring Julius to Japan, it was just a matter of manipulating things the right way. If it was helping Japan, so much the better. It was what he had been sent out to do. Now at least he didn’t have to pretend that he was obeying the emperor’s rules. Because of that, everything required more thought and planning, more than enough to keep him busy.

It didn’t make the lingering ache go away.

He took a deep breath and gave in, starting with Nunnally’s name. His sister at least he could look at without feeling too much guilt. Nunnally was the darling of the media, so he could at least get a snapshot of what she was doing. And he would stop himself there. If he went too deep, then he would start to feel his resolve crumble.

Lelouch breathed out as the search results came up. He scrolled through the articles, most of them the same.

Princess Nunnally Opens Children’s Hospital.

Princess Nunnally Participates in Charity Book Drive.

Princess Nunnally Opens Britannian Special Olympics.

Princess Nunnally Speaks to Victims of Earthquake.

Lelouch sighed, scrolling through the articles. Something in him settled that Nunnally was continuing on with her life, and with no restrictions. The only new things that he could see were the additions of one new guard always hovering just behind her and Euphemia at her side. It was rare to see Nunnally alone now, which was a good thing.

Lelouch scrolled down further, freezing at a video that came up.

Princess Nunnally Speaks on the One Year Anniversary About the Death of Prince Lelouch.

For a moment, he was tempted to click on it, but he stopped himself. He wouldn’t be able to bear it, not when it was Nunnally. He didn’t want to hear about everything that she missed about him and everything that he was missing.

He closed his eyes, taking a few breaths before redirecting his attention. Nunnally was fine, and he expected that he would find nothing on Rolo, which was exactly what he wanted. His younger brother would have been thrown back to the way he had been when Clara had died. He needed time to recover without being shoved in the world to have the same questions demanded of him. His death was not excuse to harass his family, although Lelouch was sure that it hadn’t stopped anything.

Lelouch ran a hand down his face, leaning back in his chair. He glanced over at the clock, watching the time run down. There was a meeting in a few hours, one that would determine the way that they moved forward. Lelouch had his own plans about how it would happen, but his days of being the only ones calling the shots were over.

It rankled him, but he couldn’t push on this. He might be able to talk down the leaders of the JLF, but not Tohdoh. The miracle worker was a legend in the mind of the Japanese people. Zero hadn’t achieved that yet. It might take years to do so.

Lelouch ignored the way that his heard pounded at the thought. They might be able to hold Britannia back and keep them at bay, but without an agreement of the government in the future they would not be able to keep it up forever. Without Charles dying or Clovis giving in, they would be crushed when Britannia turned her attention to them.

He curled his hand in his lap, not daring to look at it. His resolve was firm. There were only two ways to stay alive, which was to remain in hiding or to kill his brother. By attempting to do both at once he hoped that he would be able to go home faster, because he ached for it.

He missed the gardens, the halls, his family. Suzaku.

Lelouch jerked forward, his hands hovering over the keyboard before he could stop himself. He stared at the blinking curser, his fingers twitching as he found against the urge. The last time he had looked up Suzaku it had been the news that the knight would be escorting Julius to the EU. He had stormed away then, because he hadn’t been able to handle seeing his brother’s smug smirk.

At least it reassured him that his ruse was working. No matter how much the media focused on Zero and the Black Knights, or the other rebellions that were springing up because of them, not one had looked for Prince Lelouch vi Britannia. After all, no one looked for the dead.

Lelouch took a few deep breaths before jerking his hands down. Looking up Suzaku wouldn’t help him, nor would chasing down references to his mother. He wouldn’t be able to handle seeing her trying to keep herself going.

He never looked up Julius.

That left him with what he should be doing, which was digging into the new members that they had liberated from the Britannian jail. He needed to know how to use them, what problems they would bring up, what they were more likely to do when presented with their plans. Lelouch had wished that their rescue had been more impressive, but it had been easy to slip in and out because Clovis had taken the bait. He was almost disappointed in his older brother that he could be tricked so easily. Then again, there were rumors that the viceroy was jumping at shadows now, which could work in their favor. Clovis might be more inclined to agree with terms to just bring things to a halt. It was not a permanent victory, but Lelouch was willing to take every advantage he could.

He dropped his hand to either side of the keyboard with a sigh. If that was the case, they needed to think of their terms. Lelouch had avoided thinking about it because it had seemed like a distant thing. The logistics of it also gave in a headache. The Black Knights had grown so quickly and they had been so busy that Lelouch didn’t think that they had become a completely unified force. Still, he could turn that to their advantage. It was just the organization of it all.

Lelouch rubbed a hand over his face, breathing out a long sigh. He looked up at the ceiling, the corner of his lip twitching up. It was nothing more than what he had been planning when he had originally come to Japan. He had just assumed that he would be on the other side. Now that he had spent over a year in Japan, he could see how naïve he had been.

He had imagined that he would come rushing in and easily navigate all the wants and needs of the different factions. Sometimes, he had imagined that he would have managed to beg his father’s permission to reassign Suzaku temporarily, just for his help. It had been a grand thing in his head, something worthy of his father.

It idea annoyed him still, because he hated to do anything to please his father, but there was no question what his plan had been. He wanted to catch Charles’ attention and prove himself right. Prove that everything that Charles had said about Nunnally and Rolo was wrong. At least this way he couldn’t pretend it was only for Nunnally and Rolo anymore.

He drummed his fingers against the desk, staring back at the pictures of his sister. He smiled at her, feeling his stomach twist.

He reached out to brush his fingers over the picture, offering the screen a smile. “I miss you. All of you.”

Lelouch didn’t wait for a response. He jerked his hand away, quickly closing out the window. He didn’t want to tempt himself any longer.

He took a deep breath, staring at the laptop screen before grabbing for his mask. He still had a while before the meeting, but he wouldn’t torment himself any longer. He couldn’t look back at the past, not when there was no much in the future that demanded his attention.

---

Kallen leaned back in her chair with a groan, watching as the exhausted leaders of their group shuffled out of the room. She felt kind of vindictive, because they had brought it on themselves. Zero had offered them the chance to make a rough list of terms and they had jumped on it. They apparently hadn’t thought that they would all have different ideas. It would have been hilarious to watch them all realize that they were in for hours of argument if she hadn’t been stuck in the room with them.

She pushed her chair back so she could kick her feet up on the table, looking over at Tohdoh’s group as someone made a shocked sound. Her gaze jumped immediately to Chiba, but it looked like the woman was one moment away from doing the same. Kallen’s gaze skipped quickly over the other two before landing on where Asahina was staring at her, looking disgusted. Kallen just raised an eyebrow at him, not moving her feet as the rest of the Four Holy Swords collected Asahina and started to leave the room.

Kallen twisted slightly to watch them go, reaching down to grab Yoshida’s hand before he tried to yank her legs down. She held him in place, tipped her head when she saw that Tohdoh had stayed.

The man looked completely asleep, and had been since about halfway through the meeting. Kallen had been envious of him, until he had spoken up and started answering questions. Now, it put her on edge because she couldn’t read him. It was just like Lelouch’s habit of wearing Zero’s mask even in their presence when he didn’t want to discuss something.

She glanced over at their leader, catching Zero with his hand raised towards his mask. He stayed like that for a moment before lowering his hand to rest on the table. “General…”

“Pardon me, Zero, I was just thinking.” Tohdoh opened his eyes, shifting to look at Zero. “Your identity is a secret, and I respect that. These are disruptive times. But you allow them to know.”

Kallen automatically glanced over at where Tamaki would have been, but he had fled the meeting somewhere around hour three. She breathed a sigh of relief, shifting so that she was sitting upright. Her feet slid off of the table, Kallen freezing as Tohdoh’s gaze flicked over to her before it moved over to Zero.

From the position of his mask, Kallen was sure that Zero was looking at Tohdoh. The silence between them stretched for a while before Zero nodded his head. “I do.”

“Why none of the others?”

“These are disruptive times.”

The only sign that Tohdoh didn’t like his own words being thrown back at him was the way that his shoulders twitched. Kallen leaned forward, watching as Tohdoh reached for something before he seemed to remember himself. The man stared at Zero for a moment before ducking his head. “I am grateful for your help, both before and after the hotel incident. You have been more than generous but, if we are going to be partners in this, it would be best to be completely honest.

Kallen started to her feet, about to list out what Tohdoh owed them when Zero threw back his head and laughed. She stared as Zero listed to the side, catching himself against the table. Zero shook his head and looked back at Tohdoh. “What made you uneasy?”

Kallen thought she saw the ghost of a smile cross Tohdoh’s face before the man nodded. “I am a straightforward man. Masks are too much intrigue. For others, it was your accent.”

“And you want to make sure my loyalty is to the Black Knights?”

Tohdoh shrugged. “Some may. I merely want to know why a Britannian is behind the resistance.”

Zero pushed himself away from the table. He started walking across the room, slowing when he passed by Tohdoh. “I have the same opinion of Britannia that you do. As to why I’m here,” Zero turned his head to look at Kallen and the others, “I’m paying back a ransom.”

He moved out of the room leaving Tohdoh to stare after him. The general got to his feet slowly, looking shocked that Zero had just left. Some part of her wanted to laugh, because it was about time that someone experienced the frustration of Lelouch deciding to end a conversation on his own terms.

She sighed and hurried after him.

If he was ducking out of conversations, he had something on his mind. That was well and good, but not while they were talking terms. The word would spread through the Black Knights and they would expect action. She expected action, but she knew Lelouch better. He would wait for the perfect moment to strike. He wouldn’t be able to do that if he was distracted.

Kallen broke into a jog, quickly catching up with him. She made sure to swing out wide to come into his peripheral vision. She had worn the outfit enough herself to know its shortcomings.

It still look him a moment to look at her, Kallen taking that to mean that he was paying attention. “Paying your ransom, really?”

“Isn’t that what I’m doing?” Lelouch made a lazy motion with his hand. “I cheated you out of the money you could have gotten. This is more than adequate to pay it back.”

“Is it? You wanted to do this anyway?”

Lelouch shrugged, the mask turning away from her. Kallen sighed, looking ahead at the hallway. She was sure that no one would be close to the meeting room. If they had any good sense, they would be running far away before someone else came up with another thing to add. Then again, there was another meeting scheduled for next week.

Kallen could only hope that the perfect moment came along before then.

She bit her lip, trying to think what would distract them from the next meeting, but she couldn’t think of anything other than an invasion of the Tokyo Settlement and they had already discussed that. “Zero…what are you planning?”

“Nothing more than we discussed, in that meeting and outside of it. Invasion is still…not manageable.”

“Then why that?”

“Because we have to be prepared for any eventuality.” Lelouch paused and shook his head. “And I’ve been paying attention to Clovis, and he’s getting desperate. Maybe enough for us to win something for ourselves.”

“And you trust him?”

“I trust his desperation. And it’s not like we’re selling our freedom to another country.”

Kallen shook her head. “Britannia will back out.”

“And we will have won ourselves time, or a foothold. Either work. They can’t come after us if the entire empire is rising in revolution.”

Kallen hummed, letting that one slide by. It was a typical Lelouch plan, one that played on the battlefields she didn’t think to look at. That was something she would have to pass onto Ohgi then, to check into the other area. “Maybe we can talk to them.”

Lelouch chuckled, Kallen thinking that he had already reached out. It was just like Lelouch, working ahead of them and reporting back if things went well. Paying off his ransom.

Kallen swallowed, trying to push back the unease. Despite everything, it still raised its head. Lelouch was a Britannian, he was a prince, there was no reason that he would want to do this. His hatred for his brother was explanation enough, even if Kallen couldn’t understand it. She could barely understand why Prince Julius would want to kill Lelouch in the first place. It seemed like the prince had everything that he wanted. After all, what more could a Britannian prince want other than a nation to subjugate and a knight to stand by his side.

She gave Lelouch a speculative glance, trying to fit him into that before giving up. By her definition Lelouch should be content, even if he was doing things a bit backwards. He was breaking a country away from Britannia was people that would never be considered knights.

Kallen took a deep breath, pushing all of that aside. What Lelouch was didn’t matter, because he was different now. Her gut instinct told her that, and she had learned to trust it. She rolled her shoulders, trying to chase the last, lingering soreness from sitting in one position for so long. “So terms?”

#Month of Code Geass #my fic #suzalulu #code geass

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