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azure-steel · 3 years

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@mercyxkilling said: “can i kiss you?” other crew members be damned, she didn’t care. let them have their show if they wanted to watch. Send "Can I kiss you?" to see how my muse responds - No Longer Accepting

Pls accept and enjoy this lil ficlet about these babs. Because of you my adoration for this franchise has be revived TENFOLD and I just can’t get enough of these two being so disgustingly adorable together.

I adore you and your amazing muse so much, and I should tell you more (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧

It All Happens In The Mess Hall~Cloud x Mercy a Mass Effect Story.

It was possibly the one place aboard Mercy’s ship where Cloud spent the majority of his time, that and this was where his relationships with the rest of the crew members began to gain any real traction. A neutral ground where it became so very apparent that almost every member of this ragtag group was here for the same reason. To earn a few credits and perhaps sate a thirst for a little adventure.

And they all loved their captain with every fibre of their being.

Cloud had spent the initial weeks of his time amongst the crew largely by himself, but this was nothing really new; naturally coy the task of attempting to relate to others was laborious at best. Even as a member of T’Loak’s court had he been a man one on his own, not that there was any love lost there whatsoever. It had never truly been a problem, not when alcohol and red sand was in copious supply and enough of an escape from the arduous day to day life living amongst the rest of the filth occupying the Omega station. Moreover this environment was so wholly different, wholesome almost, to a fault, and the longer he spent on the outside of this tight-knit collective, the longing to be included began to eat away at him. Often would he remove himself from the hall when the crew would filter in, sensing all those eye puncturing the flesh between otherwise broad shoulders. They didn’t trust him, and they had every reason to be wary.

Shotgun - a battle worn Krogan mercenary - was the first to approach him here in the mess hall, though it was after Cloud had all but shit himself believing this guy was about to pop his head like a zit (Listen... this bastard is BIG and looks very angry almost always, can’t blame a guy for feeling just a tad intimidated beneath his shadow) that he came to realise Shotgun was very interested in the firearm he was servicing at that time.

A rather worn and very well loved M-300 Claymore - A Krogan weapon.

A common ground was established in that moment, taking root and from that grew an unlikely friendship between them, and for a time the pair were seemingly inseparable. It was the first time in a long while in which Cloud was reduced to fits of laughter at the Krogan’s many stories, and, boy, did he have a lot of those. Maybe some were a little far fetched and embellished, but it really didn’t matter. The guy was hilarious, and Strife very much enjoyed his company, even if the guy liked to overshare on occasion. Discovering that male Krogan have four testicles dangling between their legs was enough nightmare fuel to keep the blond awake for two nights straight after the fact. And needless to say maintaining eye contact with Shotgun had been a little more difficult than usual for a few days until Strife had eventually gotten over himself. At least he knew where the term ‘QUADS’ originated now...

No wonder Krogan were so pissed about the Genophage, all things considered of course; these guys were clearly breeding machines as well as living breathing tanks, evolved over millennia for the very purpose of brutal warfare, civil or otherwise. It seemed the Salarians and the Turians had a lot to answer for.

Still, oversharing and absurd knowledge about alien reproductive organs aside, the mess hall, and Shotgun’s kinship was the beginning of Cloud’s gradual unification with the rest of the team. As far as he was concerned, Mercy had very little to do with that aspect, though he knew very little of the woman and what gears she was working behind the scenes. He was, unfortunately not privy to the private smiles she kept hidden in the shadows when she would spy his social development amongst the men she cared so deeply for; he had no true reason at that point to believe she even cared about it. Though Cloud had every reason to figure that simply having him onboard, despite the toxic levels of contention his presence here initially - and unsurprisingly - wrought, was enough for her men to decide that he was, at the very least, useful; a first for him really.

But Shotgun had done well to push open the door left ajar by their comrades and gave Cloud a golden opportunity to further still this usefulness he’d never been able to appreciate before now. He would help Vinnie during meal prep even if Cloud was only the busboy for the most part, setting tables, clearing them, washing dishes; all part and parcel of mucking in as it were and it seemed the older guy appreciated the aid. And the Turian Brothers - Adavixus and Artisius - would sometimes invite him to play in their tournaments of Numerfictil whenever Cloud was present in the mess; a game very similar to dominoes where decorative tiles with strange symbols were used to beat those already placed upon the board. It took a while for Strife to learn what each symbol meant, but the brother’s persevered with the highest level of patience. Other crew mates would join on occasion, bringing to the table cloudy bottles of homebrewed lager fermented from alien fruits beneath one of many heating vents on the ship; often pungent, almost always violently potent in which contests between the humans were born to see who could stomach the most ‘poison’ in one sitting.

Cloud almost always lost those bets and would suffer greatly for them the following day. Though never would he complain, even when the hangover rendered him practically useless and crumpled agonisingly deep in the darkest recesses of the communal shower block. To be gathered amongst comrades around the smallest table in the mess, to be shunted playfully via the shoulders and included in the guffaws and jests from the mouths of men hailing from all walks of life and the far reaches of the galaxy, he’d be stupid to trade it in for anything else. They’d dubbed him Strifey - and he liked that more than he cared to mention. To be included, to form meaningful bonds, for all of his sorry life, that was all he’d ever wanted and it had taken him until now to even realise it.

He was beginning to like it here, along with all the colourful people surrounding him. How strange it felt to begin associating a star-fairing ship as home.

The trust was building, and for the first time for as long as he could even dare to recall, Cloud was being greeted with welcoming nods, hard slaps to the shoulder and raised hands on his commute to the days tasks either in the mess or the engine room where Darius resided, a rather strapping Italian-American man honing a booming voice but with the patience of a doting father teaching his son how to maintain the family vehicle. He was beginning to enjoy the eyewatering stink of engine oil and general man stink, and Darius was all about teaching his new protégé everything he could about ‘Nova’s’ inner workings and how to maintain her.

Even his relationship with the previously emotionally elusive captain had begun to flourish. In the beginning Cloud was under no illusion that his biotic abilities were of some great interest to her. She honed similar attributes even if her gift was granted to her under very different circumstances. Yet Mercy would pick at him, complain about the state of his armour - as shoddy as it was but fit like an old favourite slipper hence his reluctance to do anything about it - though with an air of comedic affection laced from an otherwise viciously sharp tongue. On occasion she would reprimand him when his performance was lacklustre, when his actions or lack thereof became detriment to the collective of her crew. He didn’t like those days, to be reminded of his flaws and failings, and yet, from those instances began what could be considered a strange flurry of respect for a woman deemed hostile from anyone on the outside looking in. Because never in those instances did she beat him down, but drove into him how she didn’t believe he was better than what he was giving, but that she knew it to be true. Another instance where, for the first time, he was given food for thought, something to chew and improve on.

Some hard lessons were learned this way, and her methods were brutal often resulting in volatile spats the whole ship could hear, yet somehow Mercy seemed to know that a firm hand was needed to keep the newest member of her team grounded, and no mistake was ever repeated twice. Yet after all of that, apologies for her hard hitting words would be delivered mostly without fail, once again, in the comfort of the mess hall. Cloud, of course, would take them with the upmost humility. She was the captain after all, her word aboard her ship, was as good as the word of any God.

Despite all of this, with every mission Strife would be on the front lines with her, standing down heavy fire from the enemy and teaming up with this formidable and outrageously powerful woman to deliver precise and deadly attacks. And it was the culmination of that power, coupled with the harsh demands to be better where a whole new problem began to develop deep in the recesses of his cluttered head. Cloud didn’t recognise it at first, all he knew for certain was he was frustrated, and Mercy’s presence seemed to aggravate that issue exponentially. It wasn’t until she invited a stranger into her cabin some weeks after that the penny finally dropped.

He was falling for her. And the sight of her bringing that man into her intimate space was a pain like no other, so much so that it fractured something inside of him he wasn’t sure he could even fix.

White-hot jealousy began to override his good senses, unable to shake the notion that it wasn’t him occupying the spaces in her bed, and throwing himself into work was doing so very little to alleviate the devastation of - once again - being on the outside looking inward. Wishing to be a part of something so very far out of his reach.

But what could he do? Cloud knew of other crew members trying their luck and getting knocked back. He didn’t think he could handle that level of humiliation, and so he settled into a foul gloomy limbo of wanting her and never being able to have her. Residing to live vicariously through his own sexual fantasies and fucking his pillow whenever he was alone. Pathetic didn’t even come close to how he viewed his own behaviour, when he was reserved and snippy with her, yet utterly miserable was much closer to the truth than he truly wanted to admit, even to himself. Strife had even tried Mercy’s methods of attempting to deal with his predicament, inviting attractive tail onto her ship with the intent of getting his end away in a bid to alleviate the intolerable pressure building in his loins. A failed attempt at best when all he was able to talk about was his disdain for his captain and how she made him feel so damn desperate. Needless to say that instance was a flop at its very finest.

It was Mercy he wanted, not some loose broad dragged in from a club. No one else's interest could even come close to what he wanted from her.

Though it wasn’t long after that instance that things began to change; where he would catch her watching him only for her quickly turn away when their gazes locked. Where she would begin to make excuses to touch him, softly, so tenderly, be that with fingers through his hair in the guise of innocent curiosity, or the slow sensual dances illuminated by the strobe lights of every bar and club they’d visit. Where hands roamed over broad planes of covered flesh and set his soul on fire. Where times spent simply talking in the observation deck had drawn them closer, noses bumping together while he’d begin to drown in the warm honey of her eyes, swept away on the winds of every exhale, unable to fight against the gravity of her, and relishing how his heart pounded against the walls of his chest in eager anticipation of that very first kiss.

Cloud was so fucking ready to fall in love with her, to plummet beyond that point of no return only encouraged by her imploring hands and those heavy lust filled hues. To kiss her, touch her, make sweet love to her and make her his. Even if they were interrupted each and every time by convenient obstacles in the form of Benny and Vinnie.

It all came to a head during one of their many sparring sessions, tensions released as they fucked like animals on the cold floor of the training room, where she’d cried his name and nothing in the galaxy had ever sounded so sweet, where the sharp grazes running across his shoulders had never hurt so good, marked to claim him as hers together with the sensual rocking of hips and desperate pleading moans. And there on after Cloud was common presence in those spaces in her bed, peeling away the layers, touching her in her most intimate places, securing hot wet kisses against scorched flesh while she straddled his waist and rode him beyond that sheer edge of rapture itself. No amount of booze nor substances could compare to this addiction, just her hands on him was enough to make him hard, just her lips moaning his name hotly against the shell his ear enough to make him cum, for her and only her over, and over, and over again.

Wild and untameable was she, and he wouldn’t change her for all the credits in all of Citadel Space; no finer feeling had he ever experienced to know that she, this apparition of everything Cloud knew to be beautiful, inside and out, had chosen him in the end.

Keeping their relationship from the rest of the crew was impossible, they were too obvious with how they merely looked at one another, the way they had started to protect one another in battle, how they were caught so many times locking lips within the shadows of corridors. Yet even then, everyone knew, if the knowledge of their relationship wasn’t widely accepted as being out in the open, it was still very much common knowledge. And for her men at least, harbouring that information was insufferable.

Until one day, in the usual place where the crew gathered, where she would muscle Shotgun out of his seat next to Cloud to claim it as her own, and she looks at him from beneath those long dark lashes and the words “Can I kiss you?” oozed from her lips like the finest syrup. Cloud gazes back, baby blue’s dropping to her mouth before flickering upwards once more to meet with those gorgeous honey glazed eyes. He doesn’t offer an answer, least not a verbal one, choosing instead to close that distance, his mouth enclosing those glorious luscious lips with the softest of coquettish sighs.

And much to the gleeful appreciation of the crew sat amongst them, jeering and whooping in a sort of celebration for this affection they’d found in the most unexpected of circumstances.

Because like everything here aboard the Nova, it all happens in the mess hall.

#mercyxkilling #{This feeling's so volatile it must be love - Cloud x Mercy}#{eezo stained - Mass Effect AU}#this is HELLA long #but I worked ALL DAY on it #and loved every second #I really hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it <3

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the-shadow-of-atlantis · 4 years

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New Life

Tagging: @thespacebuns @the-sun-and-their-moon @melyaliz @coffee-randomness

Summary: honestly have no idea how to summarize this one

Read Earlier Parts Here

It was the start of a new decade and Barbara was excited. It was like there was a buzz in the air, change was happening and Barbara found herself fascinated by it all. All the trivial occurrences that happened while she suffered through high school were nothing compared to things humans now fought for. She found herself making all types of friends, supporting them in all their endeavors and she couldn’t help but feel how much she missed when she was human. The things she should have pursued, the life she should have lived.

Not that Barbara couldn’t do anything like that now she just had to be careful in what she would do. Make sure she wasn’t too much in the public eye. Helping her friends through closed doors. And giving them the right encouragement they needed, something she wished she would have had while human. And while she interacted with her friends she noticed that she slowly felt more human by the day.

At first Babara was worried over how she would hide her thirst. She was in a dorm room with another human and she wasn’t sure if the girl would go poking around her things. But she managed, storing her blood in small areas in special bottles. It was still a hassle trying to replenish her supply every so often. She mainly did it at night once her roommate was fast asleep. But as the time passed it became easier for Barbara to disguise her main meal. She found more creative ways to eat human food finding it was easier to keep it down when she had enough blood in her system. Barbara hadn’t realized how much effort she had put into being human until the time came to visit her family.

Barbara figured she should visit her family during Christmas since all of her friends were going back home. Esme welcomed her back with open arms and hugged her tightly.

“I've only been gone a few months.” Said Barbara as she hugged her surrogate mother back.

“Ah a few months too many.” Esme whispered as she pulled away looking her over.

“I brought you something.” Barbara sang as she held up a gift bag over filled with tissue paper. “You can't open it till Christmas though.”

Esme laughed as she took the bag and quickly placed it under the christmas tree. Alice came up next holding her hand out expectantly.

“I love it already.” Alice said smiling smugly.

“I will get you one of these years.” Barbara grumbled as she surrendered the other bag that contained Alice’s gift that she no doubt already saw.

It had been easy to settle back in with her family spending time with everyone as the day progressed though for some reason she couldn’t help but feel a little strange. Was she forgetting something? Could vampires forget things? Doubtful. Then she remembered and suddenly found herself staring at empty cupboards.

“What are you doing?” Edward asked no doubt confused by her strange train of thought.

“Um.” Barbara blinked as she slowly closed the cupboards. “Looking for food?”

“Why?”

“This is usually around the time my friends and I go out to eat.” Barbara explained remembering the places her friends and her liked to visit.

“You don’t need to do that here you know.” Edward said, frowning at her thoughts.

“I know.” Barbara shrugged. “Force of habit.”

“How can you stand it?” The question took Barbara off guard.

“Stand what?”

“Being so immersed with the humans so much. Being able to live with them and act like one.” Edward asked and Barbara laughed lightly.

“Let me guess you guys are betting on when I’m going to snap your losing.”

“Hardly.” Though Edward sleightly smirked and Barbara sighed.

“I love them. I love my friends, I love watching humanity change. Though granted some things aren’t looking good right now but still… every time I see a human I just think, what kind of friend would I have wanted? What would I have wanted to be told to me if I were in this position? It makes it easier to just live.” Barbara noticed how quiet the house had gotten, too quiet. Everyone was listening, but she didn’t mind, she knew she was the oddball of the family.

On Christmas Day they went on a familial hunt, Barbara tagged along though she brought her bag with bottles. Sure it took awhile draining an animal this way but it was easier to drink when she wanted rather than waiting.

“Why don't you just eat one now and then fill up your little bottles?” Emmett asked as he approached, his shirt in tatters.

“Because dear little brother I don't play with my food unlike some people.” Barbara said as she tucked her bottle away and grabbed a new one.

“You’re no fun.” Emmett mumbled as he took off.

“Bet I’m more fun than Edward.” She shouted and heard his replying laugh.

“I'm not that bad.” Edward said behind her just as Barbara was about to pounce on her next victim.

“Dang it.” Barbara muttered as the deer hopped away and turned to glare at her brother and he simply laughed.

Just then Carlisle quickly passed by and Barbara couldn’t help but catch the way he looked at them.

“Can I ask you something?” Barbara wondered as she slipped out of her hiding spot. She couldn’t help but think of the way Carlisle stared at them, it wasn't the first time he had that look.

Edward sighed and Barbara turned to look at him noticing the look on his face, as if this was a conversation he was hoping not to have.

“Okay let it out.” Barbara said, crossing her arms, but Edward seemed reluctant to speak. Always the gentleman.

She tried to think of the times Carlisle has looked like that. The situations she was in, it was usually always with Edward, and it was alway when they were cheerful around each other. She thought of her existence,she knew technically she shouldn’t have been created. And the timing of her creation had coincided with Alice and Jasper's arrival. There was slight tension as the family tried to get used to three new family me beers rather than just one. However the tension quickly went away as Barbara seemed to adapt to the new life pretty well. She got along with the family members pretty well though things almost got dicey with Jasper as he was very hesitant of Alice being so close to a newborn.

Then Barbara thought deeper of her family, Carlisle had created Edward out of loneliness. Esme out of desperation to save her life and they quickly became a pair. Rosalie was technically for Edward though Edward never felt that way towards her at all which had annoyed Rosalie but made Barbara laugh at the idea. Emmett was for Rosalie… ohhhh.

“I was meant for you.” Barbara whispered as realization hit her. Edward however said nothing as he saw her thoughts because now she was thinking about her life… her human life.

Growing up everything was always decided for her. She was an only child, yes she would get a decent education but she also needed to know how to be a housewife. Yes she could go to college but she really shouldn’t focus much on it. They just needed to send her somewhere where she couldn’t get in too much trouble. Yes the guy she dated was only her first boyfriend but she should settle down now she wasn't getting any younger. Yes the marriage was hard but she just needed to make him happy leave those intrusive thoughts as daydreams. Read a novel to escape, focus on the house, give him a child to make him stay.

Barbara shook her head and leaned against a tree and Edward looked concerned having also gotten the memory dump.

“I’m sorry.” He whispered.

“It's fine.” Barbara shook her head. Even though Carlisle had probably changed her to hopefully be for Edward, he also never protested her leaving. He still let her live how she wanted to.

"That's sweet of Carlisle, but considering the manner in which my marriage ended I'm not really looking to settle down again." Barbara said and lightly laughed when she saw the scowl on Edwards face. Always the gentleman.

"Besides." Barbara continued, "you're not really my type."

"Oh that we can agree." Edward replied, making Barbara gasp in mock horror.

"You would speak to your would be wife like that?" She accused and Edward sighed.

"You're not going to let this go are you?"

"Never." Barbara teased and sped away to find a new prey.

After that conversation Barbara couldn't help but think of the whole situation, mainly the reason behind her creation. She didn't get a chance to speak to him before she left but the thought was there in the back of her mind. When summer came around she headed back home again and decided to go on a hunt with Carlisle.

"Can I ask you something?" Barbara asked when Carlisle finished his first kill.

"Of course."

“Why exactly did you change me?” She watched him carefully though he didn't seem surprised by this question.

“I know you talked to Edward about this, and though yes I did hope that maybe you two would have worked out, I did have other reasons.” He walked over to a tree and casually leaned against it. “I taught a class at a college one day, it was simple and I knew many were not really paying attention. We have that effect on people as I’m sure you know. However there was one student, so eager to learn, so many questions on the subject, so curious. You took me by surprise, I’ll admit I was a little disappointed when Rosalie informed me you had dropped out of school.”

Barbara was shocked when she remembered this, though granted the memory was a bit blurry but it was there. And then she also remembered, she had wanted to become a doctor.

“When you turned up in the hospital that day, your heart barely beating, your husband having already given up on you.” Carlisle shook his head in distaste, “and then you opened your eyes and you were so focused, so full of life. And I realized I wasn't going to let that light go to waste.”

Barbara smiled softly at her surrogate father, definitely a much kinder man than her real one.

“You really shouldn’t worry about Edward so much, like Rosalie I think the right one will come when the time is right.”

“And you?” Carlisle asked, eyeing her curiously. Barbara winced playfully.

“Like I told Edward, given how my marriage ended I’m not looking to settle down anytime soon. I want to keep exploring as much as possible.”

“Well don’t forget to visit us while you explore.” Carlisle smiled though it didn't quite reach his eyes and she wondered if he was thinking of when Edward left.

That wasn't quite the idea she had of exploring, she loved humans too much to go down that path. Like always she was simply curious, she wanted to learn things she never had time for, go to places she only dreamed of. But she still wanted to stay in a certain place, something to call home. So she did, staying in certain colleges in Seattle while using her summer to travel to different parts in the world. She visited her family though as the years went by moth long visits turned into weeks, weeks turned into days, then she found herself only dropping by every so often for a day or two. And then the moment came when she stopped coming home all together and not even Esme could get her to come visit.

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insanityclause · 5 years

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We few, we happy few who have somehow been granted this ridiculous power by our editors, have a most pressing question to examine: Which internet boyfriend, in all their regal glory, makes a hotter King Henry V of England?

Is it Timothée Chalamet’s boyish, bowl-cut king? Or Tom Hiddleston’s goatee-sporting, speech-spouting monarch?

There have been plenty of King Henrys (Hal, to his friends) before them — and there will undoubtedly be many after. But men like Kenneth Branagh and Laurence Olivier have never inspired the level of internet hysteria our beloved Timmy and Hiddles have — mostly by virtue of the fact that the height of their stardom came in a pre-Tumblr and Twitter age. So, which Hal will it be?

Hiddleston has the benefit of running time – he portrayed Henry across BBC productions of Henry IV, Parts One and Two and Henry V back in 2012. Chalamet offers up his version of Hal in the nearly two-and-a-half-hour Netflix film The King, which debuted Nov. 1 on Netflix.

The King is not a Shakespeare adaptation, while Hiddleston’s turns as Henry are – but the Chalamet vehicle owes a heavy debt to the works of the Bard in both story structure and its central relationship between Hal and John Falstaff (an invention of Shakespeare’s based on a real historical figure, Sir John Oldcastle). But setting aside the stark differences in linguistic approach to storytelling, these two skinny snacks offer up distinctly different interpretations of the iconic English monarch — one sullen and introspective, the other more brash and showy.

The real Henry V was 27 when he ascended the English throne – Chalamet is now 23, while Hiddleston took on the part in his early thirties, so they split the difference on age proximity. The real Henry was, well, decidedly not hot. Unless you’re into bowl cuts and pencil-thin eyebrows. See: Exhibit A, below. This haircut is perhaps Chalamet’s downfall. The King strives for more historical accuracy than William Shakespeare (shocking, I know). About 40 minutes into the movie, they cut off all of his beautiful, overly mussed hair and leave him with a bowl cut. Such a hirsute crime has not been committed onscreen since Chris Evans shaved off his beard in Avengers: Endgame. Chalamet, admittedly, rocks it as best he can — and it suits his boyish face better than most, but it’s still not a good look. Plus, it’s particularly despair-inducing to watch him go from little grunge prince to Friar Tuck in the space of seconds.

In contrast, Hiddleston models his natural nearly ginger locks — and, post-coronation, grows a goatee to boot. If you like your monarchs a little more disheveled, their curly hair flying free on the field of Agincourt, accompanied by well-groomed facial hair, Hiddleston wins. No question. Sure, they’re both king — but does their hair look like you can run your fingers through it with the unbridled glee of a romance heroine? Being royal is great and all, but if your coat of hair can’t match your coat of arms, what is even the point?

Hal, after all, is meant to be a romantic hero by the story’s end, wooing his new French bride, Catherine of Valois — and if you were meeting your new husband with whom you did not share a common language, presumably a luscious head of flowing locks would be a great starting point. Meanwhile, a bowl cut is just gonna leave you questioning his taste and if he might be under the undue influence of his hairdresser.

Costumes further this point and grant Hiddleston another point in his favor. One word: leather.

Hiddleston sports a lot of it — from some body-hugging breeches to an assortment of doublets with v-necks deep enough to leave room for someone to draw a map of England on his chest. Chalamet wears darker colors throughout, and enough velvet to outfit several years’ worth of Christmas card looks. He drowns in his clothes, the weight of his kingly duties enhanced through over-sized looks that make him look overwhelmed.

Both Henrys are most appealing in their churlish, bad boy days, their collars hanging open as they carouse with women and drink at the tavern. Anyone who ever had a soft spot for our contemporary Prince Harry understands the appeal of a devilishly roguish prince who just can’t seem to keep himself out of trouble. Chalamet makes the most of his brief moments of bedroom eyes (and hair) before becoming more buttoned-up (literally). Their battle garb, chain-mail overlaid with plates of armor, is remarkably similar, but while Chalamet wears his reluctantly, the weight of war visible in his carriage, Hiddleston sports it like a fairy-tale prince, ready to slay a dragon.

The King grants us a portrait of a reluctant monarch, a young man who suddenly finds a nation’s fate resting on his shoulders. In many ways, Hal’s journey through Shakespeare’s Henriad is a similar tale, a coming-of-age story about a boy become king. But Shakespeare was celebrating (and in some ways creating) a national icon — as a result, while the Bard’s Henry leaves space for guilt, indecision, and more, he’s ultimately a figure of patriotic heroism. Just listen to the St. Crispin’s day speech and try to not feel like getting off your couch and taking a spear to the French.

It’s this that makes Hiddleston’s Hal the bigger thirst trap. Chalamet has a particular gift for playing emotionally wounded young men, but he wraps that behind a sullen stoicism in The King. Even when he’s supposedly having fun, he feels more like he’s drinking himself into a haze of wine and women than actively taking pleasure in any moment of his life. And even that hurt is kept behind a wall. The camera lingers lovingly on his brooding face, but he never lets us in enough to aspire any deeply felt empathy. The internet’s favorite sad boy is somehow inexplicably just too damn sad.

In contrast, Hiddleston delivers a boisterous, joyous performance. It’s one that knows when to ruminate in quieter moments (he gives great pretty sad face too, let’s be honest), but one that also relishes the flourishes of Shakespeare’s language. His Hal lets you in on everything he’s feeling — whether it’s the breathless enthusiasm and sense of honor as he rallies his troops, his face smeared with blood and sweat; or the ungodly amounts of charm, oozing out of every pore as he romances his new fiancée. Even in more solemn moments of contemplation, when he’s mourning his father and feeling the literal weight of his crown, we’re privy to all of his grief and apprehension as it flickers across his face.

In a sense, The King tries to make Henry V more human, casting a sense of existential dread across the age-old themes of war and peace, fathers and sons. Shakespeare’s history plays are notably larger-than-life, a task that Hiddleston rises up to and even exceeds. He takes the outsized, flowery language and extraordinary circumstances and humanizes the proceedings. While Chalamet’s Henry keeps his hurt bottled up, occasionally spilling out of his endlessly expressive eyes, Hiddleston’s Hal is a living, breathing man who seems to take exceeding care with his feelings and all those who surround him.

We stan a king in touch with his feelings and capable of expressing them in poetical language, one who can rock some leather and facial hair while he’s at it. The battle between Chalamet and Hiddleston’s Henry is ultimately as much of a rout as the Battle of Agincourt — and we know which one we’d follow once more unto the breach, dear friends.

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isabel3710 · 4 years

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The Forgotten Birthday

Sander Sides Fanfiction

Summary: His fellow sides have forgotten his birthday and Virgil is devastated. Despite their mess up Logan, Roman, and Patton set their minds to make things right.

Word Count: 1,084

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December the 26th was the Sides’ post-Christmas dinner, otherwise known as the day the sides ate all the leftovers from the day before. It had been a tradition between the sides for several years now, and Patton insisted on keeping the tradition. So that is what they are doing now, sitting and eating leftover ham from Christmas dinner. The room was silent except for the clinking of silverware on plates.

“I still don’t understand why we do this every year,” Logan suddenly said.

“Well kiddo, there are lots of important days in our life’s and it’s only proper to celebrate them” Patton explained, “.....that and we need to eat all the leftovers.”

“How is this an important day?” Virgil asked him.

“It’s a tradition!” Morality declared.

“So.. are there any other important days that you guys celebrate that I should know about?”

“Well..” Patton then began to tell Virgil several different occasions and holidays that he and his fellow sides celebrated. “And then there’s each of our birthdays!” He finished.

“When are all of your guy’s birthdays?” Virgil asked.

“Mine’s January 15th!” Patton answered happily.

“My birthday is on June 4th,” Roman told him.

“I don’t have a birthday since I and everyone else weren't technical ‘born’” Logan said.

“It’s on November 3rd,” Roman said with a roll of his eyes.

“When’s your Virgil?” The parental side asked him and he froze.

“You don’t know?” The anxious side asked, feeling hurt.

“No, you never told us.” Logic said and Virgil looked down.

“December 19th.” He whispered before running off. The sides froze, for their youngest’s member birthday had been one week ago.

-----

Virgil bolted into his room, slamming the door behind him before bursting into tears. It already hurt enough that they didn’t celebrate his birthday with him, or even recognize it. It hurt to know that they full out forgot it. But it hurt most of all they didn’t even when it was!

He wasn’t even keeping it a secret, he had mentioned it to Patton more than once. Sure it had been in passing but he still had mentioned it. He thought that out of all of the sides Patton would be the one to remember.

But he didn’t, and that is what had hurt.

------

The three remaining sides sat at the table, dinner long forgotten. They sat there in shock and at the sounds of soft sniffling Roman and Logan looked over at the oldest side who was crying. “Patton?” Roman said softly, moving to kneel next to his chair.

“How could I f-f-forget?” Patton cried “how c-could I f-forget my s-s-son’s b-birthday?”

“It’s not your fault Patton,” Logan said, “you didn’t know.” But he only cried harder, shaking his head.

“I d-did.” The father figure said “he t-t-told me! But I f-f-forgot!” He sobbed and Logan moved to wraps his “I f-forgot and i-i-it’s to l-late!”

“No,” Roman said with a look of determination in his eyes and Patton and Logan looked over at him. “It’s not too late, we can fix this.”

“It is too late, his birthday was a week ago.” Logan frowned.

“It’s never too late to celebrate!” Roman declared.

Patton gave a watery smile. “Your right, we can fix this.”

-------

Virgil lay in bed, despite the hunger that was roaring in the pit of his stomach and the thirst that rested in the back of his throat. But he didn’t care, he couldn’t go back out there. All he could think about was what had happened at dinner the night before, and whenever he did the tears would reappear.

The anxious side was pulled out of his thoughts as he felt the familiar tugging of being summoned by his host. Quickly he put on his eye shadow, hoping he didn’t look like he had been crying. Wrapping his hoodie around himself he sunk into the real world.

He appeared on the staircase in the darkened living room “hello?” His voice came out raspy from all the crying he had done. When he received no answer tears once again filled his eyes.

It was already hard enough that they cared so little about him that they had forgotten his birthday! But nowhere they were. Pranking him. Then the lights turned on.

“Surprise!” Several voices cried and Virgil stumbled back in shock, tripping over the steps of the stairs behind him. Regaining his balance he stood up straight and looked around. Thomas’ living room was decorated in black and purple and he could see his fellow sides and his host standing behind several pieces of furniture.

“Wh.. What's going on?” He asked.

“It’s your birthday! And we want to celebrate it with you!” Patton said running over to hug him.

“I already told you,” Virgil said confused “my birthday was over a week ago.”

“Yes,” Logan agreed walking over to Virgil and Patton (who was still hugging him) “but we decided that to make up for missing the actual date of your birthday we would celebrate it today instead.”

Virgil slowly untagged himself from Patton’s arms and looked at them all “why?” He asked, his voice choking up.

Roman looked down, ashamed “we feel bad for forgetting Virgil, you are a part of this family and we should have done better to remember such an important date.” Virgil was surprised to see the prince’s eyes glistened with tears and he had to hold back tears.

His host then stepped in “your such an important part of me.” He said, “I wouldn’t be who I am today without you.” The youngest side stopped trying to hold back his tears and cried.

“I-I thought you did-didn’t care!” He sobbed.

“Aww, Virgil!” Patton cooed “we will never stop caring about you!” He said before hugging him once again.

“We love you, Virgil,” Thomas said wrapping his arms from behind the observant side so Virgil was held from both sides of him. Roman was quick to join the hug, and Patton pulled a reluctant Logan into the hug as well.

Once the darkly dressed side’s tears were dry his friends pulled him over to the couch where they watched all of his favorite movies and ate cake. They all had presents for him as well, he had tried to refuse them but wasn’t allowed to do so.

All in all, it was a good birthday, sure it was late but right then it didn’t matter. Virgil felt loved and cared about. And at that moment, that was what mattered most to him.

#thomas sanders #sander sides #sander sides fanfiction #logan sanders #patton sanders #virgil sanders #roman sanders #birthday #Isabel's Books #fanfic

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justjessame · 4 years

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A Reluctant Hero Chapter 10

Dessert was less strained, strangely enough. Dorothy had loosened up while JD and I were watching the single Stooge that came to my door perform unintentional physical comedy and I had to think that Kelsey had filled her in. After our treat, Kelsey took her mom on a tour of the house, and then they came back to the living room to tell us that they were going to Kelsey’s space.

“Thank you for dinner, Ani,” Dorothy offered, shooting another look at JD as she did. “I had a great time.”

I smiled, and told her it was my pleasure and I hoped she’d visit again. It was a sincere invitation. Once the stick up her ass was removed, and she realized that Kelsey and I were just friends and I wasn’t trying to usurp her position of mother, she could actually be an enjoyable company. A few more goodbyes, Kelsey hugged her dad and told him that she’d see him soon, her eyes twinkling at me when she turned and then they were gone.

JD barely held back until we heard the door click shut behind them, and then he had me locked back in his arms, our mouths finding each other like magnets. I was yanking his shirt off, wanting and needing to feel his bare skin, and he had tossed my own off in his own yearning to feel me. His fingers were on the clasp of my bra when we heard it. He groaned into my mouth, reluctant to pull away, but his phone rang again.

“Fuck,” he muttered, pulling it free from his pants’ pocket. The fingers of his other hand were sliding along my skin, and as he answered it, mine were hooked in the waistband of his jeans. When his eyes went closed I felt triumphant, but it was short lived. I listened as he gave his code, the acceptance of another job, and then he was sighing and looking down at me. “I swear to God-” he leaned forward and licked back into my mouth, tasting and tempting before pulling away again. “One of these fucking days, I’m going to finally get to the main event with you, Ani, I promise.”

I was breathless, and panting, but I knew he had to go. Work calls, and we had to put a pin in it again. Shit. I felt like my entire body was on fire and vibrating with the need I felt for him. I was starving and dying of thirst, and he was the only fucking thing that could quench it.

“Go,” my voice was low, but I knew he could see that I wasn’t angry or throwing him out. “Before I-” I pulled my fingers out of his waistband. “Jump you and make you forget about your bounty.”

Groaning at even the vague promise I gave, he pulled completely away. “Where the hell is my shirt?” We were looking around the living room, mine was on the chair that was fast becoming his, but his was nowhere in sight. Then I heard the soft crackling of the fire and thought it couldn’t be possible, but tilting my head so I could see behind him, I closed my eyes and fought the building laughter. There, in the flickering flames of a real fire (the architect had thought I was crazy to insist on a wood burning fireplace when I laid out my ideas for my house), was JD’s shirt turning to ash as I watched.

He turned too, and his laughter broke my resolve to stay serious. “I know you want me to stay, Ani, but-” Shaking his head he looked down and our eyes met. “That’s a pretty fucking wild way to keep me.”

“So burning all your clothes so you have to stay naked and trapped is a bad way to go?” I asked, playing along. “I’ll make a note of that.”

He tugged on his jacket, kissing me again once I’d pulled on my own blouse. “I’ll call you later.” And then, another kiss and he was gone.

I didn’t see him for another three days, but he called me daily. While we didn’t always have phone sex, we did talk about our day and Kelsey. He told me how his case was coming along, and how much he really wanted to lose himself in me for hours or days, whichever we could manage.

Dad invited me to lunch on the third day. He worked from home, his lab rivalling some of the best around the country, so lunch at the house I grew up in wasn’t rare. It was simple food, but the conversation wasn’t.

“Tell me about Roger’s massive screw up.” We’d barely sat down at the patio table just outside the sliding glass doors of the kitchen. I sighed.

“You already know, Dad,” I shook my head and picked up my fork. “I came home from shopping and there he was, humping a coed.”

“On that beautiful table,” he shook his own head at the nerve of Roger to deface such craftsmanship. “Did you send him the cleaning bill?”

I admitted I hadn’t. Then I told him about Roger’s impromptu visit during my dinner party. “You should have seen him fall over, I’ll have to send you the video.” Yes, I had watched it over and over, sue me.

Dad wasn’t laughing. “Ah, the dinner party.” Shit, I swore I was going to reboot to factory settings Pandi’s harddrive to get rid of whatever surveillance encryption he’d managed to infect her with. “Tell me about Kelsey’s family.”

Damn it. I told him about Dorothy and making peace, and I tried to brush past JD with the bare minimal information. “Kelsey wants me to be there when she gives birth and she didn’t want it to be awkward.” I shrugged, nothing to see here, no siree.

“JD Richter?” I bit my lip and waited. “Made a bit of a name for himself not too long ago, didn’t he?”

“Did he?” I was planning on playing dumb. Why give my overprotective father more ammo to hang JD with?

He nodded and took a bite of his food. Carefully chewing and then swallowing, I could tell he wanted me to see him thinking it over. He and I were old hats at this game. “Terrorism, I think they accused him of, not that it was true.” OK, I thought, so he wasn’t completely against JD. “I thought he was seeing the hybrid woman, what was her name?”

I had been eating while he performed his part in our play. Swallowing the bite I’d taken and washing it down with a drink from my glass, I shook my head. “No clue, you know I don’t pay attention to the news.” Which was true, what wasn’t true was my feigned ignorance about this particular piece of news.

Dad was studying me, looking for a chink in my armor. “Molly Woods, an astronaut. Tried to warn us about spores from space and we came to find out that she’d given birth to one of these alien beings. Half human, half alien.” Right, the hybrids, which she’d become because of the close contact she’d had. “She has a child, one of the Humanichs, the original one, I think.”

This was part and parcel what Kelsey had told me, but he had no idea of it. “And?”

“I suppose their situation didn’t work out?” He’d managed, even with our back and forth to eat most of his lunch, I was still plodding through mine.

“I guess not,” replying while stabbing at my next bite. “I’m going to go out on a limb and say that Pandi told you that we’re-”

“Having a rebound fling?” He supplied, and I rolled my eyes. “Isn’t that a little close to home, Anilea? I mean his daughter is living in your home.”

“Dad,” the tone I was using was a warning. One I’d used plenty of times with my father. The ‘I’m an adult and I can make my own choices and mistakes, back off’ voice.

He reached across the table and took my free hand in his. “Roger was an idiot and he wasn’t good enough for you. You and I both know that whatever you saw in him and try as I might I can’t honestly say I figured it out, it wasn’t going to last.” He was right, I’d known it all along, it’s why it was so easy to toss his ass out. “This Richter man, however, seems like the sticking type, and I think-”

“Dad,” another warning, but he didn’t heed it.

“That you’re going to fall hard and fast for him and I want you to be perfectly fucking sure that he’s worth it.” He patted my hand and pulled away. “You don’t see what the rest of the world sees when they look at you, Ani.” I raised an eyebrow at that. “You’re smart, wealthy, and pretty. There are plenty of men who want to take advantage of at least one of those things, make sure Richter just wants you for you.”

The rest of lunch wasn’t as trying. We talked about his research. We discussed my newest book. And then, as I hugged him goodbye, I promised him that I wouldn’t rush headlong into anything with anyone.

“And I’m rebooting the AI, Dad, no more spying, understand?” He chucked me on my chin and smiled. “I mean it.”

I was throwing together dinner when my newly cleared Pandi informed me that JD was outside. I was smiling when he found me in the kitchen.

“Do you have some kind of device planted in my house that tells you when I’m fixing dinner?” He was pressed against my back while I stirred the boiling pot on the stove. “Hungry?”

His lips found my neck and my eyes fluttered closed. Feeling his tongue flick against the top of my spine I was surprised my knees didn’t buckle. “Very,” he growled. And then I turned and his mouth found mine and I forgot about dinner for a few very hot beats.

We were gasping when we came up for air, and then I was reaching behind me to turn off the burners. He had me on top of the island before I could consider moving, and then my shirt was on the floor, his jacket met the same fate, then his shirt, my bra, and his hands were on the button of my pants when his phone rang again.

“Damn it,” he muttered, his voice muffled against my chest where he’d been snacking. Answering it, while our eyes were locked on one another’s, his so dark that I felt my need for him ratchet up tenfold, I waited for the inevitable. His acceptance of a job, the redressing, the lingering kiss that promised more, but it didn’t come. “Yes, I’m here, Kelsey. Of course you can come talk to me.” Ah, he wasn’t leaving, but we wouldn’t be finishing either. Not now. “Yeah, I’m pretty sure that Ani has enough dinner cooking for three.” His eyes were still locked on me, but I could see he was at war with himself. His only child’s need to speak to him, and me half naked vying for attention.

I leaned closer and ran my nose along his jaw, nipping lightly before finding his earlobe. “It’s fine, JD, we’ve waited this long.” Taking his earlobe between my teeth I gave a little tug and felt his hand tighten its grip on my thigh.

I heard him swallow. And then he told Kelsey he’d see her in a few minutes. He tossed his phone beside me and then cupped my face in both hands and kissed the breath out of me. “Later, I mean it.”

We were dressed when she met us in the kitchen, I was back at the stove, stirring and making sure dinner wasn’t ruined. I listened as Kelsey and her dad talked. The topic wasn’t my business, so I kept out of it. Once dinner was ready, I served the three of us, sitting at the island instead of the table.

“I interrupted, didn’t I?” Kelsey broke the silence of our meal. We both looked away from where we’d been staring at one another and saw that she’d noticed our attention. “Shit, Dad, why didn’t you say that you were ‘occupied’?” I snorted at the reminder of our shared phone call in the diner.

“Because,” I offered, my eyes back on JD. “It’s not like it’s the first time we’ve been interrupted.”

He grinned, thinking of every time we’d been close, or that one of us was planning on getting close. “Seems to be a pattern with us, doesn’t it?”

“Then tell Pandi to make it all go silent and shut down the fucking phone, you two.” She rolled her eyes and picked up her plate. “I’m taking dinner to my place, that way the two of you can get your heads out of your-” She walked away, and I had to laugh at her indignation that her dad and best friend hadn’t gotten around to the main event yet. “Pandi?” I heard her call and the AI answer and she gave the order I hadn’t thought to give.

I shook my head while JD was chuckling at his kid’s insistence that we get laid. But then he shocked the hell out of me by picking up his phone and turning it off. “Kid’s got a point,” he answered, working on his plate of food once the phone and AI was put in their places.

It didn’t take long, eating that is, and then, after putting the leftovers away, loading the dishwasher, and wiping up what little mess we’d created, JD took me back into his arms and promised that this time, we weren’t going to stop until we finished.

#JD Richter x OFC #slight smut #Extant #After the Series

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grimweaver · 4 years

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~*~

Lucien leaned back again and closed his eyes as he sipped his tea, with a hum going out with a long and low exhale through his nostrils. After some time of wrapping his head around this revelation, within the uncomfortable silence that fell between us, his eyes shot open and stared up at me over the rim of his cup, ablaze and sharp with anticipation for a further explanation.

I wet my lips and heaved out the rest:

“On the 16th of Sun’s Dawn, Year 409, father attended a Hearts Day Celebration at Castle Cheydinhal. It had been seven years since we lost mother to an untimely death— from a respiratory illness that she had developed as a consequence of prolonged confinement in the coal mines of Eastmarch during a Fighters Guild quest. Being a widow and single father for that long was beginning to weigh his spirits down, so he went with the innocent intention of finding someone who would make a good wife and mother. All was well and promising for a while, but it took a horrible turn near the end. While he was in the library, conversing with the countess, he blacked out. For a time, the only thing he could recall happening after that was waking up in one of the guest rooms… lying next to the still sleeping Llathasa.”

Lucien responded with another low, growling noise into his tea as he sipped it again.

“After a great deal of agonizing and trying to figure out how the hell it all happened, father left for home that very morning. During the trip back, he started to remember some things that happened between the library and waking up— that he was overcome by what he called a ‘waking dream’—though fully conscious, all reason and fear of consequences left him, responding only to his… um… attraction to Llathasa. It became clear to him that, during this event, someone must’ve slipped something into one of the wine barrels that altered the minds of all who consumed it—Sanguine mischief most likely, since that prince of sexual deviousness has his goons cause chaos of that nature on Hearts Day every year.”

“Sounds like a logical conclusion to me,” he heaved, sitting up straight to eat from his plate with the usual aristocratic grace. His brow sank over his puzzled eyes. “Where was Andel all that time?”

“I have no idea. Obviously, wherever he was, it was not where he could’ve intervened or discovered them together. Anyway… I’m sure you’ve done the math in your head already, but that was roughly nine months before Farwil was born. During that time, father avoided Castle Cheydinhal out of fear and guilt, but was compelled to return when we received the ‘exciting’ announcement that Lady Llathasa was finally with child, and that we were invited to stay in the castle to be a part of the celebration of his birth. Knowing that he was the real father of the child, he insisted on being there, no matter how awkward it was going to be for him or Llathasa. It was his son.”

“I understand the compulsion, but if I were in his boots I would not’ve brought my children with me. What if Andel knew and had his guards ready to ambush and send him to the executioner’s block?”

“He was assured that he didn’t. Llathasa included a secret message in the invitation that was sent out to him. It said: ‘He’s your son. Andel doesn’t know’.”

“Hmm… and how did you come to know all of this?”

“I overheard a conversation between him and my eldest sister, Ruthandra. It was on the evening we returned from one of our visits with the Indarys family. Thirst woke me up, and as I went downstairs to fetch water from the well, I was stopped by their voices; there was a tension in them that piqued my interest, so I stopped and listened carefully as he spilled it all out. I was old enough to put a few pieces of the conversation that I heard together and understand that he had fathered Farwil.” I stopped to soothe my dry and tightened throat with more tea. “I remember just sitting there at the bottom of the stairs and staring out the window of the back door, just trying to comprehend what I had just heard. By the time I had realized father was about to walk right past me, on his way to his bedroom, it was too late to scamper up the stairs unnoticed. When he inquired about why I was up so late, I told him it was for water and admitted that I had overheard what he told Ruthandra. He wasn’t happy about it, but he answered me truthfully when I asked if Farwil is our little brother—leaving out explicit details, of course. He told me that Andel should never suffer the knowledge of the truth, so that he may remain until his last breath in blissful belief that his wife had bedded with no other man and Farwil is his flesh-and-blood son. He made me promise to keep it a family secret, and I have for over twenty years. You’re the first person I’ve shared this with.” I reached down to grab more snacks from the plate, but it was completely empty— I had been absently munching on them throughout the whole story. Catching my breath after exhausting my voice, I just went quiet for a while and waited for him to reply.

“Malkhai,” he said, looking directly into my eyes with deep sincerity. “I promise that this secret will be safe with me. And… don’t you fret any about breaking the promise to your father. It’s like you said—it is a family secret. You and I are family.”

I smiled weakly. “I wish I could say it makes me feel better. But there are still anxious thoughts about Andel—he’s never confronted me about it but… it’s so obvious that he at least knows that Farwil was fathered by someone else. My theory is that, before understanding the situation, he performed the Black Sacrament to have a Llathasa’s accident staged by a Dark Brotherhood assassin, which is why he is now bound to a lifelong obligation to us.” I leaned forward and looked directly into his eyes. “Would I be correct... Lucien ?”

The corner of his mouth stretched into a sinister grin as he narrowed his eyes and chuckled, “It would certainly seem to be the case, wouldn’t it?” He laced his fingers together over his wide, toothy smile as he chuckled again, “As much as I would like to take credit for that work, I must be honest and say that I was not involved in her death… none of our Brothers or Sisters were, in fact.”

“But… then for whom did Andel perform the Black Sacrament?”

“A political rival, and that’s all I’m going to say.” Lucien’s brow sank again, struck by the memory of what was said back in Taneth. “Hmmm… but I do wonder… thinking back on what Farwil said about Llathasa lamenting at the chapel… if it was all an accident, why would she say she had ‘hurt a friend in a way she feared can never be forgiven’?”

“That confuses me too,” I said. “At this point, the only way we’ll ever know is if I unearth more of those private letters or father can explain it himself… if I ever find him.” A sudden dreadful thought entered my mind, twisting knots in my chest. With much reluctance, I asked Lucien “Please tell me… did the Dark Brotherhood make my father disappear?”

Lucien shook his head immediately, looking straight into my eyes again as he said “I swear to all the Powers of the Void, we were not involved in his disappearance either.”

“Oh good!!” I breathed out with a sigh of relief. “Because that would’ve made things even more complicated than they already are.” I pondered a little while, scratching my chin. “Still, it doesn’t rule out the possibility of Andel’s involvement.” I grinned, then flirtatiously folded my arms under my chest and leaned inward. “Gee… I sure wish I knew someone who could do some thorough, investigative work in the castle to find any clues that would either confirm or deny that theory. I’ll be sure to make it worth the effort and risk, once I am in a... position to do so.”

"Considering what he'll risk," Lucien replied, taking in a deep breath and hiding a bashful grin behind his cup as he sipped more tea. “That someone would have to consult his superior first, I'm sure… but this matter must be set aside for now. We need to keep our focus on our current task.”

“Right… which means that we need to get adequate sleep soon,” I looked over at the large bed in the corner, through the protective rail made with scrapped Ayleid doors, torturing myself with a vision of us between those silky red sheets.

“Yes. I suppose, since it's already well past midnight, I'll have to let you go back to the guildhall.” Lucien replied. He then followed my gaze and read the longing in it well, then said with an aggravated sigh, “You know how much I wish I could ask you to stay.”

“I do, but I know why you cannot. But... as much as I disagree with the reasoning, I will respect it.”

“Thank you. I can’t say that I don’t share your frustration, but you need to understand the Listener’s restrictions as a necessary measure. In the past, our enemies have gone as far as marrying a member of the Black Hand in order to infiltrate the organization, and have done so successfully multiple times. Also, there is the concern of a relationship opening the doors of favoritism and manipulation. The Listener needs to know that it is through your own talents and skills that you have achieved high ranks and rewards, not because I gave you an unfair advantage.”

“The marriage part I understand just fine, but not even being allowed to... “ I shook my head and grumbled. “I’m sorry, but I think that’s insane.”

Lucien heaved a heavy, gravely breath as he shot me a warning glare.

"And... um... I'm just going to stop there... before I say anything else I'll probably regret," I said, averting my eyes as I stood up.

“Wise decision.” He replied, rising also and fetching my bag and cowl for me.

“So... um… what are you going to tell the Listener if he asks you why you chose me to play the student?” I asked him.

“The truth, of course: you’re strong enough to bear the weight of all those metal pieces, and you’re the only one that possesses the right... hmm… aesthetic qualities .” He answered—heaving a gravely, longing breath. I could almost feel his touch as he eyed me up and down, and it sent another fiery wave through my body.

We then departed the way we had greeted— with some uneasiness, he slowly closed the short distance between us and placed his hands upon my shoulders. This time the kisses he gave each cheek were a little longer, and he couldn’t resist taking the perfume in again as he kissed the left check. He tilted his head slightly to the right, almost giving into the temptation to kiss my lips. With his mouth only a couple inches away from mine, he half-whispered: “Rest well, Malkhai .”

“You too, Lucien ,” I replied with a slightly trembling voice.

LaChance opened the door and bowed his head as I left through it, putting the cowl back on and pulling the handle of the bag over my shoulder. I turned around for one last exchange of smiles, without a further word, and exited the apartment building.

The streets were still crowded, but since the vendors were closed there was less resistance in the straight path from Sisters of the Sands to the Mages Guildhall— I just had to be extra mindful of my steps because of all the garbage and pools of drunkard heaves on the ground. As unpleasant as it was, I would take waste hazard maze over the uncomfortable situation that awaited me at the guildhall. Even if he had declared that he had no authority over me, arousing Farwil’s anger could have terrible consequences for everyone else.

The tension inside cooled when it seemed like everyone had retired to their respective sleeping quarters and were well into their sleep. But, no more than a few seconds after ease washed over me, I heard a voice growl from the black shadows of the wide hallway: “Where the hell have you been??”

End of Part XIII

#lucien lachance #tes oblivion #elder scrolls stories #the dark brotherhood

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fuzzhugs · 6 years

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Broken Wings - Redwall/FMA Crossover - by Fuzzhugs

Welcome to Part 1 of my Redwall + Fullmetal Alchemist crossover.

Special thanks to @thegoldensoundtwice for inspiring to actually write all of this down and to @theredwallrecorder for editing assistance.

If anyone prefers reading in a GoogleDoc format, follow the link here.

Part 1 - Ingredients

Beastkind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is alchemy's first law of Equivalent Exchange. In those days, I really believed that to be the world's one, and only truth.

Water, 35 liters.

Martin obsessively checked his notes and calculations. His haggard appearance and frenzied behavior showed the result of days without sleep.

Carbon, 20 kilograms.

The walls of his spacious yet decrepit shack were covered with hundreds of pages. Renderings of transmutation circles intersected and covered each other. Pages torn from books were pinned to the wall alongside his own handwritten notes. Strings stretched between walls, connecting one set of information to another.

Ammonia, 4 liters.

The shack had not been Martin’s first choice of a laboratory, but the Noonvale mice had told him if he planned to continue with his blasphemous experiments, he would have to do it elsewhere. More than happy to be rid of him, the mice helped him build the shack a league away from their sanctuary.

Calcium-lime, 1.5 kilograms.

Martin had reappeared at Noonvale several seasons after the Battle of Marshank, begging to be taught their ways. Chief Voh had been reluctant to give one so emotionally unhinged further power to manipulate the world, but Brome had persuaded him that learning healing arts would be a way to help Martin.

Phosphorus, 800 grams.

His thirst for knowledge did not remain confined to the alchemic healing practice they called Alkahestry. He poured over texts for days at a time, rarely stopping to eat or sleep. His first experiments delving into the nature of life and death had dire consequences for the Alkahestry library. Martin’s attempt to resurrect a deceased fish resulted in an alchemic backlash blasting several of the main support beams to splinters. Martin himself was only mildly injured from the explosion.

Salt, 250 grams.

While Martin was recuperating from his injuries, Chief Voh took a closer look at the notes he had been keeping and learned the true depths of Martin’s desire. When Martin was well enough to walk again, he was cast out of the central village and told to settle farther away from the main settlement, hence the shack.

Saltpeter, 100 grams.

Brome had ceased visiting several fortnights ago, tired of trying to convince Martin to give up on his impossible ambitions. The arguments between the two mice had grown heated, escalating almost to the point of violence.

Sulfur, 80 grams.

He had spent ages collecting all of the ingredients. He had managed to convince Brome to bring him some from Noonvale’s stores, but the rest he had to find himself, either through wandering the countryside or bartering with traveling merchants. The only thing that mattered was his work. Everything else could wait. His father’s sword was leaning against the wall, long neglected and seldom used.

Fluorine, 7.5 grams.

Every component had been carefully measured and weighed according to the exact specifications Martin had written out. They had been stored in jars and locked in a chest until he was ready to use them.

Iron, 5 grams.

The mix of elements now freely blended together in the metal basin he had placed in the center of his shack. Retrieving a piece of chalk, he began to draw out his own variant of a Beastfolk Transmutation Circle. The complex design branched across the room like a spider’s web. Circles, triangles, and hexagons merged and split with each other. Bizarre, arcane runes filled the empty spaces.

Silicon, 3 grams.

Everything he had spent seasons planning for would finally come to fruition.

Trace amounts of 15 other elements.

He would have her back again. His greatest mistake would be undone.

Blood, as a bridge for the soul to cross.

Martin pulled out a knife and slashed the blade across his paw, letting the crimson rain fall onto the mix of powder and liquid. The blood would link the transmutation target to him, pulling Rose’s soul back from the place beyond life.

He knelt down at the edge of his circle and calmed his mind. Reaching out, he could feel the energy that flowed beneath the earth rising to his will, powering his alchemic formula. Slamming his paws onto the circle, he released the energy in one large burst.

The chalk-lines began to glow as the transmutation started. An eerie red light filled the room as shadows began to leak out from the circle. The shadows formed into tendrils, ending with small, grasping claws. In the center of the circle, a crack appeared and opened to reveal the form of a gigantic eye. Something was very wrong.

The tendrils shot across the room and clung to him, pulling him toward the circle. Martin struggled to remain outside the boundary. As he fought, a brilliant burst of white light filled the room.

Martin was standing in an endless white void. There was no wind, no sound, no horizon. Behind him, a massive stone door carved with alchemic symbols floated above the featureless ground. Ahead of him, a figure sat crouched on the floor, surrounded by a black haze. Like Martin’s surroundings, it was featureless, save for the prominent grin plastered to its face.

“Where is she!?” Martin demanded, too determined to be awed by the strange place.

The figure continued to grin and tilted its head to the side.

“I don’t know who you are, but tell me where she-”

“The world.”

Martin fell silent, unprepared to hear several voices at once come from the figure’s mouth. “What did you-?”

“I am the existence that you call ‘the world’. In other words, the universe. In other words, truth. In other words, all. In other words, one.” The figure paused for a moment. “I am also you. Welcome.”

The stone door behind Martin burst open and the black tendrils reached out to pull him in. Fighting against their grasp, Martin tried to force his way toward the figure, managing to take several steps forward, but never gaining any ground.

“You are a determined one, aren’t you?” The figure grinned as the tendrils pulled Martin into the darkness of the void behind the door. “Most of those who get here are just screaming at this point.”

The stone door slammed shut and Martin fell away through darkness. Bright lights began rushing by him as everything he had seen and would see, known and would know flew through his head, too fast to understand and too fast to contain. His head felt like it would burst open. Before his eyes, his body began to fall apart. Then he realized what he was seeing was truth. Pure, unadulterated, universal truth.

In an instant, he was back in the white space. The figure was still there with its ominous grin. “How was it?”

Martin turned to look at the door. So many new ideas filled his mind. He knew where he had gone wrong, he just needed something more. “Show it to me again. I need to see it all again.”

“No, no, no. You only get that much for the toll you’ve paid.”

“Toll?”

As if on cue, tendrils lashed out and grabbed his face. A burning pain seared through Martin’s mind and he fell to the floor, screaming. The figure knelt over him, still grinning.

“Now, if someone is dumb enough to come and meet me, I usually end up taking their arms, or their legs, or their sight. They can see plainly what my services have cost them and I don’t need to tell them what price they’ve paid. You, little alchemist, you’re a special case. You wanted your only love back, right? Well, I’ve taken that from you now. Every feeling of love is being erased from your mind. Oh, your memories will stay intact, but that delectable flavor you call love is no longer yours. You cannot remember love and you cannot feel love, but I am not without mercy. I’ve left a little speck of it in there just for you, enough of it for you to remember what you’re missing. I have also generously thrown in another gift. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it. Equivalent exchange, is it not?”

The real world rushed back in an instant and Martin found himself on the floor of his shack, screaming and clutching his head. Pain blocked out most of his immediate memories, and the next thing he was aware of was waking up in a bed in the Noonvale Infirmary. Brome was looking down at him, scowling.

“Brome,” Martin gasped as he came to his senses. “I know what I need to do. I just need…”

“You need to leave,” Brome commanded without an ounce of pity in his voice. “Can you walk?”

Martin stood up and walked with Brome, thinking only of his work. “The transmutation…”

“Whatever that thing was that you made was not natural. It didn’t live long, in any case. We’ve already buried it.”

The two mice arrived at the outskirts of Noonvale. “Brome, I need to-”

“Whatever you need, you’ll have to find it far from here. Bringing you here was the last kindness we will do for you. You will receive no more help here. If we find you within a day’s walk of Noonvale, you will be forced out. Now go, Martin.”

“If you just let me-”

Without a word, Brome slammed his gauntlet-clad fist into the ground. Martin caught a brief glimpse of the transmutation circle etched upon it before earthen spikes shot up out of the ground, stopping a hair’s-breadth from his face.

“Out, Martin. Don’t come back.”

Martin turned and left without another word. There was no sense of loss accompanying his forced departure. The brotherly affection he had once had for Brome was gone, utterly absent. There was nothing left attaching him to Brome, so there was nothing lost for him to mourn.

“Yes…yes. I had the right idea,” Martin said to himself as he walked without a particular direction in mind. “The right idea, but the wrong power source.”

He thought of one of the few comprehensible things his brush with truth had given him: the alchemic theory known as the Philosopher’s Stone. “Yes, a Stone. Infinite power. Anything should be possible with that. A Stone can bring her back, and all the others too. Felldoh, Gramma, Mum. ” In his excitement, Martin clapped his paws together. He felt a rush of power and watched as a perfect reproduction of Rose built itself out of the dirt.

“Interesting,” he commented to himself. “My arms form the circle, my thoughts form the array.

Looking at the statue, he could feel he was missing something inside. He knew he should have felt something, responded in some way, but there was only emptiness. The emptiness angered him.

“Dammit,” Martin cursed. “You may have taken my love from me, truth, but don’t expect to hold onto it for too long. Once I have the stone, nothing can stop me from taking it back.”

Walking a little further, Martin experimented with his newfound ability, transmuting rocks and trees with little more than a clap and a mental picture of what he wanted to happen. “You were right though, truth. I do enjoy this gift.”

Stopping by his now partially-destroyed shack, Martin collected some of his notes that he felt would come in handy. As he prepared to leave, a spur of the moment decision prompted him to take his father’s sword with him. Shouldering the blade, he left his shack and began his trek southward. Alchemy and Alkahestry had come from the south. He would find answers in the south.

End Part 1

#redwall #redwall fanfiction #martin the warrior #redwall fma #broken wings

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inamindfarfaraway · 3 years

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My My Hero Academia Ocs 3!

More Quirk and corresponding side character ideas for Unsung. The characters should really come before the Quirks, but that’s my creative process for you.

Spines - Transformation - the user can extend their head and body hair into long spines and bristles that can be fired as projectiles and grow back abnormally fast, although overuse will result in longer and longer gaps and eventually permanent baldness

User - Akio Yashima, the Pro Hero Porcupine and Class 1-D’s strict, irritable, deadpan, but wise and efficient form teacher who does care about his students’ welfare deep down and turns out to have a knack for recognizing when they need help, and is touchy about his receding hairline; has learned to limit his adrenaline production and control his responses to it because goosebumps can trigger his Quirk with hazardous or at least inconvenient results

Tardigrade - Transformation - the user can willingly enter a state of cryptobiosis wherein they are immune to the effects of radiation, oxygen deprivation, extreme temperatures and pressure, thirst and starvation

User - Iemochi Suda, an aristocratic boy and science fiction geek in 1-D with three pairs of arms and symbolic pig motifs, easygoing, hopeful, innocent, inquisitive but fundamentally complacent (his talk outweighs his action), and totally unafraid, has a mad scientist’s hamminess and brilliance and little sense of practical or emotional self-preservation, a top student, several teachers’ pet, even Udo’s, and an apologetic snitch, respects and trusts in rules and authority figures above himself, casually greedy and wasteful of material goods and knowledge alike, unhesitatingly, unconditionally protective of and faithful to his friends; fascinated with the possibilities of science and technology and all too happy to follow his parents’ plan that he inherit and expand the family smartphone company, but ashamed that he can’t ever seem to have an original idea of his own; Goto’s best friend who couldn’t care less about his image, to Goto’s bewilderment, he and Goto are each other’s voice of reason in different situations, him encouraging him to unwind, and have complimentary academic drives; a huge fanboy of Inácio Pedreira

Salinity - Emitter - the user can produce sodium chloride in crystals of different sizes, control it, and detect it in food and organisms, but overuse depletes sodium in the blood and high quantities of salt must be eaten to use the Quirk regularly

User - Emiri Wakimoto, the dynamic, optimistic, passionate, overachieving, overbearing class representative of 1-D, a girl with black hair and inherited mutations of red eyes, fangs and bat wings (ironically salt is sometimes believed to ward off vampires), who always tries to foster cooperation and productivity despite the challenges, but can be bossy and deaf to other voices and is far more dependent on groups to define herself than she’ll admit, fundamentally a giver, secretly not as poised as she acts and pressured to uphold her role as a paragon of idealism and leadership to her classmates and her arc revolves around maturing into that role for real; has grown to hate the taste of salt after eating excessive amounts of it raised her blood sodium levels dangerously high, causing her to faint from hypertension and inspiring her interest in nutritional health and desire to be a doctor, now carries a backpack of healthy snacks and a water bottle everywhere, exercises regularly, is a vegetarian, highly critical of the capitalistic food industry (sensing the added salt in everything will do that) especially for fraud and environmental damage, the fittest of the class; also interested in archeology and lost civilizations; Goto’s other best friend, her meticulous approach and positive attitude balances out his spontaneous and negative ones, and they bond over their experience with expectations and nerdy ancient interests, though she’s popular among the whole class besides the bullies

Pause - Emitter - the user can stop time in the surrounding area and move around within a tight ‘bubble’ of continuous time two metres in diameter for as long as they can concentrate on it, but the bubble is immobile and they cannot see or hear anything outside it because the air, light rays and sound vibrations are frozen, not to mention the bubble has a limited air supply

User - Kin Hattori, the stoic, taciturn, isolated vice class representative of 1-D who’s sworn off his Quirk due to being traumatized by the sudden loss of sight, hearing, and movement it causes as a young child, willing to be considered Quirkless, having panic attacks when he tries to activate it, and envying heroes and Department of Heroics students (or anyone else with Quirk privilege) for their supposedly innately better Quirks, but has his own Quirk-based prejudices due to taking his experiences as proof that some Quirks are nothing but harmful; only talks when he feels he absolutely needs to, responsible, philosophical, agnostic, consistently does well in all his classes but doesn’t excel in any, surprisingly upstanding, nurturing and attentive once his icy shell thaws, ecstatic to no longer be alone; an aikido expert because he got bullied for his ‘Quirklessness’ and decided to learn self-defence, but found a real appreciation for the martial art’s discipline and tradition; a slow burn love interest to Nozaka and friend to the other protagonists, who help him realize that his trauma doesn’t define him

Mouth Shifter - Transformation - the user can acquire the jaws, teeth and/or mouthparts of any animal, but overuse causes severe aches and temporary speech impediments

User - Tani Nozaka, the rebellious, mischievous but benevolent and amiable class clown of 1-D, who while her pranks can get out of hand and her mouth can be faster than her thoughts truly wants to spread happiness and laughter, believes that humans are basically good, actively opposes the bullies and has no tolerance for the mistreatment of innocents, wishes to help the joyless Hattori and is in a sense the class’s moral compass, wants to be a comedian; a nominal Shintoist from a much more devout family struggling to balance her religious upbringing and increasingly secular lifestyle, but getting back in touch with her spirituality, attaining greater mindfulness and sensitivity, and mending her family bonds turns out to be key to improving her relationship with Hattori and previously subpar performance in school; Goto’s third friend, challenges him to leave his comfort zone and defends him from external threats, becomes something of a playfully annoying sister to him; but also a good friend to Pedreira, who’s much more likeminded with a chaotic, fun-loving side and strong sense of justice that accentuate hers and shared issues about being ‘seen’ by their distant family

Crocodile Tears - Emitter - the user can control tears, firing them as hardened beads or liquid jets or even choking people with them, and willingly activate and deactivate the lacrimal apparatuses of themselves and others, but overuse causes sore eyes and difficulty controlling their tear flow

User - Kaoru Murata, the resident bully, worst student and biggest outcast of 1-D who loves making his victims cry, not necessarily through his Quirk, is rude, underhanded, violent and prejudiced against Mutant Quirks, has a ‘might makes right’ power-centric morality and will harass anyone he deems a threat or who simply rubs him the wrong way, cannot imagine a beneficial application of his Quirk and clings to bullying because he knows it’s the only thing he’s good at, resigned to a poor future; emulates and echoes his toxically masculine, emotionally abusive single father, a member of the Creature Rejection Clan, to feel connected to him; nobody, least of all him, knows how he passed the entrance exam; turns out he’s much cleverer than he acts and is subconsciously absolutely desperate to at least give himself the opportunity to move up in the world, hence why he can never bring himself to do something that would actually get him expelled

Blinkers - Emitter - the user can selectively amplify and reduce the interest of others, making them focus solely on something or blocking it from their minds completely, and everything in between, represented by the subject of attention or ignorance gaining a white or black aura, respectively, and the user’s irises changing the same colour, but overuse causes migraines and trouble concentrating

User - Tomomi Oyakawa, the other antagonistic student in 1-D, a manipulative, ambitious drama queen bee who uses her Quirk to stoke her ego and humiliate unfortunate classmates or get them unnoticed and excluded, but has used her Quirk on her clique so much she’s paranoid they’d abandon her should she stop and is dependent on it to function, her entire self worth tied to her popularity; genuinely values her childhood friend Shirayama, treats her with respect, hates Murata because of his bigotry toward her and other mutants and even feels for her romantically but is reluctant to act on it, assuming she only spends time with her for using her Quirk to manage the negative effects of her ADHD; plans to study psychology and go into marketing

Owl Head - Mutant - the user has just that, the round, feathered head of a Ural owl that they can rotate 180 degrees and gives them the bird’s vision and hearing, and their speech is littered with owl noises

User - Aoi ‘Shira’ Shirayama, not the brightest girl in 1-D, quite foolish, impulsive, gullible, and oblivious in fact, her ADHD not helping her marks, but a star gymnast and softhearted friend to everyone despite being Oyakawa’s unwitting accomplice and has a massive crush on her, gradually grows a spine and establishes herself as her equal; loves fashion and wants to be a model to increase the fashion industry’s inclusivity of noticeable Mutant type Quirks

Aero - Emitter - the user can manipulate air to cast winds, sense movement, lift themselves, and create vacuums

User - Kozakura Reizei, a lazy, uprincipled, prickly, vastly enigmatic but clearly troubled older girl who was expelled from U.A.’s hero training course eighteen months ago in her first year following an incident where she reacted badly to a mean trick and accidentally sent a classmate to hospital in excessive self defence, was tried for grievous bodily harm with lower culpability, moved to a juvenile detention facility, and given a chance to restart at U.A. but forbidden from heroics and with mandatory counselling sessions, now embraces her delinquent label and operates a contraband smuggling ring in the Gen. Ed. Department, never speaks of why she aspired to be a hero; looks down upon and ignores most of the others, when not sowing discord to keep the faculty off her back and amuse herself, but takes Hattori under her wing early in the year and is oddly protective of him, having figured out his Quirk and promised to keep it secret, which slowly comes to border on possessive blackmail the lower she sinks into immorality; the main antagonist of Goto’s story in class

Resonance - Emitter - the user can synchronize the frequency of their molecules to the frequency of any vibrating solid or liquid matter, including organic matter, and channel those vibrations into any other matter they touch, but cannot stop their own body vibrating during though the Quirk prevents them being harmed by it and channelling a very high frequency and/or for a long time makes the user tremble uncontrollably and have trouble keeping their balance; they also have a heightened sensitivity to vibrations and can seismically communication with animals

User - Etsuko Noguchi, a sweet and plucky but timid and comedically unfortunate minor character in 1-D, a talented origami folder and fan of magical girl anime and manga who cosplays as her favourite characters and original personas and draws fan manga; doesn’t become a magical girl-style hero because she doesn’t want her escapist hobby to be spoiled by tough responsibilities and violence

Saccharine - Emitter - the user can produce sucrose, and by extension glucose and fructose in crystals of different sizes, control them, and detect them in food and organisms, but overuse depletes sugar in the blood and high quantities of sugar must be eaten to use the Quirk regularly

User - Daichi Wakimoto, Emiri Wakimoto’s moody older brother in 3-F and at first glance her opposite in every conceivable way except their interest in biology, specializes in expanding off of and integrating his technology with heroes’ anatomy, physiology and Quirks, so tends to develop more personal relationships with his clients than most Department of Support students, but otherwise mostly keeps himself to himself, an all or nothing kind of person, regularly alternates between hyperactive and jittery and drowsy on a sugar crash; supportive and proud of his younger sister, but can’t help but resent her charm and popularity, unaware of how hard she works to maintain it; Riiha Okano’s friend and ex-boyfriend (neither acknowledges it, but it’s obvious she befriended and dated him out of pity); has inherited mutations of pink eyes, fangs, and stubby, slightly translucent white vestigial bat wings

#mha ocs #mha original quirks #me? not being bothered to write a full bio and instead using semicolons like CharlesDickens?#it’s more likely than you think

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avandra · 6 years

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Some info about my Bhaalspawn Cat

Cat is a short human with a very curvy figure. She wears her black hair long, in wild, undone curls that fall down to her back. Her eyes are big and green, surrounded by long, lush lashes, and she grooms her arched eyebrows to perfection. Her face is oval, with prominent cheekbones and thin, heart-shaped lips.

She was originally named Cattleya, although she despises being compared to a flower and refuses to be acknowledged as such, shortening her name into a reference to the more dynamic animal species. She was raised in Candlekeep, surrounded by books and scrolls and tales of sword and sorcery, glory and gore, as well as an adoptive father who was a highly cultured mage and a former adventurer; so from a very young age, she felt inclined to follow his steps. The girl was very precocious and showed a razor-sharp wit from the beginning, so despite Gorion’s reluctance and his efforts to still her progress, she soon got started in the learning of the arcane arts, as well as any other sort of knowledge she could get her tiny hands in. With a monstrous curiosity and an insatiable thirst for learning, she grew into an intelligent, finely educated woman with a burning desire to explore the world and see the wonders that awaited beyond the walls of her home; to put a practical use to everything she had learned. However, she was never allowed to go, on the premise that the outside was much too dangerous for her. Cat knew this to be false, as she was aware of her own genius and power, and eventually became frustrated at the prospect of being held prisoner in Candlekeep for her whole life, turning spiteful at her strict adoptive father, who would endlessly criticize her rebellious spirit and her lack of regard towards higher authorities. So when they left and he was murdered, she could not help but feeling liberated, finally free to follow her own path, and even though she was hell bent on avenging the mage’s death, she would never, ever, give up her newfound freedom to anyone or anything, be it of mortal or divine nature.

Cat’s strictly scholar upbringing left her little time for fraternizing or bonding with anyone other than Imoen, who was always close on the witch’s heels. Gorion was never too affectionate, but Imoen admired Cat’s quick wit and silver tongue, and would always find a way to sneak out with her to cause some trouble and have fun. Even though both women are vastly different, Cat is very fond of her old friend, and feels responsible for dragging her to the outside world, since she used to feed the thief with the tales of adventure that she herself loved to read, unwittingly transmitting her wanderlust to the readhead.

Personality-wise, Cat is determined, highly perceptive and charismatic. She knows what to say to get what she wants, and how to manipulate people into doing her bidding. Her charming ways manage to convince most people who get to know her, so few can get to see the merciless, egotistical side that lies within her lovely smile. She mostly acts for her own benefit, though she does have a soft spot for outcasts such as herself, especially women. She has no problem slaying others if needed, though she prefers to follow a more strategic approach in her dealings. However, there is an impulsive, reckless and violent side to her that she tries her hardest to keep under control, something she prides herself in successfuly doing. However, when she does let out this wilder side, she is a force to be reckoned with.

This witch is keen on learning and is rarely seen without a book in her hands, but she also enjoys what she calls “the finer things in life”, such as expensive goods, exotic food, lush inns and baths, luxury clothes and ornaments, and the best liquor available; no matter what she is doing, there is always some time for a little party and fun. Cat thrives in the limelight and loves being admired and adored by others, which in turn feeds her overgrown ego, so she sometimes does good deeds for the sake of the attention it grants her.

Although she is known to be flirtatious, Cat mostly acts this way to trick people into granting her what she desires. She has never shown any real interest in any potential relationship, even though she is aware that she is attracted to both men and women. She always makes sure never to get attached to anyone, lest she ends up getting hurt. She is secretly terrified of rejection, so she always cuts things off before they become too intimate. She prefers to keep a comfortable distance.

#baldur's gate #bhaalspawn #bhaalspawn oc #charname #finally i am getting started with this

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aion-rsa · 5 years

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Best New Young Adult Books

http://bit.ly/2GaboV0

Here are the best new young adult speculative fiction books in March & April 2019.

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The Lists Kayti Burt

Apr 10, 2019

Tor Books

Tor Teen

Fantasy Books

Science Fiction Books

Young Adult Fiction

Some of the best fantasy, science fiction, and horror storytelling is happening in the young adult book world—if you need some specific examples, check out Den of Geek's picks for the best fiction books of 2018.

There's so much to look forward to in our speculative fiction future. Here are some of the young adult speculative fiction books we're most excited about and/or are currently consuming...

read more: Best New Young Adult Books in 2018

Best New Young Adult Speculative Fiction Books in April 2019

We Rule the Night by Claire Eliza Bartlett

Type: Novel Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers Release date: 4/2/19

Two girls use forbidden magic to fly and fight--for their country and for themselves--in this riveting debut that's part Shadow and Bone, part Code Name Verity.

Seventeen-year-old Revna is a factory worker, manufacturing war machines for the Union of the North. When she's caught using illegal magic, she fears being branded a traitor and imprisoned. Meanwhile, on the front lines, Linné defied her father, a Union general, and disguised herself as a boy to join the army. They're both offered a reprieve from punishment if they use their magic in a special women's military flight unit and undertake terrifying, deadly missions under cover of darkness. Revna and Linné can hardly stand to be in the same cockpit, but if they can't fly together, and if they can't find a way to fly well, the enemy's superior firepower will destroy them--if they don't destroy each other first.

We Rule the Night is a powerful story about sacrifice, complicated friendships, and survival despite impossible odds.

Read We Rule the Night by Claire Eliza Bartlett

The Princess and the Fangirl by Ashley Poston

Type: Book 2 in Once Upon a Con universe Publisher: Quirk Books Release date: 4/2/19

Imogen Lovelace is an ordinary fangirl on an impossible mission: to save her favorite Starfield character, Princess Amara, from being killed off. On the other hand, the actress who plays Amara wouldn’t mind being axed. Jessica Stone doesn’t even like being part of the Starfield franchise—and she’s desperate to leave the intense scrutiny of fandom behind.

Though Imogen and Jess have nothing in common, they do look strangely similar to one another—and a case of mistaken identity at ExcelsiCon sets off a chain of events that will change both of their lives. When the script for the Starfield sequel leaks, with all signs pointing to Jess, she and Imogen must trade places to find the person responsible. The deal: Imogen will play Jess at her signings and panels, and Jess will help Imogen’s best friend run their booth.

But as these “princesses” race to find the script leaker—in each other’s shoes—they’re up against more than they bargained for. From the darker side of fandom to unexpected crushes, Imogen and Jess must find a way to rescue themselves from their own expectations...and redefine what it means to live happily ever after.

Read The Princess and the Fangirl

Riverland by Fran Wilde

Type: Standalone novel Publisher: Amulet Books Release date: 4/9/19

When things go bad at home, sisters Eleanor and Mike hide in a secret place under Eleanor’s bed, telling monster stories. Often, it seems those stories and their mother’s house magic are all that keep them safe from both busybodies and their dad’s temper. But when their father breaks a family heirloom, a glass witch ball, a river suddenly appears beneath the bed, and Eleanor and Mike fall into a world where dreams are born, nightmares struggle to break into the real world, and secrets have big consequences. Full of both adventure and heart, Riverland is a story about the bond between two sisters and how they must make their own magic to protect each other and save the ones they love.

Read Riverland by Fran Wilde

Nyxia Uprising by Scott Reintgen

Type: Book 3 in the Nyxia Triad trilogy Publisher: Crown Books for Young Readers Release date: 4/16/19

In the highly anticipated Nyxia Triad series finale, Emmett and the Genesis team must join forces with a surprising set of allies if they're ever to make it home alive.

Desperate to return home to Earth and claim the reward Babel promised, Emmett and the Genesis team join forces with the Imago. Babel's initial attack left their home city in ruins, but that was just part of the Imago's plan. They knew one thing Babel didn't. This world is coming to an end.

Eden's two moons are on a collision course no one can prevent. After building eight secret launch stations, the Imago hoped to lure Babel down to their doomed planet as they left it behind. A perfect plan until the Genesis team's escape route was destroyed.

Now the group must split up to survive the hostile terrain and reach another launch station. As both sides struggle for the upper hand, the fight leads inevitably back into space, where Emmett, his crewmates, and their new allies will fight one final battle for control of the Genesis ships. Win this time, and they'll survive Babel's twisted game once and for all. As the Imago world falls, this is the last chance to rise.

Read Nyxia Uprising by Scott Reintgen

read more: Why Now is the Perfect Time to Read The Nyxia Triad

The Tiger at Midnight by Swati Teerdhala

Type: First book in planned series Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books Release date: 4/23/19

A broken bond. A dying land. A cat-and-mouse game that can only end in bloodshed.

Esha lost everything in the royal coup—and as the legendary rebel known as the Viper, she’s made the guilty pay. Now she’s been tasked with her most important mission to date: taking down the ruthless General Hotha.

Kunal has been a soldier since childhood. His uncle, the general, has ensured that Kunal never strays from the path—even as a part of Kunal longs to join the outside world, which has only been growing more volatile.

When Esha and Kunal’s paths cross one fated night, an impossible chain of events unfolds. Both the Viper and the soldier think they’re calling the shots, but they’re not the only players moving the pieces.

As the bonds that hold their land in order break down and the sins of the past meet the promise of a new future, both the soldier and the rebel must decide where their loyalties lie: with the lives they’ve killed to hold on to or with the love that’s made them dream of something more.

Read The Tiger at Midnight by Swati Teerdhala

King of Fools by Amanda Foody

Type: Second book in The Shadow Game series Publisher: Inkyard Press Release date: 4/30/19

Indulge your vices in the City of Sin, where a sinister street war is brewing and fame is the deadliest killer of them all...

On the quest to find her missing mother, prim and proper Enne Salta became reluctant allies with Levi Glaisyer, the city’s most famous con man. Saving his life in the Shadow Game forced Enne to assume the identity of Séance, a mysterious underworld figure. Now, with the Chancellor of the Republic dead and bounties on both their heads, she and Levi must play a dangerous game of crime and politics…with the very fate of New Reynes at stake.

Thirsting for his freedom and the chance to build an empire, Levi enters an unlikely partnership with the estranged son of mafia donna Vianca Augustine. Meanwhile, Enne remains trapped by Vianca’s binding oath, playing the roles of both darling lady and cunning street lord, unsure which side of herself reflects the truth.

As Enne and Levi walk a path of unimaginable wealth and opportunity, new relationships and deadly secrets could quickly lead them into ruin. And when unforeseen players enter the game, they must each make an impossible choice: sacrifice everything they’ve earned in order to survive...

Or die as legends.

Read The King of Fools by Amanda Foody

Best New Young Adult Speculative Fiction Books in March 2019

Opposite of Always by Justin A. Reynolds

Type: Novel Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books Release date: 3/5/19

When Jack and Kate meet at a party, bonding until sunrise over their mutual love of Froot Loops and their favorite flicks, Jack knows he’s falling—hard. Soon she’s meeting his best friends, Jillian and Franny, and Kate wins them over as easily as she did Jack.

But then Kate dies. And their story should end there.

Yet Kate’s death sends Jack back to the beginning, the moment they first meet, and Kate’s there again. Healthy, happy, and charming as ever. Jack isn’t sure if he’s losing his mind.

Still, if he has a chance to prevent Kate’s death, he’ll take it. Even if that means believing in time travel. However, Jack will learn that his actions are not without consequences. And when one choice turns deadly for someone else close to him, he has to figure out what he’s willing to do to save the people he loves.

Read The Opposite of Always by Justin A. Reynolds

A Question of Holmes by Brittany Cavallaro

Type: Book 4 in the Charlotte Holmes series Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books Release date: 3/5/19

In the explosive conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Charlotte Holmes series, Holmes and Watson think they’re finally in the clear after graduating from Sherringford…but danger awaits in the hallowed halls of Oxford.

Charlotte Holmes and Jamie Watson finally have a chance to start over. With all the freedom their pre-college summer program provides and no one on their tail, the only mystery they need to solve, once and for all, is what they are to each other.

But upon their arrival at Oxford, Charlotte is immediately drawn into a new case: a series of accidents befell the theater program at Oxford last year, culminating in a young woman going missing on the night of a major performance.

The mystery has gone unsolved; the case is cold. And no one—least of all the girl’s peculiar, close-knit group of friends—is talking.

When Watson and Holmes join the theater program, the “accidents” start anew, giving them no choice but to throw themselves into the case. But as the complicated lines of friendship, love, and loyalty blur, time is running out—and tragedy waits in the wings.

Read A Question of Holmes by Brittany Cavallaro

Internment by Samira Ahmed

Type: Novel Publisher: Little, Brown Books For Young Readers Release date: 3/19/19

Set in a horrifying near-future United States, seventeen-year-old Layla Amin and her parents are forced into an internment camp for Muslim American citizens.

With the help of newly made friends also trapped within the internment camp, her boyfriend on the outside, and an unexpected alliance, Layla begins a journey to fight for freedom, leading a revolution against the internment camp's Director and his guards.

Heart-racing and emotional, Internment challenges readers to fight complicit silence that exists in our society today.

Read Internment by Samira Ahmed

The Everlasting Rose by Dhonielle Clayton

Type: Book 2 in the Belles series Publisher: Freeform Release date: 3/5/19

In this sequel to the instant New York Times bestseller, Camille, her sister Edel, and her guard and new love Remy must race against time to find Princess Charlotte. Sophia's Imperial forces will stop at nothing to keep the rebels from returning Charlotte to the castle and her rightful place as queen. With the help of an underground resistance movement called The Iron Ladies—a society that rejects beauty treatments entirely—and the backing of alternative newspaper The Spider's Web, Camille uses her powers, her connections and her cunning to outwit her greatest nemesis, Sophia, and restore peace to Orleans.

Read The Everlasting Rose by Dhonielle Clayton

Sherwood by Meaghan Spooner

Type: Novel Publisher: HarperTeen Release date: 3/19/19

Robin of Locksley is dead.

Maid Marian doesn’t know how she’ll go on, but the people of Locksley town, persecuted by the Sheriff of Nottingham, need a protector. And the dreadful Guy of Gisborne, the Sheriff’s right hand, wishes to step into Robin’s shoes as Lord of Locksley and Marian’s fiancé.

Who is there to stop them?

Marian never meant to tread in Robin’s footsteps—never intended to stand as a beacon of hope to those awaiting his triumphant return. But with a sweep of his green cloak and the flash of her sword, Marian makes the choice to become her own hero: Robin Hood.

Read Sherwood by Meaghan Spooner.

Once & Future by Cori McCarthy and Amy Rose Capetta

Type: First in planned trilogy Publisher: Jimmy Patterson Release date: 3/26/19

King Arthur as you've never imagined! This bold, sizzling YA retells the popular legend with the Once and Future King as a teenage girl -- and she has a universe to save.

I've been chased my whole life. As a fugitive refugee in the territory controlled by the tyrannical Mercer corporation, I've always had to hide who I am. Until I found Excalibur.

Now I'm done hiding.

My name is Ari Helix. I have a magic sword, a cranky wizard, and a revolution to start.

When Ari crash-lands on Old Earth and pulls a magic sword from its ancient resting place, she is revealed to be the newest reincarnation of King Arthur. Then she meets Merlin, who has aged backward over the centuries into a teenager, and together they must break the curse that keeps Arthur coming back. Their quest? Defeat the cruel, oppressive government and bring peace and equality to all humankind.

No pressure.

Read Once & Future by Cori McCarthy and Amy Rose Capetta

Listen to our interview with Cori McCarthy and Amy Rose Capetta.

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Acast | RSS

Best New Young Adult Speculative Fiction Books in February 2019

The Waning Age by S.E. Grove

Type: Standalone novel Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers Release date: 2/5/19

The Waning Age is set in a parallel San Francisco where, when you turn 10, you begin to lose you emotions. This process is known as waning. When Natalia's little brother is captured by RealCorp, a shady pharmaceutical corporation to be tested on because he does not seem to be losing his emotions like everyone else, Natalia must use her martial arts skills and perhaps her love for her brother to get him back. Pretty cool premise, right?

Read The Waning Age by S.E. Grove

The Past and Other Things That Should Stay Buried by Shaun David Hutchinson

Type: Standalone novel Publisher: Simon Pulse Release date: 2/19/19

When Dino DeLuca's ex-best friend July dies and then comes back to life on the table in Dino's family's funeral home, things start to get weird. What follows is an examination into why Dino and July's friendship fell apart, with two very different perspectives: July thinks it's because of Dino's boyfriend Rafi. Dino thinks it's because July was jealous of Rafi. As is often the case with these situations, the answer lies somewhere in between.

Read The Past and Other Things That Should Stay Buried by Shaun David Hutchinson

We Set the Dark on Fire by Tehlor Kay Mejia

Type: Standalone novel Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books Release date: 2/26/19

Welcome to Medio, a divided island nation. One side of wall is impoverished. The other side is, um, not. On the latter, the upper-class women are trained at the Medio School for Girls to be wives who either a) run the household or b) raise children. Daniela Vargas was born on the "wrong" side of the wall, but forged her papers to become a top student at the Medio School for Girls. When she is matched with a powerful man to run his household, a resistance group recruits her to spy on her new family.

Read We Set the Dark On Fire by Tehlor Kay Mejia

Bloodwitch by Susan Dennard

Type: Book three in the Witchlands series Publisher: Tor Teen Release date: 2/12/19

Threadsisters Safiya and Iseult work to fight their way back to each other in Bloodwitch, the third book in Susan Dennard's badass series that is set in a magical world ruled by three empires that, when the series starts, are about to come to the end of a Twenty-Year Truce that has halted a centuries-long war. Oh yeah: and, in this world, every member of the population is born with a magical skill set, known as a "witchery."

In Bloodwitch, we learn more about Bloodwitch Aeduan's backstory as he teams up with Iseult and magical girl Owl to stop raiders from destroying a monastery that "holds more than just faith." These books are being adapted into a live-action TV series by The Jim Henson Company, so now is a great time to dive in, if you haven't already!

Read Bloodwitch by Susan Dennard

Best New Young Adult Speculative Fiction Books in January 2019

The Wicked King by Holly Black

Type: Book Two in The Folk of the Air series Publisher: Little, Brown Books For Young Readers Release date: 1/8/19

If you haven't heard of The Cruel Prince, then you probably didn't read any YA in 2018. The story picks back up in The Wicked King, with Jude bound to Cardan after having tricked him into becoming king. When it becomes apparent that someone close to Jude is looking to betray her, Jude must uncover the traitor while also navigating her feelings for Cardan. #itscomplicated

Read The Wicked King by Holly Black

Slayer by Kiersten White

Type: Set in Dark Horse continuity Publisher: Simon Pulse Release date: 1/8/19

A new novel set in the world of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Kiersten White's story follows not Buffy, but another Chosen One trying to figure out her role in the supernatural fight while also coming of age into a confusing world.

The eponymous Slayer here is Nina Jamison-Smythe, the daughter of Buffy’s first Watcher, and the Last Slayer. Slayer is the perfect entry point for new Buffy fans, while also sure to delight existing fans. You can read our full review here.

Read Slayer by Kiersten White

The Girl King by Mimi Yu

Type: First book in Girl King series Publisher: Bloomsbury YA Release date: 1/8/19

You've heard of sibling rivalry, right? Asian-inspired fantasy The Girl King takes the theme to the next level, telling the story of two sisters who become somewhat reluctant rivals in the quest to rule the empire. When their emperor father gives Lu's birthright to her nephew, Lu leaves home to find a new path to power, while her younger sister, Min, quietly gains power from within the empire.

Read The Girl King by Mimi Yu

Imprison the Sky by A.C. Guaghen

Type: Book Two in the Elementae series Publisher: Bloomsbury YA Release date: 1/22/19

In the sequel to Reign of Earth, trading vessel ship captain Aspasia works to free as many women, children, and Elementae from slavery as she can, using her powerful magic. As Cyrus, the leader of the black market empire, gets closer to uncovering Aspasia's secrets (that she is a wind Elementae, and that she is looking for her lost family), Aspasia finds herself at the center of a brewing war.

Read Imprison the Sky by A.C. Guaghen

Song of the Dead by Sarah Glenn Marsh

Type: Book Two in the Reign of the Fallen duology Publisher: Razorbill Release date: 1/22/19

In this follow-up to 2018's fantasy breakout Reign of the Fallen, Odessa is back. This time, she is facing a Karthia where the kingdom's borders are open for the first time in 300 years. Raising the dead has been outlawed and Odessa sets out on an ocean voyage with Meredy that takes them to "a land where the Dead rule the night and dragons roam the streets." I'm in!

Read Song of the Dead by Sarah Glenn Marsh

King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo

Type: Book One in King of Scars duology Publisher: Imprint Release date: 1/29/19

Leigh Bardugo wrote one of our 2017 faves—Wonder Woman: Warbringer—so we are here for this start to a fantasy duology (is it just me or are duologies very in right now?). King of Scars is a Slavic-influenced fantasy about Nikolai Lantsov, a young ruler with a dark magic growing inside of him following a bloody civil war.

Nikolai teams up with a young monk and 'a legendary Grisha Squaller," and journeys to "the places in Ravka where the deepest magic survives to vanquish the terrible legacy inside him." Sounds like Nikolai has some big goals for 2019. Good for him.

Read King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo

A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer

Type: Standalone novel Publisher: Bloomsbury YA Release date: 1/29/19

Recent on-screen adaptations of Beauty and the Beast have done nothing to modernize the tale, which is one of the many reasons why I am so into the concept for this book. A cross between portal fantasy and contemporary YA, A Curse so Dark and Lonely follows Harper, a young woman with cerebral palsy who is sucked through a portal into the world of Emberfall where she meets a cursed prince. Yep, I'm in.

Read A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer

What new YA speculative fiction books are on your radar? Let us know in the comments below or over at the Den of Geek Book Club!

Kayti Burt is a staff editor covering books, TV, movies, and fan culture at Den of Geek. Read more of her work here or follow her on Twitter @kaytiburt.

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broke-bitch-mountain · 7 years

Text

Red Scales, Blue Eyes

Guess who’s back.

Back again

Nomi’s back

Tell a friend

@littleduckbigquack Three weeks overdue but here’s the update!!! Its a little longer as an apology but I was trying to get more of Keith’s world pinned down but tbh Lance is alot easier so I’m working on Keith’s parts (they are coming I promise!) But this is more Lance centric. ALSO! Before the discourse over the name starts! I decided to go with McClain for Lance because it is a common and easily recognized name in the fandom and once his real name is canonized I will happily change it. Anyway, here you guys go! See mistakes? Please let me know!

Ten minuets later, Keith popped up behind Lance, effectively scaring the other teen into a splashing fit. Several gestures of apology later, Keith finally held up the bag he had filled with his small treasures from his home for Lance to glance through. Carefully, Lance pulled out each of the small objects for inspection, giving Keith a weird looked when he grabbed the sparkly doll. He held up the shell against the setting sun with a focused gaze set firm on his face. The blue shell was opaque against the orange glow and held gentle wave of blue at the bottom from the ocean’s reflection on the bottom. It almost looked like a small aura of light surrounded it, however Keith assumed it was because it was finally seeing daylight again after living in his small house for so long.

The shell, Keith remembered, has been one of his oldest treasures. It had been with him for as long as he could remember. He remembers a dream of a woman in purple and red with that shell around her neck. There are others in the room who are sad but Keith doesn’t know why. The dream isn’t really that sad, it’s just the woman who smiles at him like he’s everything she’s ever wanted and then she sleeps.

That’s all Keith knows her to be doing.

He likes to imagine that it’s his mother. His grandfather, Alfor hadn’t been too forthcoming on the details of his first child’s death, or the sudden disappearance shortly after of his second. He believed that those topics where too depressing and held no place in the palace walls. So Keith was never allowed to ask questions about them, and his father was out of the question. It never really bothered Keith until now, seeing what he has always on some level believed was his mother’s legacy being held up by a human that might take it away from him.

Keith pushed the shell into the human’s chest. Nobody would risk their lives for a necklace that didn’t hold an equal value. This was a fair trade.

Lance looked the mermaid directly in the eye as the shell was shoved towards him. The shape seemed to ring a bell at the back of his head but whatever memory it was triggering was too far away to fully pull up. He glanced down at the shell again and back up to the creature who had saved his life. Who then pressed to Lance’s chest, again.

“For me?” Lance asked pointing at himself.

The creature nodded and let go of the shell.

Lance looked down at the shell again, cradling it in his palm. Between the ears had been carved out like it was supposed to be on a string. Lance made a mental note to find a new chain or something so he can wear it. It would make a nice replacement for the cross that the ocean had claimed for its own. So Lance smiled towards the mermaid, a full toothy Lance grin and clutched the shell towards his chest. When his eyes opened, the mermaid was a considerable distance away, giving him a small wave before diving back into the deep ocean. Lance looked one last time at the shell, already excited to show Hunk and Pidge…

Shit.

Lance swam like a madman towards the shore and scrabbled to his dorm down the street. They were going to kill him.

Keith now understood why being spotted by a human was illegal. The smile that the human had sent his way before he left was an infectious one that was brighter than the sunset behind him. The light casting small sparkles off his face from the water droplets sliding down his face and framing his perfect teeth. It was a shame his eyes were shut, Keith is sure those would have been sparkling too. He was sure that not all human’s where like him but, there were probably enough though, to ruin their entire society.

Especially if they all have a smile like that.

It was that thought that made Keith immediately distance himself. He may not be welcomed in his society but he didn’t want more reason for his death. He may be stressed in trying to live but at least he was getting by. There was a heavy weight in his heart when Keith considered that he was not going to be able to see the boy again. He hadn’t even gotten his real name. Pretty boy seemed fitting enough though, so that is what Keith decided to call him.

He needed to get back home. He needed to go to bed and get ready for another day. He needed to talk to Shiro about getting a needle and he needed to tend to his garden. He found himself back at the cave’s mouth and searching the sand. The chain was broken, pieces of it scattered and casting off a faint light across the entrance. Caught on one of the rocks in the middle of the side wall was the necklace Pretty boy came back for. A treasure with a memory attached, this one was special.

Quietly, Keith swam back to his home. Almost reluctant to leave the warmth of the surface, almost. By the time that he was moving the rock into his home the stars where out bringing a chill into the ocean depths. Keith, against all better judgment, left the entrance opened to watch the stars and wonder if Pretty boy was looking at them too.

“How many times do I have to apologize?” Lance pleaded with Pidge when she was packing up at midnight. His sudden arrival back at his shared dorm was met with Hunk making ‘study snacks’ to stave off the full blown panic attack at the idea that Lance was dead while Pidge paced the length of the room so often that Lance swore there was a rut in the carpet. There was a definite mix in review when he entered the small kitchen area that prefaced the two by one apartment like space that Hunk and him split between each other while the kitchen was shared by everyone on their floor. Pidge ended up pummeling him in punches and terms of endearment such as “you idiot” and “freaky fish-land boy” while Hunk just hug him from behind.

“Jeeze guys, I told you I wasn’t going to drown out there.” Lance had defended, which brought on a few harder hits from Pidge and a suffocating bear hug from Hunk.

“You were gone for nearly an hour, Lance.” Hunk informed him. “And I love your mom but I don’t think that she’d forgive me for letting you drown, that woman is not a woman I want to piss off.”

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure she’d bring me back just to kill me again.” Lance laughed. Then, with most of her energy spent on Lance’s now black and blue ribs, Pidge sat them down and started with their massive cram for their finals.

The three were part of a special program called the Galaxy Garrison. The Garrison in general was a school that provided technical training to those who wished to serve in the military but, due to individual preference or disability, did not want to be on the battle field. The Galaxy Garrison specifically trained those who wanted to explore the vastness of space to some degree.

Hunk was an engineer and was learning how to design, build and repair ships, bases, pods and all other fun toys that transport people or goods in the vacuumed ecosystem. He believed it was his little piece of the big picture since he didn’t have the stomach for piloting an actual space craft and, while he was smart enough to go into the more sciencey parts of the program, he felt accomplished at the end of the day with a physical machine that could save lives or even progress the human race.

Pidge was following her brother’s footstep under the tutelage of her father, Professor Holt, and was perusing whatever classes she needed to be approved to go into space and perform experiments on whatever she could find. She had often dreamed of being a pilot and took a few of those classes too, “What happens if my pilot gets knocked unconscious Lance? I don’t want to die because they couldn’t pilot.” And while she had a decent grip on the designs and such it was more so that she could figure out how to fix it in an emergency situation. Her thirst was in knowledge and that meant the technical sciences was her home.

Lance had been dead set on being a pilot since he was a little kid. He may not have been the smartest kid in the bunch but he knew his way around what he needed to in order to pass and was by no means stupid. His enrollment in the program eliminated that possibility right out. They don’t accept people who excel in just one area of the program (or fail too horribly in one either) and make sure that each of their people have a general grip on every aspect in case of emergency. Lance wanted to be a pilot because his mother was from Cuba and on vacations they would go there and enjoy the beach with her side of the family. His grandfather would tell him stories about all the places he had gone to during the war, specifically about the nights. He whispered to Lance from a young age about all the places he had been sent with the Allies and all the stars he saw on the way. He always volunteered for the watch shifts in the middle of the night so he could watch the stars and just think. There was too much noise between gunshots and any kind of thought could lead to another dead corpse. At night though, with his senses on overdrive listening for anyone who shouldn’t be there, he would think about whatever his brain brought to his attention.

He contemplated the interworkings of the war in general. The idiocracy of man when they tore each other down and the greed that came with power; but also the desperation that came with wanting to survive. Survival was a thing he thought about a lot, Lance discovered years later when he was able to read some of the scraps of paper the man had scribbled a few thoughts onto when it was available and from what his grandmother had echoed from the early days of their marriage shortly after the war had ended. He had often looked up at the sky and even imagined the true value of his life and what meaning it could possibly have when so much death and destruction surrounded him.

Then dawn would come, and he’d see the beginning of a new day that forced him to cast the idea of quitting into the last remnants of the night. The stars, where always the ones that he whispered his deepest thoughts too, though; even if Cuba was not the best place to see them. “Reach for the stars,” was his favorite saying and Lance simply took it literally. The drowning incident that sparked his love affair with mermaids happened around eight and for a brief time his heart wondered to a career based in the water for a chance to meet whatever (the mermaid) that had saved him. When his grandfather died a little over two years later, though, Lance promised him that he would never stop reaching for the stars. At the funeral Lance decided he would name one after him too.

Tomorrow was just another obstacle in the way of that goal. Pidge and Hunk were good at helping Lance pace himself when he’s studying, though he has gotten better on his own. After this test came a summer break and then Lance would enter his final year before he could start applying for missions. Very few people actually went up beyond the atmosphere but Lance had been working his ass off to be the very best. However, like most people, he had his own shortcomings that ended him in the top three. He was constantly improving though and this time he would be the highest score in the simulator.

“Try anywhere from a thousand more to never stop.” Pidge yawned. “Good luck on your test tomorrow and may I suggest a shower? You reek of saltwater.”

“You too, Pidge!” Hunk walked her to the door, “Are we still on for survival lunch?”

“Of course, it’s going to be the only thing keeping me out of prison. After all this work I’ll be willing to kill for one of your mint cakes.” She smiled, then headed for her dorm down the hall.

Hunk stretched and looked at Lance who was still packing his supplies into his bag. “So what took you so long? Did you see a cute girl or something?”

“I am offended,” Lance gawked, “the nerve, that I, Lance McClain, would leave my two best friends believing that I was dead, for a pretty face?”

“So what’s her name?” Hunk pressed with a grin.

And from here Lance is more than happy to fling his bag over his shoulder and head to his room to enjoy the shower Pidge had suggested as well as his normal wind down routine. Granted, it would be at a much faster pace than he would like, he had his first final at ten and he likes to take his time to wake up so he’d need to be up by eight thirty at the absolute latest. Losing the necklace today was enough he didn’t need his self care regime interrupted to throw him even further off.

The thought of his necklace brought his attention to his hand, which was wrapped gently around the shell the mermaid had given him.

Hunk was half right, which prompted Lance’s feet to move even faster. The mermaid was a pretty picture, though Lance is half convinced that might be because of the mermaid part. It was easy to brush Hunk’s request aside, he didn’t get a name but he had been mulling over what to call him. Calling him ‘The Mermaid’ seemed too impersonal for having been the moment to confirm all his life long fantasies. But he couldn’t think of a name that was meaningful enough to take its place. So instead, he settled for picking a nickname. Though all Lance had to go off was his physique and fishfingers or scales seemed more like pet names than anything else.

Lance mulled it over while he went through his routine, trying a varity of different nicknames, a few highlights included: Mullet, fishy fishy (but only if it was said the same voice as the McDonald’s commercial) and Red.

Red….

As Lance drifted to sleep, Red seemed like the best out of the bunch. Short, sweet, simple and it was the color of his tail so maybe that was a clue to some level of personality.

Red…

Yeah…that felt fitting.

#red scales blue eyes #tinylittlesmallant #Nomi narrates

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