#this drives the story although it’s not a competition so no worries | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

secretsolarsystem · 2 years

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❛ it’s pathetic really, how much i hope it’s me and you in the end. ❜ perhaps?

BESTIE...BESTIE!!!!!!!!! PERHAPS YES

at first I had no idea what to do with this bc it's such a killer line??? but after talking with @kyberkenobi (hi girly ily) this 1.8k canon-divergent, Sith!Obi-Wan, Sith!Anakin, mentions of murders, this one actually got really sweet ngl was born <3 I hope you like it!!!

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What no one says about being a Sith, but is to be expected, one can suppose, is just how competitive one must be. Everyone knows Sith to be cruel, immoral, and perhaps even deranged in their bloodlust and indiscriminate killing. If written into a story, the Sith would be the villains. They are power hungry, they are steeped in Darkness, they are hardly even humans. Or so the unwritten story says.

Even Sith themselves could not deny their ruthlessness – some may even see it as a compliment. It surely is a helpful quality to possess, because while no one says it, one truly must be competitive to survive as a Sith; to be competitive and ruthless is to be alive.

At the top of the Sith hierarchy is Lord Sidious. He is the most powerful Sith currently alive, although some don’t know if he’s truly alive, or if he is, how long he’s been so. Needless to say, he terrifying in his nonchalant, remorseless manner of doling out punishments without warning or explanation. He is terrifying in his Darkness, both in the Force and in the hooded shadow he seems to perpetually live in.

He is terrifying, and every Sith hopes to be his apprentice, his right hand, the dog on his leash.

That is where the competitiveness comes in, the one that drives them to infamous villainy. There was a rule the Sith abided by, the Rule of Two, dictating there must always be two: a master and their apprentice. But the rule had not been enforced in recent years, and people had been Falling more often than in the past, it seemed.

Currently, the total amount of Sith was seven: Lord Sidious, Darth Tyranus, Asajj Ventress, Darth Maul, Savage Opress, Darth Vader, and Obi-Wan Kenobi. At least, those were all the ones Obi-Wan was aware of.

Almost immediately after Sidious announced that the Rule of Two would once again be established and enforced, the numbers started to dwindle. No one doubted for a moment that Sidious would be the master, leaving only one of the other six to be the apprentice. What broke out was a ruthless, competitive bloodbath.

It was hard to keep track at times, but Obi-Wan made sure to. It was vital to know who was still in the game – because of course Sith would see their murdering each other as a game to be won – to know who to prioritize. Additionally, it was important to know who killed who, to know who was worth worrying about.

So far, only Maul had a point on the scoreboard. He’d killed Savage, his own brother, marking him particularly dangerous. It was made clear that no bond would prevent Maul from killing any one of them. Obi-Wan knew Maul was power hungry, but he also knew him to be quite protective of his brother. It was a shock to them all, and a splash of cold water to the face. The game was on, competition was fierce, and no one was safe.

It gave Obi-Wan much to think about, in terms of how to go about winning. He favored sitting by and letting everyone pick themselves off for him, until it came down to him and one other. This would prove Obi-Wan to be not a mere pawn in the game, but one who took it by the reins and left nothing to chance. His wit could also be put on display if he were to make things more interesting and actively manipulate the weaker others into killing his biggest threats.

On the other hand, it might be more advantageous for him to kill more than just the last person standing. The more he killed, the more he could show off his fighting capabilities, his strength, and his grace when engaged in combat.

Either way, though, Obi-Wan knew it would come down to him. There was no way he would lose. If he wasn’t Sidious’ first choice, he’d be his last option.

There was only one obstacle that Obi-Wan was unsure about, and its name was Darth Vader – or rather, Anakin Skywalker.

Anakin was clearly Sidious’ favorite. If prophesies are to be believed, then Anakin was the Chosen One, the one to bring balance to the Force itself. Even if he was not this supposed Chosen One, Anakin was the most powerful Force-user any of them had ever encountered, comparable only to Sidious himself. There was no question as to why Sidious wanted Anakin to be his apprentice; he was raw power incarnate, and to use him in Darkness rather than a balancing agent would make Sidious even more powerful, a feat previously unimaginable.

It was obvious, Sidious’ preference for Anakin, by him personally giving him his new name. No longer Anakin Skywalker, but now Darth Vader. Sidious had done the same for Darth Tyranus and Maul, but Vader quickly took their place. (That made it even more surprising to Obi-Wan when he heard of Savage’s death. Maul resented Vader endlessly for taking his place as Sidious’ favorite. Perhaps he’d been proving his loyalty to Sidious above all other in his killing his brother. Vader, though, was surely next.)

Obi-Wan, Ventress, and Savage had not been given the privilege, seeing as they were not inducted by Sidious himself. Savage, obviously, trained under Maul; Tyranus, Maul, and Vader under Sidious; and Ventress and Obi-Wan under Tyranus.

It made the game just a bit complicated for Obi-Wan when it came to Ventress. As the only other who knew what it was to train under Tyranus, he had a special sort of bond with her. They nearly acted like siblings, bonding over their shared training experiences. They’d been held to impossible standards and put through terrible trials, all without ever earning a proper name. If Obi-Wan was to stay out of the game until the end, he hoped Ventress would be the one to take care of Tyranus; she deserved it, and it would really be for the both of them.

He didn’t want to think about who would take care of her, after. He hoped it wouldn’t be himself, but if it came down to it, he knew what he’d do. And he knew she’d do it, too.

That scenario is where the obstacle, where Vader, where Anakin came in. Because if it came down to the two of them, Obi-Wan didn’t know what he’d do. And he didn’t know what Anakin would do.

Where Obi-Wan and some of the others had fallen into bed together a few times to let off steam or to simply get off, Obi-Wan and Anakin had fallen into bed many times, and often stayed there into the morning. Obi-Wan couldn’t remember how it had started, if he’d been comforting Anakin after a grueling punishment from Sidious or if they’d been bickering and found kissing each other was the best way to shut the other up or if they’d been sparring and landed on the ground with their panting breaths going into each other’s mouths – no, Obi-Wan couldn’t remember which one of those had sealed his fate to Anakin Skywalker.

While there was no rule among the Sith forbidding sex, the manner in which Obi-Wan and Anakin did it would surely be frowned upon. Sidious would surely riot at the idea of Obi-Wan having any hold over Anakin, at the thought of his precious Chosen One choosing Obi-Wan. But, truth be told, Obi-Wan didn’t care – not enough to stop. Vader was an exemplary Sith: cold and hard and mean. But Anakin…Anakin was warm and soft and sweet (when he wanted to be). Obi-Wan could never stop, never stop fucking or wanting or loving Anakin.

And it showed, their attachment to each other, as the game progressed. When Maul tried to kill Anakin as he slept, he didn’t know that Obi-Wan was in the other room, making tea. He did not know and it was his downfall, as Obi-Wan rushed into the room and promptly sliced the Zabrak in half. And when Tyranus had killed Ventress, Anakin had comforted Obi-Wan, a comfort Obi-Wan never knew he could be afforded. And when Tyranus came for Obi-Wan next, Obi-Wan did not fight alone, and when Tyranus had dealt an incapacitating blow to Obi-Wan, it was Anakin who cut the old man’s head off.

And so that was it. That was where the game now stood. Savage, Maul, Ventress, and Tyranus were all dead. That left only Obi-Wan and Anakin. It was Obi-Wan’s nightmare, and it was the only scenario he could tolerate.

“It’s pathetic really,” Obi-Wan had confessed one night into Anakin’s hair, for it was the safest place in the world in that moment, “how much I hope it’s me and you in the end.”

“Pathetic?” Anakin had mumbled, eyes still shut as he rested his head on Obi-Wan’s bare chest.

“For a Sith, for this game, yes,” Obi-Wan answered. “It is pathetic for me to feel rage at the idea of anyone else laying a hand on you, and it is pathetic for me to be unwilling to die at the hands of anyone other than you.”

It was pathetic, too, the way they’d cried as they lost themselves in each other again that night.

Now, it was the two of them in the end. It was the two of them standing before Sidious, who wore an immensely pleased grin. Finally, Obi-Wan assumed, he will have Vader as his. It was all Sidious ever wanted – Obi-Wan knew the feeling.

“Vader,” Sidious said, his voice gravelly and hiding his excitement for what was to come, “Kenobi. It seems it has come down to the two of you.”

“Yes, Master,” they answered in unison.

“I must admit, I am eager to see who will win. It would do you well to remember that if it is you, then you and you alone will have access to my teachings. That, of course, will give you access to unlimited power, and your power will continue to grow as we establish new order in the galaxy,” Sidious promised.

They held their breaths before answering, “Yes, Master.”

“As you fight,” Sidious went on, “think of whose side you want to be at, when this is over. Let that drive, that hunger fuel you. It will be your opponent’s downfall, should you want it more.”

At this, Anakin and Obi-Wan glance at each other, and their eyes said it all.

Whose side do you want to be at, when this is over?

I hope it’s me and you in the end.

With a subtle nod to each other, so subtle not even the great Lord Sidious noticed, they turned towards their master again, and ignited their blades.

There would be two, as the rule mandated. Though it would not be a master and an apprentice – it would be two equals, side by side. There was nothing, Obi-Wan could now admit, pathetic about it.

from this prompt list

prompted fic collection on ao3

#okay this. was so fun to write. SO FUN #these two being so wholly devoted to each other? say less #love and murder <3 #ask #prompt #my writing #obikin

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vgckwb · 18 days

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P5R: Rebel Girl (A FeMC Story/P5R Rework) Chapter 210: Walk Through the Fire

After school the next day, Ren got a text.

Yusuke: Pardon me, but would you mind escorting me down to Mementos again?

Yusuke: I want to try and refine my skills by painting the same subject but through a new lens.

Ren: Sure!

Yusuke: Really?

Ren: Of course.

Yusuke: Very well then.

Yusuke: Let’s meet up by the entrance, and then venture off!

Ren: Got it.

Ren: Seeya soon!

Ren put her phone away, and headed off to meet Yusuke.

When they got to Mementos, Yusuke began sketching. Ren was curious. “So, what do you see now?”

“Hmmm,” Yusuke responded. “Well, due to the nature of this place, I am getting a lot of the same vibes as before.”

“I see…” Ren said.

“However, a place isn’t just a place,” Yusuke said. “Each place is host to all sorts of events and memories. People are the same way. There is a world within a person, and a city in a space. I’m thinking about how the people here change the landscape, and how in turn the landscape changes the people.”

“Well…ummmmm…” Ren replied. “That sounds…really deep, but, um, we are the only people that have been down here.”

“Correct,” Yusuke said. “However, this place is forged by the human subconscious. Not only that, but us being here has changed it to a degree. Fighting to change the hearts of people who deserve it. Driving around in Morgana. Talking about everything and nothing to pass the time. Despite the horrid nature of this place, it is also the catalyst for good things as well. I wish to show that off with this new painting, but I am still working on how to convey it.”

“Huh,” Ren said. “I…guess that’s true. Hm. Well, if anyone can do it, you can.”

“Hm. I appreciate your optimism,” Yusuke replied. After a little while, Yusuke said “Alright, I think I’ve gotten everything I can from here. Let’s head back before anything terrible happens.” Ren nodded, and the two of them left Menetos.

When they resurfaced, they saw a flier for Kawanabe’s next competition. “‘November 17,’” Ren read. “Good thing it’s not later. I don’t know what would happen if we didn’t have you during the assault on Sae’s Palace.”

“Huh,” Yusuke said. “I almost forgot about this.”

“You did?” Ren wondered.

Yusuke nodded. “I mainly wanted to repaint my old painting to see how far I’ve come. But this is a nice bonus.”

“I see,” Ren said. “I think you found your spark.”

“What makes you say that?” Yusuke asked.

“Well, you’re doing art for art’s sake,” Ren explained, “rather than worrying about this competition, or what have you.”

“Well, I mean, to be honest, I am a little worried,” Yusuke admitted. “But win, lose, or draw, I know I’ll make something I’m proud of!”

Ren chuckled. “That’s the spirit.”

Yusuke smiled. He then remembered something else. “By the way…” Ren was intrigued. “There is one more step I’m taking on this journey. But I have to do it alone. Can I count on you to be on the other side should I need it?”

Ren smiled. “Of course. Anything for a friend.”

Emperor-Yusuke Kitagawa: Rank 9

“Although, while we are still together, do you mind if we grab something to eat?” Yusuke asked.

Ren giggled. “Of course.” They went to a restaurant, and then went their separate ways.

As Ren was traversing Tokyo, she got another message.

Ohya: I need to talk to you.

Ohya: Can you come to the bar?

Ohya: I’d invite you to my place, but that seems weird, you know?

Ohya: Plus I’m kind of used to seeing you there.

Ren: Of course. I’ll be there as soon as I can.

Ohya; Great! Seeya

Ren: Seeya!

Ren put her phone away, and headed up to Shinjuku.

Once she entered Crossroads, she could feel a bittersweet tension in the air. “Hey!” Ohya said, smile on her face. “You made it.”

“Glad you could be here,” Lala said.

“Wouldn’t miss it,” Ren replied. She took a seat next to Ohya. “So, what’s up?”

Ohya paused for a moment. A tear formed around her. “I…I got to see Kayo recently.”

Both Ren and Lala were in shock “How did that go?” Lala asked.

“Well…” Ohya said. “She’s…she’s going through a mental shutdown.”

“Oh…Oh my…” Lala said, growing pale.

Ohya nodded. “But Kayo’s a fighter!” she continued. “She was held in secret at a medical facility, and I was told that when she first arrived, she was doing a lot worse. She’s getting better. I know it! But…even if it falls through, I at least will know. Honestly, that’s the best part in all of this.”

Ren placed her hand on Ohya’s. “I’m sure with you there, she’ll make a smoother recovery.”

Ohya smiled. “Thanks kid.” Ren smiled back. “BUT there is another prize in all of this.” She took out a hair pin.

Lala seemed confused. “Ummm that looks like an ordinary hair pain I mean, it’s cute and all, but…”

“Hm,” Ohya smirked. “To the untrained eye, it is a cute hair pin. However, it actually contains a hidden camera. Kayo wore it all the time. And she was wearing it on the night of the incident.”

“REALLY?!” Lala said, impressed.

“Yup!” Ohya said. “I’ve only just begun to look into the footage and how it connects, but it seems like the dead politician that the law suspects Kayo for killing was an enemy of Shido.”

“The politician?!” Lala said.

“The very same,” Ohya replied.

Ren’s ears perked up. “Um, who’s Shido?”

“Oh right,” Ohya said. “I guess you might not know him. Shido is a member of the Diet. On paper, he seems like a stand-up guy. But those types of people often have skeletons in their closet. I just know it.”

“You can say that again,” Lala added.

Ren pondered this for a moment. This may be the lead we need. But then again, maybe he’s just another customer. Plus we’re focused on Sae at the moment. With both Eris and the SIU director after her, I don’t know if we can afford to divert our attention unless we’re absolutely sure.

“Hey kid!” Ohya said, snapping Ren out of her train of thought. “Are you alright?”

“Oh, uh, yeah, Ren said. “Sorry, I was just thinking on something The Phantom Thieves told me.”

“What is it?” Ohya asked.

“Well…” Ren said. “They think whoever is really behind the slew of cases has some sway in the political world. However, they’re busy working another angle.”

“Hm,” Ohya said. “Don’t worry your pretty little head. I’ll take a look for you.”

Ren was surprised. “Really?”

“Really,” Ohya said. “I mean, you and The Phantom Thieves helped me get this far. I found and met with Kayo. That means more to me than anything. So I’ll keep digging. I mean, it’s not like I wasn’t going to anyway.”

Ren chuckled. “Right. I can give you some more info as well. Unless you’re not on the Phantom Thief beat anymore.”

“Well, sort of,” Ohya said. “I will admit, I didn’t like it at first, but after everything I’ve been through, I think I really like The Phantom Thieves.”

Ren smiled. “Well, I’m sure they’ll be glad to hear that.

Devil-Ichiko Ohya: Rank 9

Ohya chuckled. “Well, tomorrow, I’ll get it. But tonight? We drink!” Ren chuckled. Lala rolled her eyes, as she got their orders. Ren spent some more time with Ohya before going home for the night.

#p5 #p5r #persona 5 #persona 5 royal #persona fanfiction #p5r rework #p5 rework #p5 femc #femc #female ren #ren amamiya #yusuke kitagawa #ichiko ohya #lala escargot

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mamunur51 · 5 months

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Learn from people, how to build a value brand

Before proceeding to the fourth part,

let’s start with one detail, which is the brand’s “values advertising” or “emotional advertising” .

To be honest, as a judge of the Digital HE Tuber Awards in the past few years, I have found that the number of value or brand emotional blockbusters every year is much more than imagined.

However, many business parties will question: apart from winning awards, what is the use of these advertisements? Or, is the so-called brand favorability just a new clothes for the brand?

To be honest, I have been thinking about this issue for a long time while doing it.

Now, my answer is: Real brand value advertising has strong conversion power and driving purchasing power to act immediately after reading it.

That’s right, although there is no promotion or QR code in the advertisement, the first reaction of users after seeing the advertisement is:

“I want to join you by purchasing products.”

Why?

There are too many cases where product value advertising has gone astray - such as caring about social events, ABCD, festivals and hot topics, vulnerable groups, and insight into young people...these materials are diverse, and it seems that they can all become brand advertisements. “Proposition”: As long as you associate something beautiful and meaningful with the brand, you can bring goodwill, recognition and premium to the brand.

To put it bluntly, it was the advertising company that deceived Party A, and Party A deceived the business. Of course, you may not know how deceptive this is.

For truly effective brand value advertising, its basic logic and underlying ideas must be:

"What kind of people create what kind of products under what specific concepts, so as to create what kind of value for similar people"

Products should be the backbone that carries value and creates a sense of belonging. In too many ads, the product is just a prop, or only a tenuous connection between the brand and the spirit of the story.

Good value advertising is the best advertising to bring goods.

For example, LV's Traveler series (handbags and suitcases specially created for people who experience life), Timberland's advertisements (a pair of durable shoes specially created for people who keep walking), and Jiaouchi's brand concept The film "Redesign Basics."

Following this line of thinking, we extend to "how to build a values brand".

Because people are the best value brand, we can learn from people and start action planning:

truly understand value

Products as carriers of value realization

Exclusive connection field

Value-driven product line expansion

The first point is actually answered above. Again, brand values refer to:

"What kind of people create what kind of products under what specific concepts, so as to create what kind of value for similar people"

Here, if we make a more specific statement, it should be: solving real problems that resonate with users.

In search-based products, this problem is known and explicit. In experience-based products, it is an inner worry. In confidence-based products, these problems are related to the higher-level needs of human nature: socialization, self-positioning, Self-actualization etc.

The second point, I won’t go into details. I just want to make another appeal: Marketing awards should stop crazily advocating for elements such as art, tonality, beauty, and popularity. If the value cannot be intrinsically related to the product, these advertisements will be a waste of money.

The third point is the exclusive connection field, which refers to a place where brands can communicate with users in two directions.

Many people will think of self-media or private domains. However, in today's fierce competition in the content industry, users are expected to pay close attention to self-media content, or endure soft advertisements in Moments and communities (in addition to requiring coupons), even if the content is no longer Exquisite, it is difficult to achieve the desired effect.

Therefore, we think there are two ways, which are efficient and immersive exclusive communication fields: people and offline scenes.

In the early days of lululemon, the original ambassador (yoga instructor) and its own employees were the core media, and the store was used as the scene for in-depth interaction and communication. The same is true for Fat Donglai, where scene experience + employee service serve as the cornerstone of values.

Regarding the meaning of "people", the second part makes it very clear. For a brand, whether it is ambassador employees, charming anchors or the founding team itself, they are the most valuable communication channels.

The essence of offline scenes is also people. In the space of online traffic, people often stay in fragments and pass by in a hurry. Only offline can carry more experiences, exchanges and integration, until they develop a sense of belonging.

The fourth point is that in the stage when supply is king, product line expansion mainly relies on supply chain advantages; in a demand-oriented market environment, it revolves around the needs of a group of people, and there is greater elasticity and flexibility in product supply, and even Across categories.

For confidence-based brands, it means that they can expand their products horizontally driven by value - creating diversified products based on the "same concept" to meet the needs of similar people (with similar value concepts).

For example, miumiu created a "useless and beautiful" series for the "rebellious daughter Pussycat Doll" ~ from hairpins and diamond underwear to daily bags and clothes, all based on the same values and the narrative logic of the same type of people:

"Young and energetic, unruly, one foot in the mortal world to find some sense, and the other foot to guard the bottom line of the nobility, a little wild, without betraying the entire family, naughty and delicate."

5. Conclusion

The fundamental reason why we spend so much time discussing emotional value is that too many people want to capture emotional value as quickly as they can capture traffic dividends - but emotions are more difficult to capture and grasp. Instead, they are dismissive or difficult to understand the value behind emotions. Take action.

#video #sharing #watch #upload

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aneurinlarsen · 1 year

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Driving Holiday In Italy

I love all points Italian, the language, the food, the culture, the art, the people as well as the interest with which they come close to life. Italy isn't ideal but where is? So with this in mind I determined to do something that I would certainly constantly wished to do, take a driving holiday around Italy.

I scheduled my trips, cars and truck and also lodging on the internet and purchased myself a find out Italian CD for me to listen as well in my auto in the house for the four weeks before I went. Although I knew the extremely basics of the Italian language I really did not intend to find myself high and also completely dry in Italy if a calamity befell me. I quickly became aware that I would certainly require a publication or two to assist me with my knowing.

I landed in Milan Malpensa, a lovely airport terminal otherwise a little large and confusing. Searching for the automobile hire depot was fascinating.

With all the paperwork for the car completed it was time to challenge the Milanese traffic systems which is generally nose to bumper traffic. The scary stories of Italian driving had actually been ringing in my ears for the previous few weeks so I sent not knowing to expect. As it turned out there was nothing in all to worry about, other than the traffic, which was no much better or worse than the website traffic in any kind of major European city the driving was great.

Albergo economico la spezia

I went out of Milan in the direction of Genoa and also down to a little town just outside La Spezia which was mosting likely to be my base for the next 2 nights. The road to La Spezia was amazing, a twisting, transforming dual carriage way that was a happiness to drive on. I was tired by the time I got to the hotel; I would certainly remained in my very own little world of freeway Grand Prix for five hrs and was shattered. The motorway system in Italy is really simple to navigate. It is mainly made up of toll freeways which are really reasonably priced, well maintained and well sign-posted.

After 2 nights discovering the town on foot and also unwinding it was time to go on to a rented out farmhouse just outside Sienna. Back onto the motorways for the day yet this time they were a little less like race course thus I travelled at a more sedentary speed. After an hour's break for lunch I headed onwards to my destination, getting to the farmhouse prior to 4.30 pm. The lodging was fantastic, full with driveway lined with Cypress trees; it really was a picture postcard Tuscan farmhouse.

The holiday accommodation was well preserved and in a beautifully peaceful location roughly 12km from Sienna and regarding 4km from the local town.

After unwinding by the swimming pool during the day I 'd venture into Sienna at night for a stroll, a couple of beers and an ice cream or two. Sienna is gorgeous, with its outer walls maintaining the world at bay its lovely old building seemingly untouched by the modern world. And afterwards there is the renowned Campo in the centre of Sienna, the annual location for the Palio, a medieval competition held each July.

I actually didn't know what to get out of Sienna, in representation I was more than satisfied with its beauty and also pleasant environment.

I invested the rest of the week driving around Tuscany, seeking local vine lawns to get up some red wine and try as most of the local Agri-turismo's that I can discover. An Agri-turismo is a location where you can eat and drink, generally for a set price a variety of local meals, perhaps as numerous as twelve - thirteen programs offered in smaller parts. These offer you a really good feeling for the neighborhood cuisine. Generally all the foods are made from in your area expanded produce.

I additionally managed to absorb an excursion to Florence by train to visit an old buddy, handled a day when the Italian train union chose to go on strike in the afternoon. All part of the enjoyable in Italy.

Florence is a gorgeous city yet I believe it is finest valued when the temperature isn't in the upper 30 levels centigrade and also you can't move for breeze satisfied vacationers.

Cheap hotel cinque terre

The week over it was time to move onto Lake Garda for the remainder of the vacation. This entailed a 3 1/2 hr drive North passing Bologna and also Modena.

Lake Garda was spectacular, additionally marvelously active, however the town that we remained in, Bardolino, was terrific. The days were invested kicking back by the pool and the evenings were spent walking along the banks of the Lake. I returned to Bardolino last November, they are presently establishing the coast line to make the night stroll extra pleasant, also without the renovations it was amazing.

The only other place I checked out on the journey was a day trip to Verona, the residence of the Roman arena, which was just preparing to organize an outdoors opera, Juliet's porch (Romeo and Juliet), some amazing stores and some attractive architecture.

Before I knew it was time to head back to Malpensa with the car to catch an aircraft house. The Italian language I 'd learn't had actually been available in helpful periodically but it was much more for my fulfillment of having had a go at the language, you might conveniently get by with a whole lot less understanding of the language.

The driving was wonderful, I 'd recommend it wholeheartedly. You actually get some far more out of your holiday when you control each day as well as just how that day is invested.

As well as ultimately, Italy.

I've never been let down where ever before I have actually remained in Italy as well as this journey was no exemption. Milan, La Spezia, Florence, Sienna, Lake Garda, Bardolino and Verona, as well as all the Tuscan surroundings and the sights whilst circumnavigating, every one of the memories will remain with me for many a lengthy year.

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aitaikimochi · 4 years

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I noticed that some people didn't know much about Reno and Rude's epic bromance outside of the major FF7 compilation installments (OG FF7, Advent Children, Crisis Core, FF7R), so I compiled a list of moments from lesser known but official sources (light novels, Ultimania, etc.)! Enjoy~

FF7 On The Way To A Smile - Episode Shinra Light Novel (2009)

-Rude loves thrills.

-For Rude, It’s too painful to imagine a life without the Turks.

-During Meteorfall, Reno and Rude are alone together and seek refuge in the Shinra building bathroom stalls because Rude wanted to go back to the building to get his tool kit.

-Rude apologizes and notices that Reno’s tone is different from his usual self. Reno asks Rude, “Hey Rude, we’ve been together for a long time.” Rude says, “Yup.” Reno then asks “We’re partners, right?” and Rude says “Sure.”

-Reno then goes to Rude’s stall and kicks in the door. Rude is surprised and asks why Reno kicked the stall’s door. Reno says, “I want to give one last thrill to my partner. Thrills- you love ‘em.” Rude says it’s not enough.

-They leave the building together to see the destruction caused by the Lifestream.

-Reno looks around and says “Holy shit is that the Lifestream!?” Rude turns to him and says, “Reno…”

-Reno says “Yeah?” and Rude answers, “This is amazing.”

-Later in the chapter, Reno frowns and is worried about Geostigma and asks Rude why Rufus was putting his trust into the sketchy Doctor Kilmister. Reno wonders why he and Rude hasn’t contracted the disease yet.

-Rude cheers him up by lightly punching his arm and says, “Hey partner, how about a sparring session? We haven’t done that in a while.”

-Reno asks why, and Rude explains “Exercising both your mind and body can prevent sickness.”

Reno calls him an old fart but gets ready anyway.

Reference: Japanese version of the On The Way To A Smile light novel

FF7 The Kids Are All Right: A Turks Side Story Light Novel (2011)

-Reno’s Profile (official English version):

“[…] Reno also values his relationships, especially the strong connection he shares with his partner, Rude. He also comes to care about Evan and Kyrie, and he starts keeping an eye on them from afar.”

-Rude’s Profile (official English version):

“Reno’s long-term partner and one of the Turks’ elite operatives […] Taciturn but compassionate, Rude ends up joining his partner in watching over Evan and Kyrie.”

-Evan describes Reno and Rude as “they are always together, like a fork and a knife.”

-Rude thinks that Evan might find it annoying that Reno is trying to meddle with family affairs. Rude thinks to himself “My comrades are all I ever need.”

-Reno and Rude end up stranded and away from Rufus, Tseng, and Elena. Reno tells Rude “You’re all I have, man. The Director and Elena aren’t answering our calls, and the Boss just tells us to finish the Monument. They’re definitely up to something. We’re outcasts. You and me, me and you, if we don’t stick together then what?”

-Rude is the only person capable of falling asleep in a car despite Reno’s reckless driving.

Reference: Japanese version of the light novel Chapters 3, 12, 19

FF7R (2020)

-When you cast Sleep on Rude, he says Reno’s name in his sleep.

References: Chapter 8 or 12 Boss Battles

FF7R Ultimania Book (2020)

-Reno only expresses his doubts and worries in front of Rude.

-Rude greatly cares about his friends.

-Reno and Rude work together in perfect sync.

Reference: Pages 52, 53, 641

FF7R Material Ultimania Book (2020)

-Rude worries about Reno’s reckless fighting due to his “professionalism.”

-Rude is willing to risk his own life to protect Reno.

-Scenario Coordinator Oishi says the scene when Rude tosses the EMR to Reno shows a glimpse of their responsibility and readiness for Shinra as well as the bond that Reno shares with his partner.

Reference: Pages 103, 282

FF7 10th Anniversary Ultimania (2007)

-Reno loves gossip, so that’s why he asked Rude who he likes in the OG FF7 Gongaga scene.

-Although Reno likes hearing about other people’s gossip, he never reveals much about himself though, and that’s part of his aesthetic.

-When Reno heard about Rude dating someone (in Before Crisis), he was more keen on figuring out this mission than any other mission he’s ever done.

Reference: Page 94

FF7 Before Crisis (2007)

-In the bonus Episode Reno, Rude is grumpy all day during a mission. After they complete the mission, Reno asks if he’s still mad and says “I can’t have my partner stay mad like this.”

-Rude says he’s just peachy. Reno then says they should have a competition on who can obtain the “target” the fastest. Rude is confused what Reno is referring to. Reno says the target is Rude’s usual pair of sunglasses that’s undergoing repair since he’s wearing a spare right now.

-Reno mentions that they’ve been partners for a very long time, so of course he noticed Rude was wearing a spare pair of sunglasses all day, which affected his mood.

-Rude can easily recall and remember a lot of different random quotes and sayings that Reno said to him early on in their partnership.

-Reno and Rude have a near perfect record for completing missions successfully.

-In Chapter 4, Rude and the player are on a ship with AVALANCHE hostages, and one of the hostages named Sears escapes. The player says they should get Reno to come join them for back-up. Rude says to let him sleep as he was taking a nap in the ship quarters.

-Rude gets hurt by Sears in the fight. Reno wakes up from his nap and finds Rude on the floor and injured. Reno asks Rude who did this to him, but Rude doesn’t answer. Reno then goes and hunts down Sears.

-Rude eventually joins Reno at Costa Del Sol and the two of them find Sears at the beach and easily defeat him. Reno asks Rude what he would have done if no one came to help him, and Rude says he knew Reno would come for him as they have been together for a long time, so he knows how Reno thinks.

-In Chapter 6 of the game, when Reno tells Rude they should go home to the Turks company housing after a day’s work, Rude excuses himself to go somewhere. Reno gets suspicious about this and asks the player to follow Rude. The player tells Reno they saw Rude on a date with a woman (named Chelsea).

-Reno then secretly follows Rude on another one of his dates with the girl but sees that she’s actually an AVALANCHE spy who’s trying to use him to get information.

-Reno approaches Rude about this, but Rude says he already knew.

-Rude tells Chelsea he has something to tell her and to meet him on Christmas Eve in front of the Illuminated Christmas Tree in Midgar that symbolizes undying love. On the day of, Rude waits in front of the tree to see what Chelsea will do.

-Chelsea never turns up, and the player and Reno follow her to see what’s going on. They see that she tells AVALANCHE she cannot carry out her duty because she had feelings for Rude. She then leaves and tells the player that perhaps they can meet again in another life.

-The player returns to the tree to see that Rude is there standing alone in the cold. The player tells Rude that Chelsea said she can never meet him again. The player asks if he will chase after her, but Rude said she made up her mind. Rude is about to leave the area but stops as the person who does appear on Christmas Eve in front of an Illuminated Christmas Tree that apparently symbolizes undying love, is none other than Reno.

-Reno teases Rude and calls him a sentimentalist. He then says they should all go back home together to Turks base.

Reference: Chapters 4, 6, Episode Reno

#ff7r #ff7 #reno #rude #final fantasy 7 #renorude #rudereno #final fantasy #final fantasy 7 remake #final fantasy vii remake #final fantasy vii #my translations #i love them lol #reno rude

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ill-skillsgard · 2 years

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Sorry, but I liked this so much. Here is some more statements, true or false? ☺️

Mark didn't get any consequences after he assaulted Lily. He could hide his toxic traits until ha got s new girlfriend with a male best friend.

Dane is a vegan.

Mickey doesn't like Bill Skarsgård. He's scary.

Mateo wasn't so sexually experienced, Jonah had a lot to teach him.

Axel wants to have a beard but he can't grow it.

I like these too :) Such a fun concept. Mark - True. Mark is manipulative, and can wear different masks to suit certain people. He adapts his personality to the girl he's interested in, and once he nails her down, he flips into toxic mode. He didn't get in any trouble for the assault either because he's a good-looking white man and we all know how that story goes... Dane - True AND False. Dane went vegan for a while to prove he could to someone who said he could never do it. It became a competition, and he got a little addicted to rubbing it in their face. Although, Dane would bitch out and hit up the drive-through for doughnuts and caramel macchiatos, and eat non-vegan food in secret. One day at a work social event, he got too drunk and started eating cheese pizza, saying "fuck it, I can't live without cheese. Who would wish this life upon themselves? I don't care anymore, give me another Pina Colada." Mickey - True - People always tell him how much he looks like the Swedish actor, but he refuses to believe it. The guy has a weird face, and the clown mouth thing... Nah. Mickey hates clowns. Also, Mickey is convinced he's much better looking, and anyone who draws the comparison needs to get their eyes checked! Mateo - TRUE - Mateo was a late bloomer, and wasn't interested in pursuing anyone romantically until later on in life after he finally stopped hitting growth-spurts. The handjob thing was only because Mateo was nervous to go further, yet still wanted to do something. He was starting to get worried that he'd never lose his virginity, and if he didn't take the opportunity to hook up with the beautiful dude he met in Mexico, he convinced himself he'd never have the balls to make a move on anyone. He felt lucky Jonah was so forthright, it made it a lot easier for Mateo to open up and realize what he'd been missing. He credits Jonah to this day for teaching him how to give a killer BJ. Axel - Again, true! - Axel gets excited when he has even the barest wisp of a mustache. He has some delusions when it comes to his own facial hair. A patchy chin to him is like a big accomplishment. Then he'll go to Friday the 13th and see all the old bikers with their long beards, and get self-conscious about what he thought was the world's most bad-ass goatee. He hates that he can grow copious hair everywhere but his baby face. He wants to look rugged, but not with that smooth jawline!

#bill skarsgard imagine #bill skarsgård #bill skarsgård fanfiction #true or false game

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postmodernmulticoloredcloak · 3 years

Text

And now I’ve watched episode 3 of Walker because of reasons. (You guys asked, that’s reasons.) #2

If you guys haven’t seen part 1, go see it immediately. Because of reasons. This time, reasons is Slutty Glitter Cowboy Stripper. No, it’s not a joke.

Yeah, I’m not sure what’s happening either.

I can’t believe they’re airing cowboy strippers in Supernatural’s air slot and Dean Winchester isn’t there. I think this is why they had to kill Dean, because otherwise he would have ripped through the CW’s show layout and appeared in Walker sponteneously, instantly adopting Walker’s entire family and friends as his own and single-handedly implementing the depolicement of the state of Texas, with Castiel rolling his eyes at him in the background while he murders ICE agents at the US-Mexican border.

*slides the CW a twenty euro bill* so I have an idea for season 2 of Walker

Anyway, there’s this lady Walker and Ramirez are doing a stakeout on, a woman called Torreto who is presumably part of some criminal organization since they’re doing a stakeout on her, and who’s bisexual given she was being entertained by a lady and a guy at a strip club. Which is like, fine, not problematic at all, alright.

So the stripper straddles her and is like ~wanna come with me in the back, and she’s like ~maybe another time, and he’s like ~torreto i saw cops outside you probably wanna come to the back with me, and she’s like ~mmm yeah that sounds like a good idea. We were rooting for you, slutty glitter cowboy stripper! We were all rooting for you! Or not.

Meanwhile, Walker has horrible car manners.

Also, he asks her how her parents were to her growing up, which is a question you normally ask to people you’re not close to when you want to do some small talk. For some reason she brings up a friend she had some ~crazy teen years~ with, called Garrison, which doesn’t make me think of angels in Supernatural, no, I am a normal person.

But then people start coming out of the strip club, but not Torreto. So they go in.

Torreto is not there, so Walker just stops the first person he sees and he’s literally like ~excuse me, do you know if there’s someone in the back. The visual is hilarious

“Excuse me, sir, have you seen my brother from another show, I suspect he might be here”

Give me a spinoff about this strip club.

Anyway, the guys answers, “No, why, you two interested?” to which they immediately answer “no!” at the same time, and share a look which makes me think we’re supposed to be like ~~ooh, talking in unison moment! or something...?

Meanwhile their truck gets stolen, and Walker yells that his bobblehead is in there. Cue disgruntled Jared face.

Oh man. We are at the title card. It’s less than 6 minutes. This will never end.

It was night, now it’s day, and Stella and August are walking around Austin. He’s mimicking David Attenborough, describing the teenagers around them as though he was doing a documentary about animals.

Two girls approach them, bringing up a party that’s taking place tomorrow. She says it’s not the best idea with her court date approaching. The girls are like, your dad can figure something out, he’s an elite ranger or something and also owes you for disappearing for a year. She’s like, he’s being kind of cool, I don’t want to ruin this, and the girls “call BS” because this is like “the best party of the year”.

Ruby, the girl August has been hanging out with, appears and August goes from “nah the party is not my thing” to “I’ll totally be there” in like 0.02 seconds.

I cannot overstate how much I am not interested in high schooler drama.

Meanwhile, at the Walker Seniors’ place, Walker’s parents are preparing the table for a family dinner. From their banter we can infer someone’s who ~is like family although he isn’t “blood”~ is coming for dinner and Grandpa Walker doesn’t like him at all and actually expects the guy to steal their china and bourbon. “It’s been years, could you please give him a chance?” Grandma Walker says, and he accepts, although she grabs the fancy bourbon from behind his back.

Meanwhile, at the police station, all the cops are having a briefing about Torreto, the woman at the strip club. She apparently steals weapons all over Texas and sells them over the border at triple the cost. Remember that Torreto escaped from Walker and Ramirez because she stole their truck while they were inside the strip club. Ramirez is worried she’ll already become the laughingstock of the precinct.

Uh. James plays security camera footage from outside the strip club. Walker and Ramirez’ truck was stolen by Torreto and the cowboy stripper himself.

Obviously the other cops laugh when Ramirez admits it was her truck.

James tells them to find Torreto, find the truck, and find out who the naked cowboy is.

I have a bad feeling about this.

Then Walker drives home, and as soon as he gets out of his car, you know how in the Supernatural pilot Dean gets into Sam’s apartment and wrestles him before revealing it’s him to ~test if his fighting skills are rusty and laughs when Sam realizes it’s him? Alright, now think intensely and guess how Walker’s like-a-brother best friend is introduced. Think intensely! It’s really difficult to guess!

Something something about violence and male intimacy except this is too ridiculous to, you know, write something serious about it.

“Oh, man!” the guy laughs, lying on the ground where Walker threw him. “The look on your face!”

“You son of a-”

“Oh, c’mon man, don’t talk bad of a mother I never knew.”

I’m facepalming soooo hard. This is the first thing we learn about him (well, after the fact that he definitely stole something from the Walkers’ house in the past), that he never knew his mother!

HOLY FUCKING SHIT

GUYS

I AM SO SORRY

I am faceblind I didn’t realize

THE GUY IS THE STRIPPER

I REPEAT

THE “DEAN BUT IN JARED PADALECKI’S MIND” CHARACTER IS THE SLUTTY GLITTER COWBOY STRIPPER

THIS IS NOT A DRILL

I SWEAR MY HANDS ARE COLD AND CLAMMY

I AM EXPERIENCING EMOTIONS NO WORDS EXIST IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE TO DESCRIBE

Oh my god guys. I am so sorry.

“You did your touchdown victory dance before you stole my partner’s truck!” Walker exclaims. “I should arrest you right here and right now!”

The guy acts like he has no idea what Walker is talking about, and says he’s in town to see his best pal.

Walker keeps accusing him, but then his mother appears, super thrilled to see him, and Walker lets is go.

They’re at dinner (NotDean brought wagyu steaks, which obviously means he does crime for a living) and Walker’s mother tells him to say grace, which he does in a semi-serious, semi-mocking way. Obviously NotDean does not believe in god, but he’s grateful for the people around him.

Stella calls him uncle, in case you missed that this is supposed to be a friend whom Walker loves likeabrother.

He talks about jobs he did here and there, and Walker and his brother tease him asking if he’s been to some prisons around the country. Stella doesn’t get the joke and NotDean explains it to her, adding, “now, from what I hear, I’m not the only outlaw in this family”. Grandpa Walker leaves the room.

NotDean asks Stella if she’s going to the bonfire (the party they were talking about earlier) and tells her that her mother started the thing when they were young. She didn’t know that. This is supposed to be a Meaningful moment.

Meanwhile the stolen truck is found... at Walker’s ranch. Gasp! What a shocking turn of events.

NotDean gives Stella advice on how to act in court to get on the judge’s good graces, “which means acting”. “Please don’t get legal advice from a criminal” walker’s brother Liam says. Is the gay brother also a NotDean of sorts, to be fair? Well, CriminalNotDean tells her to dress her best and cry. ActualbrotherNotDean tells her to use the correct legal arguments. Walker just stops them, quoting something Ramirez said earlier in the episode, “nobody benefits from the easy route”. Stella is like, what does that mean, which, mood, but Grandma Walker interrupts bringing in a plate of different hot chilis. Apparently they have a tradition of a competition. Which we don’t even see. Boo.

Ramirez finds the truck... right outside the Walkers’ house. Grandpa Walker, who’d gone outside, points a rifle to her and she explains what she’s doing there. They introduce themselves and she is like, sir why is the man who stole my truck inside your house? “Wife invited him to dinner.”

She’s like, I need to arrest him. But he’s like, I bet there’s not enough evidence to arrest him, or my son would have done it. Join me for steak and burbon in the bunkhouse! As one does. So they have wagyu and bourbon together, and she asks him what’s the guy’s story.

So NotDean and Walker grew up together, NotDean had a rough life, “my wife has a soft spot for strays, she can’t give up on him”. But Grandpa Walker doesn’t feel the same. He tells her that she cannot arrest him tonight, but it’s only a matter of time before the guy gives her enough rope. He adds that Walker has a blind spot for faces from the past, and needs someone to fix that.

Meanwhile dinner’s over and NotDean calls a uber. He and Walker arrange to meet the next day and hang out like old times. Eventually, Walker tells him that if he is involved in this case, he will have to take him down. “Theoretically, if you catch me.” They do a manly hug with manly pats, and the guy leaves. “Theoretically, go to hell,” Walker says after he’s left.

The next day, NotDean brings Walker to a storage in the middle of nowhere... full of cursed objects, no wait, wrong show. What’s inside the storage is the red Mustang. Walker is shocked that he hasn’t lost it in some bet - which apparently is how he got the car from Walker in the first place. Now NotDean says that, after everything Walker’s been through, he deserves a chance to win it back.

Glowy flashback of Walker and his wife in the car, right after the scene in the beginning of the episode. They bet it during poker night, decision of Emily, because Walker is “starting to get attached to her”. Emily teases him for calling the car a she, and Walker decides to call the car Stella.

They gave their daughter the name of a car they lost at poker.

Oh. She tells him she’s pregnant.

So, apparently, they had their first daughter when they were broke, to the point they had to try and get money at poker for a bigger place and baby things. That’s... kind of irresponsible.

Meamwhile, Ramirez goes to James to tell him about the thing, but James already figured NotDean was involved, because apparently stealing things and returning them is just something he does. “Why are you so calm about this?” she asks. He says because they cannot pin anything on him. Questioning him could scare the big crime lady. So he tells her to just keep an eye on him. “Walker, Torreto or Hoyt [NotDean]” she asks. “Yes” he answers.

Blah blah. I apologize, I’m being too detailed. I’m just bored by this. Ah, a butcher’s truck was stolen right after the strip club thing, guess where NotDean got the wagyu steaks.

Walker and NotDean go to the bar with the bartender who’s their friend, and NotDean flirts with her. They start playing poker, when Ramirez arrives, and has some banter with NotDean and spills some glitter on him that she found in the truck. He buys her a drink and she arrests him for trying to bribe a police officer. Walker is shocked.

At the precinct, he says they cannot prove he’s working with big crime lady. But she brings up he stole the wagyu steaks.

She calls him out for trying to be everyone’s friend even if they do something wrong, also with Stella.

She says she can hold NotDean for 24 hours, long enough to figure out the big crime lady’s plans. Common trope in cop shows. Arrest someone without proof, you have to release them after 24 hours, but the cop finds proof and bam, forgiven for arresting someone without proof.

I know you’re bored, I’m bored too.

Actually, nope, it goes differently and kind of worse. In the interrogation room, Ramirez offers NotDean a deal: he tells her where the big crime lady’s weapon deal is happening, and walks free. He points the location on a map and he compliments her. Walker is watching from the cameras and is shook.

Meanwhile the bonfire is happening, and Stella is there with her girl friends. So is August, breakdancing to impress girls. We don’t care.

Meanwhile, a lot of cops in serious cop gear surround the location NotDean pointed at. Nobody’s there, though.

What is there, is the red Mustang with the creepy bobblehead in it and a letter from NotDean that says he gives him the car back because it was always his wife’s.

Walker figures out where the deal is actually happening - the storage where the red Mustang was before.

Meanwhile, at the bonfire, August is drunk on booze he stole from Grandpa Walker and brought to the party. He asks Stella if she’s trying to drive their father away, breaking the law and all, he asks if she wants him to leave again. Then he throws up. She calls Walker but he obviously doesn’t answer. So she calls her uncle, who’s doing shopping with his partner or something. They’re buying cake? Doing cake testing for their wedding? Maybe.

Meanwhile, NotDean calls Grandma Walker to tell her he cannot go mushroom hunting with her tomorrow but needs to leave town, and he’s sorry to let her down again. She tells him that just because his family’s bad, doesn’t mean he is too. “You saved my boy, and I’ll never forget that” she says. Oooh, that’s so intriguing!, nobody says. They share a cute moment and then he hangs up, while the weapon deal goes down around him.

Uncle Liam and his partner pick up the kids, and Stella asks him if he’ll be in court with her tomorrow. He says he can’t, because it’s her father’s decision to make.

August turns up music and they all sing in the car. It’s funny how everyone’s got better chemistry with everyone else except with Walker. I know it’s, like, on purpose for plot reasons, but still, Walker’s interactions with everyone feel so stilted compared to anyone else. And it’s not the other characters are that compelling.

The police arrives at the location of the weapon deal, and NotDean gets arrested trying to steal the truck again. Ramirez gives a speech how that’s hard but it’s the right thing to do. Walker makes a comment about tough love, implying Stella needs to get that too.

The next day, they leave for Stella’s court thing on the red Mustang. It took Walker three episodes, but now they also have a cool classic car to show off! Yay! *eyeroll*

Meanwhile, Grandma Walker and Grandpa Walker have a conversation about their failing marriage or something.

Ramirez goes to the bar to apologize to the bartender for arresting NotDean. They have a drink together and if lesbians were watching this they’d start shipping them, but no lesbians are watching this. They’re wiser than me.

Stella got like a gazillion hours of community service and her license suspended. She’s upset, but since she has her license for one more day he teaches her how to drive the Mustang.

Wait. Americans don’t learn to drive normal cars when they get their license?? They only learn to drive cars with automatic gear?? What the hell??

They drive while August runs after the car to get over his hangover or something.

Would be a cute moment if the entire thing wasn’t so cheesy and weird.

Well. We know NotDean is a recurring role so we’ll see more of him. (Well, I’m not sure I will be there to watch, because this is boring af.)

This episode used all its interest coins in the strip club scene and then became dreadfully boring. I don’t even have some witty line to close this post.

This was a rollercoaster that went my brain go through a blender in the first six minutes or so and then killed the remaining braincells through boredom.

That’s it guys. What can I say. This is the CW’s Walker. Yee.

#marghe watches walker for some darned reason #cw's jared: legit texan

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mrs-gucci · 3 years

Text

The Angel, Chapter One: Intel {Flip Zimmerman x biker!Reader}

Chapter One: “Intel”

series summary. The Angels are the newest biker gang in town, looking to dethrone the current high-riders, The Sharks, a notoriously violent gang. Fresh off the Klan case, Detective Flip Zimmerman and his new partner, Detective Ron Stallworth, are tasked with finding out more information about this new gang. After a passionate affair behind the bar with a mysterious woman calling herself Siren, Flip discovers that perhaps he’s a bit closer to this investigation than he originally counted on. Can he manage to use this newly-recruited ally to not only take down The Sharks before they strike again, but perhaps use it to benefit his lonesome personal life as well? Find out all this and more in “The Angel”!

chapter summary. Flip and Ron head over to Ace’s, a local bar in Colorado Springs to gather intel on The Angels, the newest biker gang in town. The young detective gets more than he bargained for when he meets and beds a mystery woman named Siren. Except ‘Siren’ ends up being the last person Flip expected to get intimate with and now, he’s entangled in this case, both professionally and personally.

table of contents. Intel (NSFW) * Saint Siren Turned Sharks Intercepted Epilogue

(a * indicates where you are in the table of contents)

author’s notes: hello, hello! saw a few bikers as I was driving on the highway, and my mind decided that I wanted to write a multi-chap fic about flip with a biker gang reader love interest. I love exploring the whole ‘flip with an independent/dom fem reader’ trope. so, here I am, designating an entire ten chapters to it.

**this multi-chap will have 5 parts total (4 ‘story’ chapters and an epilogue). due to the shorter number of chapters/parts, expect each to be longer, usually between 4-6k words.

word count: 6.1k

warnings: smut. heavy flirting. swearing. a generous amount of dirty talk. degradation. oral sex. reader smokes. use of the term ‘pig’ to describe the police.

(possible) tw’s: tobacco use (as is canon for flip’s character). public sex.

my taglist peeps: @frank-and-honey @shygirl268 (if you’d like to be added to my taglist, the link to the google form is HERE or on the top of my masterlist. I’m also willing to do a series-specific taglist if enough people are interested!)

---

“Alright, everyone. Rumor has it that there’s a new biker gang in town, called ‘The Angels’.” Chief Bridges says. “We gotta be on top of this, make sure they’re not the violent type.”

Flip rubs his chin, stroking his beard as he listens to the limited intel the department has on this new group.

“I’m putting Zimmerman and Stallworth on this one. You’re gonna hang out at some of the local watering holes, see if you can gather some more information on this new group.”

His eyebrows raise and he looks over at his partner. “C’mon Chief, don’t you think our talents could be used elsewhere? It’s just an intel mission, a beat cop could do it.”

“This is incredibly important, Zimmerman, and I only trust my top talent to do the job right.” Bridges crosses his arms, staring daggers at the dark-haired detective. “It’ll be a quick job, I’m sure. No more than a week’s time. Now, get over yourself and do the damn job.”

He huffs softly, nodding as he looks away. “Sure thing, Chief.”

“You’ll head to Ace’s tonight, since that’s where they’re said to hang the most. Meeting dismissed.”

Everyone piles out of the small conference room and back out into the bullpen. Flip lights a cigarette as he sits down at his desk and continues typing up a report from last week’s home invasion-robbery.

Ron sets the ‘Angels’ file down on his desk a few minutes later, sighing as he sits on the edge.

“What are you thinkin’ about this case, Flip?”

“I just wanna get it over with, rookie.” He leans back in his chair, shrugging and taking a drag. “I think it’s nothing to worry about, since they haven’t done anything yet, but the Chief wants us to check it out so I guess we have to.”

Ron nods.

“Well, we’ll head over to Ace’s after work. Hopefully we’ll find something and then we can get back to finding the Sharks.”

The Sharks were the biggest gang in Colorado Springs, spreading violence and dominating the northern part of town. But, all of them wore masks or helmets with masks, so no one’s been able to identify any of them.

“Mmhmm.”

Flip hums, stubbing the cigarette butt out in the mug on his desktop.

Before he knows it, the clock hand lands on 6, and everyone starts packing up. Flip gets up and puts his freshly-typed reports on the Chief’s desk before heading over to Ron’s desk.

“You ready to go, rookie?” He asks, hopping up on his partner’s desk. “I need a fuckin’ beer.”

Ron laughs, shaking his head as he stands up and both men walk back to get the mics and listening equipment together. Flip clips the lauve to his white undershirt, then re-buttons his signature buffalo plaid flannel.

They head out and hop into Flip’s pickup truck. He pulls away from the station and heads down the freeway towards Ace’s while Ron sets up all the audio equipment in the front seat.

The parking lot of Ace’s is almost full when the two detective’s pull in, and when Flip puts the truck in park, he immediately catches sight of a series of bikes parked at the front.

“They’re here.” He says in a low voice, nodding over to the bikes. “I’m gonna go check the jackets to make sure.”

Flip casually gets out from the cab and walks over. He sees one of the jackets draped over the seats with the words ‘The Angels’ and a logo on the back.

“Yup,” He says to Ron through the window of his truck. “It’s them.”

Ron’s eyes widen slightly. “Well then, get in there, partner. See what you can find.”

He chuckles, sticking a cigarette between his teeth and flicking his lighter on as he walks into the bar. His eyes scan the room, looking for biker-like characters, but his attention is quickly drawn to a certain young woman sitting at the bar.

She’s not much younger than himself, if Flip had to guess, and her subtle smile was infectious. Flip was absolutely taken with her, but he maintained his cool, approaching the bar.

“Hey, Earl.” He says, leaning against the bar. “Get me a Miller, would you?”

“Sure thing.” The bartender nods, giving Flip a handshake before heading over to the beer fridge.

You can’t help but look over at the handsome man that’s leaning against the bar. His eyes move over to you, and yours dart away quickly. He smirks, and when you look back over, he gives you a quick wink.

Your cheeks warm as you and the handsome stranger make eyes at each other. You’ve only been in town for a little while, and you’ve certainly never seen someone like him around before.

Once the bartender hands him the dark brown bottle, mister tall, dark and handsome casually makes his way over to where you’re seated. His presence is intimidating in itself, patrons suddenly hushing their voices as he stands behind you.

“Like what you see?” He asks in a low voice, smirking. You chuckle.

“Perhaps, although you don’t have much competition. The human eye is naturally drawn to the most appealing sight in the room and quite frankly, I’m so damn tired of looking at old white men. You were the reprieve.”

“Mmhmm.” Flip laughs, sitting down next to you at the bar, pulling out a cigarette and holding it between his teeth as he flicks his lighter on. “I’m impressed at your ability to spin such a convenient story for your obvious ogling.”

“Don’t act so innocent, prettyboy. Your eyes were not keeping to themselves either.”

You huff softly, taking a drink, the smoke from his latest drag clouding the space between you.

“Perhaps.” He retorts, taking a sip of his beer before looking over at you. “What’s your name?”

“Oh, I bet you’d like to know.” You hum softly. “You can call me Siren.”

His eyebrows furrow. “Siren, really? What, is that a nickname or something?”

“Something, yes.”

He’s intrigued by your mysterious and closed-off presence, your casual yet extremely confident demeanor. God, how he’d love to make you crumble on his cock, scream his name and beg him for release.

The thought has him stirring in his Levi’s.

“Phillip.” He says after a beat of silence, taking a drag off his cigarette. “In case you were wondering.”

Back in the truck, Ron shakes his head. “Did you really just use your own name, Zimmerman?”

Flip realizes his slight mistake, mentally kicking himself for not having an alias name already prepared.

Your finger swirls around the rim of the whisky glass. “I wasn’t.”

His eyebrows raise for a moment. He liked this game you’re playing with him, in fact, he loves it.

Finally, a woman giving him the thrill of the chase, making him work for it.

“Are you new in town, Miss Siren? I think I would remember seeing someone like you around here before.”

You nod silently. “Got here a few weeks ago. I’ve got some business to take care of, y’know, tie up some loose ends and such. Then I’ll be out of here.”

“What’s the rush in getting out of here? You don’t like it?”

Your lips curl up into a small smirk. “If I didn’t know any better, it almost sounds like you’re sad to hear that I’ll be leavin’ soon, prettyboy.”

He huffs softly in amusement, although his liking of your nickname for him is much greater than he anticipated or would ever admit aloud. “No, nothing like that. Just curious, is all.”

“I’m more of a city girl. All this fresh mountain air makes me sick.” You quip, smiling softly. “I like the polluted smell of New York much better.”

Flip laughs. “Oh, a city slicker. Yuck.”

Now it’s your turn to laugh. He’s kinda cool.

“What, Colorado Springs isn’t enough to convert you, or at least open your mind to the idea?”

He takes one final long drag before crushing the butt out in the ashtray on the bar.

Your eyes linger on his seated figure for a moment before turning your attention back directly in front of you.

“Well, now that I’ve met some more of the locals, I’m thinkin’ about it a little more.”

“Yeah?”

His voice lowers an octave as he leans in a bit closer, one of his large calloused hands now resting on your denim-covered thigh. You shiver slightly beneath his touch, the smell of cigarette smoke and freshly-chopped lumber intoxicating as it ensnares your senses.

“I think you’d like it out here, if you gave it a shot. We’ve got a few things New York can’t offer.”

You’re biting your lip as his husky voice rasps in your ear, his close proximity thickening the tension between you. You haven’t been this rattled by a man in a long time, and damn, it feels good.

“Oh really? And what is that, besides trees and grass, hm?”

His chuckle makes you squirm in your seat.

“Men. Real men. Not the city pussies that gel their hair up all fancy and can’t get a speck of dirt on themselves without throwin’ a damn fit. I mean...”

“Big,” He leans a bit closer. “Strong,” Closer. “Men.”

His lips are practically on top of your ear now, hot breath tickling your eardrum. He smirks. “And that’s all you’ve ever really wanted, isn’t it, slick? A big strong man to take care of you, protect you...satisfy your every whim and desire.”

You can barely see straight, vision blinded by the sheer lust rolling off his tongue. He’s so damn cocky, a real alpha male type, and you were eating it up. You couldn’t wait to break him.

“I’ll have to see it to believe it, prettyboy.” You say, voice unwavering as you turn to look him directly in the eyes with a small smirk tugging at the corner of your lip. “So why don’t you go ahead and prove it, hm? I’d like to see you try.”

His jaw clenches along with his fists, body turning lurching forward slightly to the edge of the chair, now fully facing your side.

“You’re walking an awfully thin line with that trap of yours, slick. I’d watch yourself, ‘cause the folks out here won’t hesitate, like city folk do, to make an example outta brats like you.”

Your eyes don’t leave his as you lean forward a bit, challenging him right back. “Lotta big talk from you this evening, prettyboy, but no action has come to match these claims. All bark, no bite, just like everyone else in this town.”

Flip is hard as a fucking rock, erection urgently pressing against the seam of his Levi’s, but he can’t even focus on that right now. You work him up like no one else ever has before, and he’s not about to let you just leave with the last word. No, he’ll have the last word tonight if it fucking kills him.

“You wanna see some fuckin’ bite, slick?” He growls, standing up and grabbing hold of your jaw, keeping a firm grip on it. “Talk to me like that again and see what happens.”

You grin deviously, wrapping your hand around his wrist, holding it as you remove your jaw from his grip.

“Heard it all before and nobody’s gotten me just yet. You’re no different, prettyboy.”

A twenty is thrown on the tabletop and then you’re leaving.

His blood is boiling, cock twitching with excitement as he lets you walk out of the bar, letting you think you can get away with this. Then, as soon as you’re outside, he strides across the room, flings the door open, and grabs your arm.

“You’re not going anywhere.”

He walks you to the side alley and pins you to the bricks, body caging yours in. You’re breathless and defenseless against him as his wiry whiskers tickle the side of your neck. His legs spread out and his large hands grip your hips as he scoops down, grinding his arousal against your ass with one long, rough stroke.

The denim-trapped bulge presses incessantly against your backside when he stills and lights up a smoke behind you, taking a brief drag, exhaling through his nose.

“Y’know, I work hard all damn day, seven days a week, bust my fuckin’ ass to get shit done.” He stands up again, kicking your ankle so your legs spread open. You gasp softly at his brazen moves, which only fuels his arousal. “I come here to kick back a few beers and have a few cigarettes, relax, unwind…”

His hands yank your jeans down your hips suddenly, then one curls around to cup your clothed mound, lifting up against you.

“But instead of that, now, I have to bring you out here and fuck some goddamn manners into your bratty cunt before I can go back in to finish my beer.”

You can barely formulate words at the moment, his every move dripping with pure power and unwavering dominance. You’re absolutely taken by him, but that doesn’t mean you won’t fulfill your own agenda.

Let him think he’s the boss, that he’s got you wrapped around his finger. It’ll only wreck him harder in the end.

The small jingle of his belt buckle being undone brings you back to reality, as well as his fingers swiping over your clit through the material of your panties. He pulls away for a moment, unbuttoning and unzipping his jeans, yanking them down far enough so that he can pull his length out.

Luckily, due to his massive body size and the fact that you’re in a dark alleyway behind a dumpster, nothing is too exposed in case someone happens to come by and see the little show about to unfold.

Your panties are torn down your legs quickly and his digits swipe through your warmth. He smirks when he feels how wet you are.

“Now I can call you slick for two reasons.” He chuckles darkly into your ear, sending a shiver down your spine. “I knew you liked this, dirty girl. Bet you’ve been wet all night since I came into the bar.”

His fingers trace over your clit, pressure on and off with his lazy circles, and within seconds he’s got you gyrating against him. Then, suddenly, he pulls away and steps back, hand on your shoulder. He flips you around quickly so that you’re facing him, then forces you back against the wall, flicking his abandoned cigarette away onto the black pavement.

“Why’d you turn me around?” You ask nonchalantly.

He smears some of your fresh arousal onto the tip of his cock, moving it around over his girthy length while his fingers force themselves into your mouth, grabbing and pressing on your tongue.

“I decided that I wanna ruin your disobedient little mouth first. On your knees, use my boots as padding if you need.”

Your legs close and you cross them at the ankle, leaning back against the brick wall freely, arms crossed over your chest. His eyebrows raise and he pulls his fingers out of your mouth.

“Did you not hear me or something?” Flip asks, voice low. “On your damn knees, slick, or I’ll put you there myself.”

Silence. You don’t move a muscle, watching the frustration fester. He leans in suddenly, face real close.

“I’m gonna give you one last chance to do as I say before I force you down.”

Nothing.

His hand wraps in your prettily-done hair, holding the roots just above scalp-level, yanking harshly. He steps back a bit quickly as you cry out, hand on your shoulder, pushing you down as the shock and pain weakens your knees.

Your knees rest on his work boots and his impressive arousal is lip-level, now. He loosens his grip on your hair ever so slightly, still holding you firmly as he rubs his head over your cherry red lips.

“Don’t make me take this from you too, slick.” He warns.

You offer him a cheeky, close-mouthed smile, batting your eyelashes teasingly. He snarls, pulling your hair again, and when you yelp in pain, he pushes his hips forward. His cock forces itself into your mouth and your eyes widen, choking immediately at the sudden intrusion.

Flip’s head falls back and his eyes squeeze shut as your throat contracts around his length. He holds your head, keeping your mouth wrapped around him, and he gives you a quick look of concern, breaking character for a moment.

Once you give him a quick wink and small smile, indicating that everything’s okay, he draws back before pushing forward again. He establishes a consistent back-and-forth rhythm, grunting softly with each thrust of his hips. You’re taking him so well, better than anyone before. Your choking and gagging has essentially ceased within the first minute or so, the quickest recovery Flip has ever experienced.

Look, he knows he’s got a nice cock, there’s no denying it, especially when he’s got women chanting it in his ear on a weekly basis. It’s long and girthy with a slight upward curve that gives him the ability to hit the g-spot almost every time. Plus, he knows how to use it properly.

But, women often have trouble taking him or making him feel good with oral sex because he’s always concerned that he’s genuinely hurting them. A lot of women are also very intimidated by his size, which doesn’t help him in feeling okay about it.

You, however, didn’t say a word, give it a concerned look, or hesitate even a bit when he put you on your knees. You’re something else.

He groans, fucking your mouth even harder, hands on the sides of your head. Your eyes are watering and tears have already begun spilling down your cheeks, but you’re not complaining in the slightest. He looks so incredible like this, restrain and composure slipping as the pleasure begins to consume him.

You do your best to establish a bit of suction on his length, and when a guttural growl emerges from above you, you know you’ve done it. His hips lose their rhythm soon after, cock throbbing in your mouth, meaning he’s close.

He’s panting heavily, spine curling as he fucks your mouth harder, shuddering every once and a while from the sheer amounts of lust coursing through his veins.

Just before his release, he forces himself to pull away, a strangled groan of agony rumbling through his chest as his shaft bobs angrily at the lost orgasm.

“Christ!”

You catch your breath for a moment, but that moment is brief because within thirty seconds, he’s got his hand wrapped around your jaw.

“S-S…” He takes a second to compose himself. “Stand up, turn around, take your panties off and spread your fucking legs.”

This time, much to his surprise, you obey, getting into position with little resistance. He smirks, giving your ass a quick swat before rubbing his head through your folds.

“Mmm, shit, you got wetter just from having your face fucked?”

His chin digs into your shoulder as he lines himself up with your entrance. He pushes in quickly with a long, low groan, then settles inside of you to allow for an adjustment period.

Your eyes go wide and you whimper, walls stretching out to accommodate the large intrusion. Soon, you move your hips a bit, looking over your shoulder.

“You can m-move.”

Flip nods, drawing back before pressing his hips forward again, sighing through his nose as he picks up a steady thrusting rhythm.

“Fuck you’ve got a good little cunt, wrapped around me so goddamn tight.” He growls in your ear, mouth lazily kissing and nipping at your neck.

The burn of being stretched out subsides soon after he begins, replaced with copious amounts of pleasure, jaw slacked as your body jolts back and forth with each powerful movement.

“I can feel you clenching around me, slut...I know you like this. I wanna hear you fucking admit it.” He breathes. “Tell me how good I’m making you--fuck--feel. Tell me how much better my cock feels fucking you than any--goddamnit--other f-fuckin’ city slicker’s cock.”

When he doesn’t get a response, his pace suddenly quickens a bit and one of his hands comes up to wrap around your throat, squeezing experimentally. “Say it, slick, admit it!”

“Y-You, you feel...okay.”

You smirk, eyes squeezing shut when he brushes against a particularly sensitive spot inside you.

Flip huffs. “You’re a fucking brat--god fucking damnit.”

He snarls, hand closing tighter around your neck, lips right up against your ear.

“I’m gonna fuckin’ destroy you, slick. I’m gonna fuck your tight cunt so hard and stuff you so fucking full of my cum, make it run down your fucking thighs when you go home. You’re gonna have to walk into your fuckin’ house with my cum leaking out of you like the dirty slut you are.”

A loud whine comes from your lips, goosebumps spreading like wildfire over your skin at his words. You’re close already, the anticipation and sensations too much to hold off much longer.

“I know you’re lying, slick, I know you love this fucking cock, and I know you’re close. Say it, say it and I’ll make you cum so fucking hard you can’t see straight for the rest of the night.”

He growls into your ear, panting heavily.

“All you gotta do is--shit--say it and I’ll give you what you want, what we both know you want.”

Your walls clench and pulse around his shaft, preparing for your approaching orgasm. But, even though the temptation is sweet, you hold out.

“Eh, I’ve h-had better. You’re really--oh--not t-that big, prettyboy.”

“Fuck!”

His reaction is exactly what you were looking for, hips thrusting impossibly quick as his hands grab your wrists and pin your hands behind your back. Part of him liked this, being called ‘small’ and being taunted, although he’d never admit it to anyone.

“It’s your fucking loss, slick.”

“Oh, is it?” You smirk, adjusting your hips subtly until you find the right spot, crying out softly as you teeter on the edge of orgasm. “I don’t t-think so--fuck!”

“NO! Goddamnit, f-fuck...NO!” He tries to stop your climax, but it’s too late, you’re already there.

“Y-Yes, fuck...yes!”

You’re trembling as you ride out your intense high, his hips pumping you into a delicious overstimulation.

Your release gushes out around him and Flip feels his own climax rapidly approaching, hips starting to lose their rhythm.

Flip’s absolutely pissed that you made yourself cum, allowing his frustration to fuel his thrusts. His teeth sink into the muscle on the curve of your neck, drilling into you as hard as he can manage.

“Brat!”

He snarls against your skin.

“You’re a fucking d-dirty, filthy--yeah, so fuckin’ tight--naughty brat! O-Oh fuck, shit, gonna--fuck goddamnit--cum…”

“Are you gonna cum? Fill me up, prettyboy?”

You clench around him one more time, bringing him over the edge.

“Oh f-fuck, yes, gonna--unnhh!”

Being fully prepared to bury his load deep inside you, fill you up, it took him by great surprise when you suddenly pulled him out of you. His eyes fly open and a choked cry leaves his lips.

“FUCK, N-NO!”

He roars, load erupting out onto the bricks and alleyway pavement instead of inside you. His hips rut forward instinctively as he rides out his high, groaning against your skin.

You smirk, slipping out from beneath his grip, pulling your panties back up over your hips. He’s still panting and recovering from his climax, hands spread on the cool brick of the building, eyes catching sight of his seed dripping down the wall as he redresses.

Before you walk away, you run a hand through his silky black mane. You give it a gentle tug, earning a low growl from the handsome man.

“Told ya, no one’s gotten me yet and no one ever will.” You pat his cheek, giving him a soft smile. “Have a good rest of your night, prettyboy.”

You’re quickly overtaken, within the first few steps of walking back towards the front entrance, by a large set of hands. Flip turns you around in his arms and crashes his lips on yours, pulling you close to him.

At first, you’re taken by surprise, but that lasts for only a few seconds before you melt into his touch, melding your lips with his. He pulls away a minute later, a big smug smirk stretched across his face.

“Good night, slick.”

He walks back towards the side door, lighting a cigarette on his way, leaving you frozen in suspension for a moment. Every inch of your skin, every fiber of your being, is buzzing. You find yourself unable to wipe the small smile off your face as you walk back towards the front of the bar.

You look through the window of the bar as you slip your leather jacket on, then your helmet before swinging your leg over your bike. The engine rumbles, ground quaking beneath it as you pull out of the parking lot and onto the freeway, wind whipping around your body as you disappear into the cool Colorado night.

Flip is drunk on you as he pays for his drinks and stubs his cigarette out in the plastic ashtray on the bar. The damn bastard’s essentially grinning and giggling with joy as he walks back out to his truck, or at least ‘grinning and giggling’ by Flip’s standards, which pretty much just means a small smile.

It’s quickly wiped from his face when he sees Ron in the passenger seat. He hadn’t even thought about the fact that Ron was listening the whole time, and he can only hope that his partner took the headphones off before anything too explicit happened.

He hops up into the cab and immediately, Ron begins chuckling to himself.

“Oh, shut up.”

He says, frowning as he backs out of the parking lot.

“I hope you took the headphones off.”

“So, did you find out anything about The Angels?”

Ron asks, snickering.

“Or did you focus on learning more about the inside of her mouth?”

Flip growls under his breath, rolling his eyes.

“Can it, rookie. We’ll go back tomorrow. And, for the record, I cased the joint when I walked in, and there were no bikers in sight. No one that seemed the type, y’know?”

“Well, the bikes were there. They had to be there, right?”

His jaw clenches, kicking himself for losing focus. Although, he doesn’t exactly regret anything he did with you, he just wishes he had worked the case a bit beforehand.

“They should’ve been there, but I’m telling you, there was no one.”

Ron gives him a look and Flip shakes his head.

“Look, I know what it looks like, but I’m serious. I cased the joint when I went in, and there was no one even close to the basic look of a biker gang.”

His partner sighs.

“I know, and I trust you, Zimmerman. We’ll go back tomorrow, like you said. We should go a bit earlier, maybe try and catch these bikers coming to the bar.”

“Agreed.”

Flip nods as he pulls back into the station, sighing when he puts the truck in park.

“Alright, let’s go report to the Chief.”

The Next Day

It’s another long ass day at the station, although there was a bit of excitement when the Chief went out to his squad car and found the window busted out.

Everyone chuckled to themselves as he flipped his shit, almost as if he’d temporarily forgotten that he was a police chief.

Flip and Ron went out to lunch at the local diner, discussing the ‘Angels’ case, and of course Flip’s back-alley hookup last night, much to the detective’s dismay.

He just resorted to sucking down as many cigarettes as he could while Ron fired off questions, hoping the nicotine buzz would get him through this all quicker. It didn’t.

Finally, with the Chief’s approval, Ron and Flip head out at five to Ace’s in hopes of spotting The Angels as they come to the bar.

Luckily, when they reach the bar, there are no motorcycles in sight. Flip backs the truck into a spot facing where the motorcycles were last night, putting it in park before lighting up a smoke. He and Ron pass the time with some casual chit-chat before the telltale rumble of motorcycle engines.

The first bike comes into view, the leader no doubt, and slowly rolls up to the front of the bar, foot planting on the pavement. There’s something so oddly familiar about this leader to Flip, the way they move, their demeanor in general, but he thinks little of it, determined to actually focus on the case this time.

Once the whole gang has pulled up, Flip grabs his notepad and a pencil, ready to write down the names on their jackets while Ron pulls out his camera. The bikers' engines all shut off almost simultaneously, pavement settling back into the dirt as they all dismount their bikes.

Flip looks at all the names on their jackets, each beginning with ‘Saint’, writing all five of them down before pausing when he reaches the leader’s jacket. It read ‘Saint Siren’, glitter-infused stitching catching in the evening sunset.

No, it can’t be.

Saint Siren reaches up to pull their helmet off, and when they do, Flip is stunned into utter and total silence. It’s you...you’re Saint Siren.

You're the leader of ‘The Angels’.

Ron’s snapping a bunch of pictures as the rest of the gang takes their helmets off, revealing the women beneath each. Both detectives were surprised to see that ‘The Angels’ were all women, considering the general ‘man-ness’ of biker gangs.

Your hair flutters in the gentle breeze as you hang your helmet on the handlebar of your bike, reaching into your jacket pocket for a cigarette and lighter, hand shielding the flame from the gentle breeze.

“Zimmerman?”

Flip faintly hears his partner say, but he doesn’t process it, too focused on the reality hitting.

“Zimmerman!” Ron says, shaking his partner’s arm.

“What’s the matter with you?”

His eyes dart over to Ron, a serious expression etched on his face.

“That’s her. That’s the girl from last night.”

His eyes widen in disbelief. “Are you sure?”

“Of course I’m fuckin’ sure!” He snarls. “I only spent all night with her. I’m not that shallow, rookie.”

Ron stifles a laugh. “Uh huh. Well, now we understand why no one could ever figure out who this gang was. No one would ever suspect women to be bikers, much less in a biker gang.”

Your jacket is taken off and draped neatly over the seat of your bike, and Flip quickly tosses his notebook on the dash, clipping the lauve to his undershirt with a sense of urgency. His face is steadily turning redder the more he thinks about it, and Ron can almost see the smoke coming from his ears. He’d be whistling like a damn tea kettle if that were true.

“What are you gonna do when you get in there? Remember what the Chief wants, intel only.”

Flip huffs, buttoning his flannel back up before flicking on the microphone set on the front seat, tapping the top of the machine. “I know how to do my damn job, I know what Chief said. Just be sure to listen and write the important stuff down.”

He hops down, the heels of his work boots reverberating off the pavement as he walks, more like storms, into the bar.

Earl, the bartender, greets him, but he’s already closing in on you. He doesn’t even hesitate, just walking right up to the table you’re sitting at and putting his hand on the top.

“Can I speak with you a minute?” He says in the calmest voice he can muster at this point, staring daggers at you, teeth gritted. “Please?”

All the girls look up at him, then back over at you, awaiting your answer. You stub out the cigarette between your lips before gesturing for Gladys to scoot out of the booth. She does, and you slide out, standing in front of the familiar man.

“Lead the way, Flip.”

He spins around on his heel, then stops, stomach dropping. How do you know that name?

You giggle to yourself as you walk by and out to the alley. He’s hot on your tail, slamming the door shut behind him, bounding down the stairs.

“I figured it out pretty quickly.” You say, twirling your hair as you lean back against the wall, arms crossed in front of you. “After I saw the mic clipped to your undershirt last night. Looked through the yellow pages this morning and found the contact information for one Detective Phillip Zimmerman of the Colorado Springs Police Department. There’s only one other man by the name of Phillip living in this town, and he’s the guy down at the gas station.”

“Could’ve been a fake name.”

Your lips curl up into a smirk. “Yeah, coulda been a fake name, I guess. But I saw the way you reacted when you said it, looked like you wanted to kick yourself in the nutsack. The mic on your shirt tied it all together, and then when I did some surveillance on the station, I saw you.”

Flip isn’t sure if he’s more nervous or impressed by your ability to observe and fact-find.

“I’m not the only one that hid my true identity last night, Saint Siren. Nor are you the only one that did surveillance today.” He growls, standing in front of you. “You’re one of the ‘Angels’, the leader, in fact.”

Your face is unchanging, still wearing a neutral expression, before a small smirk tugs at your lips.

“Congratulations, Detective. I’m a little surprised you didn’t put two-and-two together last night when you read the name on my jacket.”

His eyes widen, which makes you laugh. Had your name really been on the jacket that he’d seen, and he just missed it?

“Saw you not so discreetly snooping around the bikes before you came in last night. You ought to check your surroundings a little more thoroughly before ‘casually’ sauntering by the bikes and leaning over to read the jackets...someone might see you.”

You laugh quietly, shoving your hands into your jean pockets.

He’s pissed, you can tell, but there’s also a sense of respect buried deep within his gaze, and perhaps there’s even a bit of desire mixed in, too.

“I...you’re…”

Suddenly, an idea pops into his head, and the rage suddenly melts away. He could use this to his advantage.

“Join me.”

Your eyebrows furrow in confusion as you look up at him. “You’re kidding.”

“No, I’m not. Think about it, it’s beneficial for both of us. You want to knock the Sharks on their asses and kick ‘em outta town, and I want to stop them from taking over the whole town. We both get what we want.”

You just burst out into laughter. “You’re a funny guy, Detective, thinking I’d ever even consider becoming an informant. Ha! Sure, I hate the Sharks and I wanna kick ‘em out, but I don’t need the pig’s help for that.”

His jaw clenches.

“You’re trying to turn her now, Zimmerman? What the hell are you thinking? INTEL, Zimmerman, we’re here for ANGELS INTEL, not the Sharks.”

He shakes off his partner’s words, staring deep into your eyes.

“You know this is a good idea, I know you do, slick. All we need are some names. It’ll be quick work, and in return, we’ll help you get rid of them and stay off your ass after they’re gone, as long as you don’t start or engage in any violent altercations.”

“Man, you gotta stop. You can’t make promises like that without the Chief’s approval. C’mon, Zimmerman, get outta there!”

“I’m not falling for that bullshit, and I’m not becoming a pig, even if it’s only for a few weeks.” You say, pushing off the wall and standing up straight. “G’night, Detective.”

Flip quickly grabs you before you can even take a step back towards the door, holding your arms as he steps up behind you.

“I never say things I don’t mean, and I never make promises I can’t keep, slick.”

He grabs one of his business cards out from his wallet, teasingly sliding it in your back pocket, giving your ass a quick squeeze. “In case you change your mind.”

Your skin has erupted in goosebumps as you walk back into the bar, overly conscious of the business card tucked into your back pocket, gently poking your bottom with each stride.

As you sit with your crew, drinking and chatting the night away, you can’t stop thinking about this proposal.

The thought of being an informant scares you. The thought of turning on the Sharks scares you.

What scares you the most, though?

You’re ready to get to work.

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jeannereames · 3 years

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1) I think it was Plutarch’s account, that after Hephaistion’s and Krateros’s famous clash, Alexander eventually reconciles them by telling them he loved them most of all men. Will you be expanding on Alexander’s and Krateros’s relationship in your future DwtL books? I remember you briefly touched upon them in Rise. Or like, is there any historical evidence that elucidates what their dynamic was like beyond/including the whole philobasileus thing?

Who Was Krateros (and what will I do with him in DwtL)?

I’ve always found it curious that, in most novels about Alexander’s conquests, Krateros tends to be a distant secondary character in contrast to others around Alexander, especially Ptolemy—despite the fact Krateros was more powerful than Ptolemy, and powerful at an earlier date.

I suspect it owes to the fact Ptolemy went on to found a dynasty and write a history. Modern writers feel as if they know him better. By contrast, Krateros died just two years after Alexander. So although he tends to have a better reputation among modern historians (which, I think, is not well-deserved), he’s never really received thorough treatment in much the same way (and for much the same reason) as Hephaistion.

He died too soon to become a major player among the Diadochi. But that means the people we know best from the era of the Diadochi were NOT the most prominent men at Alexander’s court. So don’t be surprised when Krateros pops up as an important secondary figure in the series with a more conspicuous role than Seleukos, or Antipatros, or Antigonos, who all long outlived him.

In part, that importance owes to Hephaistion’s role as protagonist. If pressed to name the chief protagonist of Dancing with the Lion, Alexandros or Hephaistion…it’s Hephaistion.

I don’t want to go into too much detail about future plots and spoil it—but if Krateros winds up Hephaistion’s bête noire, he doesn’t start that way. The details of their falling out is a driving point of the Long Plot (e.g., the plot across books, part of the overall tragedy of Alexander’s story). I’ll just say that, when I first saw Hamilton, the Musical, a lot of the Hamilton-Burr dynamic resonated because it reminded me of my vision of Hephaistion and Krateros.

Don’t overextend that, but it gives a general idea.

We have some hints that suggest, at least at first, Hephaistion and Krateros weren’t enemies. They may not have been bosom buddies, but I don’t think they were enemies.

I have a clear personal view of each man, based on the historical texts. Hephaistion’s personality I laid out in the first two novels. He can be touchy about his honor and how he’s viewed, and is 110% loyal to Alexander, but not a suck-up. The two just generally see things the same way, and will continue to do so (except in matters of religion, which does come to a head in one particular event I’ll not spoil). Yet in how to run the empire and how to Persianize the court, they’re on the same page and Hephaistion is deeply involved in court procedural renovations. This accords with what the sources tell us. Hephaistion followed Alexander in the changes, which is typical of how ancient sources would present it. Me, I’d argue he didn’t just “follow,” he helped Alexander come up with it. He understood the problem/hurdle as Alexander did and was a party to the solution of blending the two courts.

My Hephaistion is proud, and wants to be recognized for his contributions and ideas. He resents it when anybody suggests he’s just a “yes-man.” And no, that’s not because they were/are lovers. It’s because sycophancy is an easy way to insult your rival. 😉Nothing makes him angrier than being called a “flatterer.” His friendship with Alexander will go through highs and lows (because that’s human), but he remains mostly certain of his place at Alexandros’s right hand. That doesn’t mean he won’t get jealous, because he definitely has a jealous bone (which I think I pretty clearly established in Rise). Yet as time goes on, he settles down and his clashes with others stem from a failure by those others to recognize his place. Yet he understands his place—and ambitions—differently. He can act jealous and touchy, but not for expected reasons. My Hephaistion (and I stress this is not the historical person) just isn’t that interested in commanding others or occupying high office for itself. The kleos of it: glory He wants to help Alexandros make his new empire work, and gets really impatient with all the other “idiots” who can’t see what needs to be done to achieve that. He has ambition, but it’s north/north-west of typical.

Krateros is also pretty clear in my head, both as a fictional character but also how I think he was historically. He, too, is a deeply ambitious, and very capable. My fictional Krateros’s vicious ambition stems from being the “poor cousin” to Perdikkas and the Orestian royal house, needing to prove his place, not just get it as a right of birth—although he also gets it as a right of birth because he is not a commoner. In short, he has the resentment and envy of second-tier gentry, but the drive to succeed in Philip’s (and then Alexander’s) army where ability is recognized too. (I’d note that, after ATG’s death, Krateros [along with Ptolemy] joined Antigonos’s rebellion against Perdikkas as regent of the kings…which is why he died in battle fighting Eumenes, who was on Perdikkas’s side. Yet this is notable because he was almost certainly from Orestes…and thus, related to Perdikkas. We can debate who was higher born, but I think it was Perdikkas.)

Anyway, Alexandros recognizes both his ability and sympathizes with his drive to succeed because it’s similar to his own: the need to prove himself to his father, as prince.

That’s the fictional background of my Krateros, but the historical man was good at what he did, and knew it, and expected to be recognized for it among his peers: to stand first among them. Ergo, he was viciously competitive to rivals, but charming and charismatic otherwise.

How does that work? To those well above him in the power structure, he’s respectful and seeks their approval in order to receive advancement. So, for instance, he’s devoted to the kings (Philip, then Alexander) because they are Givers of Good Things (promotions, land, loot). He would have been a young officer under Philip, making him roughly the age of Ptolemy, Philotas, Nikanor, Koenos…maybe Kleitos (although I think Kleitos was a bit older), just as Leonnatos, Perdikkas, Seleukos and Hephaistion were coevals of Alexander.

So he couldn’t and wouldn’t challenge the “old men”: Parmenion, Antigonos Monophthalmos, Antipatros, etc. He even seems to have been an understudy to Parmenion. For instance, at Issos, he was in charge not just of his brigade but the whole left wing under Parmenion’s general command. He wanted to impress Parmenion and earn his support—not antagonize him.

Likewise, he had no reason to lord it over his infantry battalion, who would have been no threat to his ambitions. He needed them, in fact. By being chummy with them, he was far more likely to secure their loyalty—not unlike Caesar later.

It was those men who were rivals for positions he wanted who drew his special ire. Krateros would never get Parmenion’s spot while the old man lived, but Parmenion was old. Krateros could wait. After Issos, I expect Krateros saw himself as Parmenion’s natural successor. Yet Krateros was also unlikely to get Parmenion’s spot as long as Philotas lived. If we have only a sketchy idea of ranking order in the army, the whole Philotas Affair tells us/suggests the position of commander of the Companion Cavalry was the #2 position after Parmenion’s slot as viceroy to Alexander. Krateros may have served under Parmenion in charge of the army left side at Issos…but Philotas was still above him in the food chain.

Nikanor (Parmenion’s middle son) may also have been a hurdle, as commander of the Regular Hypaspists (as opposed to Royal Hypaspists), but he was younger than Philotas. Thus, Krateros would have started by removing Philotas, only worrying about Nikanor after—and as it turned out, Nikanor died of disease in late 330, deleting himself from the picture.

Our histories seem united on Philotas as arrogant and pushing his place: an obnoxious little brat, if also a perfectly capable commander. Ergo, Philotas provided Krateros with the perfect target, one unlikely to have staunch defenders.

So Krateros systematically went after him as early as the Egyptian sojourn, and possibly even earlier. Plutarch doesn’t always get things right, so we must be cautious about this, and Badian wanted to make the spying of Krateros part of Alexander’s big conspiracy against Parmenion’s family. Not at all. I think it was Krateros’s attempt to target the man he saw as chief rival.

At that point, Krateros would have regarded Alexander’s cohort as “the boys.” They didn’t have major offices, although were rising to some key junior commands. For instance, Hephaistion apparently commanded the “agema” (later term but good enough for this) of the Hypaspists. That’s the king’s own unit, who acted as his personal bodyguard in battle and actually ran with the cavalry squadron (!, yes in full armor). They would have been composed almost entirely of aristocratic young men: e.g., former Pages. So that’s a plum command for Hephaistion…but he didn’t command a whole SECTION of the army, like Philotas and the Companions.

Hephaistion, Leonnatos, Perdikkas, Seleukos…they weren’t a threat to Krateros. He could be friendly to them, may even have cultivated Hephaistion especially, for his unique access to the king. You may be thinking, Man, he sounds like a user! Well, yes. That’s how the Macedonian court functioned, although I think Krateros was more ruthless, and successful, than most.

Then he got an unexpected gift-horse: the Dimnos Conspiracy and Philotas’s casual (and deeply stupid) dismissal of the warning about it. Krateros went right for the jugular.

I want to make a point that I also made in “Crisis and Opportunity: the Philotas Affair…again.” We absolutely must resist looking backwards from the outcome to ascertain motives. When the scared Pages finally approached Ptolemy, who then went to Alexander and the other Friends, NOBODY knew what the outcome would be. It was not planned. It really was a crisis.

Yet Krateros saw opportunity in the crisis, and as a successful field commander, ran with it. So I see him, not Hephaistion, as the architect of the accusation against Philotas. HE had the most to gain (he thought), and if Plutarch can be believed in this, it wasn’t the first time he’d tried to bring Philotas’s snarky words and bad behavior to Alexander. As alluded to above, he’d paid Philotas’s mistress to report to him what Philotas said during “pillow talk” as early as Egypt. Now it could be (and quite probably was) that he saw Philotas’s bragging and claims to victories as a real threat to the king. (Kinda like shadow presidents in Mar-a-Lago.) People can have more than one motivation. They can even have a “good” motivation (protecting Alexander’s pride and reputation) alongside a “bad” motivation (making Alexander resentful of Philotas). Alexander’s pride was touchy too. 😉 Even if he blew off Krateros’s accusations at the time, we can imagine he was still stung. Seeds successfully planted!

We must, however, be careful not to read the final results back into the assumptions of the people at the time. Hindsight 20/20 and all that. I do NOT think Krateros believed this would result in Parmenion’s removal/death, although I do think he wanted to get Philotas arrested and executed.

Also, I do NOT believe Hephaistion had any idea he was about to be elevated to command of half the Companion Cavalry. He’d have had no reason to think he’d be leapfrogged over older, loyal men, such as Krateros…or Kleitos, who wound up as his co-commander.

Hephaistion’s motivation? Friendship. In “Crisis and Opportunity” I stressed it was friendship to Alexander, but I’ve also come to think that Krateros may have talked him into it, so also friendship, or at least alliance, with Krateros, who knew he could rile Hephaistion’s blood. He wanted that sheen of authentic anger. I want to quickly add that Koenos joined in with the torturers because he feared going down with the ship, as he was Philotas’s brother-in-law.

All this neatly explains why it was Hephaistion to whom Philotas appealed during his torture. Not because he orchestrated it, but because he had the least reason of the three to want Philotas out of the way. He was in it for passion and so, might then be moved to pity. Krateros was all-in from the outset, and Koenos had to be to save his own neck from Philotas’s arrogant stupidity.

So Philotas was convicted, executed, and then Alexander felt he must also execute Parmenion because he was sitting on Alexander’s all-important supply lines during a major operation. That is not a pretty picture and must be acknowledged as much. Philotas Did a Dumb, and lost his life for it. Extreme, but he dug his own grave. Parmenion was flat-out murdered. Realpolitik does not excuse the death of the man who’d sided with Alexander, put him on the throne, then advised him so capably.

In any case, from Krateros’s point of view, this was terrific. Philotas was out of his way, and so was Parmenion. Honestly, I doubt he wanted to see the old man dead instead of honorably retired, but it still cleared the way for him.

Then an astonishing thing happened!

Krateros didn’t get the Companions. Hephaistion did. And Kleitos. Of the younger generation, Hephaistion had just leap-frogged right over the heads of Krateros and all his cohorts. (Again, I think Kleitos was older; there’s no evidence of Krateros being at public odds with him.)

Just imagine how angry Krateros was!

The snotty little upstart! Who the hell did Hephaistion think he was?

So yeah, Krateros got what he wanted: Philotas out of the way. And in the process, he shot himself in the foot.

Plutarch tells us exactly why Alexander made the choice he did: nobody should have that much command authority henceforth, even his best friend. But he did want a man loyal to him in that position. I would not be at all surprised if—crisis past—Alexander recognized Krateros’s maneuvering for what it was…and didn’t indulge him. He wasn’t about to give out promotions for the backstage take-down of a fellow officer.

By the Battle of the Hydaspes against Poros in India (almost three years later), Krateros served the same position as Parmenion: hold the main army while Alexander leads the attack. Yet in between, Alexander had rearranged units. Even the Companions had not only been split, but divided further into six Hipparchies. Hephaistion’s was primary, but only the first of six. He was no longer overall commander. And that would have happened had Kleitos lived or died, as Kleitos had been reassigned as satrap in Baktria. Dividing the Companions had just been the initial sally to a more comprehensive reorganization and power redistribution.

Ergo, if Krateros had power, it would never be equal to Parmenion’s, and it seems to have been deliberately delayed after the Philotas Affair. Krateros dared not get mad at Alexander. Again, as king, Alexander is above these status wars, and the Giver of Good Things.

Another complication for Krateros: Parmenion’s death had angered Parmenion’s loyal men, some of whom Krateros had commanded…and Krateros had been part of Parmenion’s downfall, however indirectly. Wouldn’t it be convenient if he could shift the blame to Hephaistion?

So Hephaistion was now the chief man “in his way.” Plus (fair or not) Krateros resented him for getting the plum assignment, may have convinced himself that Hephaistion used the opportunity to sweet-talk Alexander into giving it to him. Even if he didn’t believe that, he could still have spread the rumor. It was advantageous, displacing soldier’s anger over Parmenion’s death onto Hephaistion. And it would rile up his own battalion/soldiers with indignation on his behalf.

“Stop the steal!” *smirk*

It all exploded in India. We’re not told when, but I suspect sooner rather than later—before the Malian catastrophe. My best guess is after the Hydaspes, possibly while everyone was relaxing for a while in Poros’s kingdom. Bored soldiers are gossipy soldiers, and get restless and pick fights.

Gregor Weber in his analysis “The Court of Alexander the Great as Social System” (Alexander the Great: a new history, 2009) suggested that Alexander encouraged such rivalry among his Hetairoi and Friends, and uses the H. and K. squabble as a peak example. To some degree, that’s true. Competition was endemic to the Macedonian court because it was endemic (maybe EPIDEMIC) to Greek society more broadly. Macedonian kings (not just Alexander) would have encouraged competition as a way of choosing the best officers. The Hetairideia I described in Dancing with the Lion—the Festival of the Companions with competitions—was a real thing. I made up a lot of the details, but we hear about it under the Antigonids, by which time it involved mock battle. But it was said to have been much older. There very well may be ties between the Hetairideia and the original Macedonian “Olympics” at Dion. E.g., the latter may have grown out of the former, but it’s all too vague to know.

Anyway, competition was natural and encouraged at court, but I disagree with Weber about Alexander encouraging THAT particular competition between Hephaistion and Krateros. Weber reads the clever “philobasileus/philalexandros” as encouraging. I see it (and Plutarch’s wording suggests) just the opposite. He was trying to lower the temperature in the room. It didn’t work.

We simply aren’t told enough about the swords-drawn brawl to understand what led up to it. E.g., who started it, as Alexander put it. I don’t mean (and don’t think Alexander meant) who pulled his sword first. He meant who STARTED it. I tend to read that “I’ll kill you both, or at least the one who started it,” as a veiled threat to Krateros. He would have damn well known who started it. He was telling Krateros in that public reconciliation, “Knock it off, dickhead, or else.” And I expect that’s also what he told him in their private meeting/confrontation.

There is more to this, but I’ve said all I want to, for the moment. Again, I’m working on Krateros and Hephaistion at present for a book chapter in a collection, and I’ll also be doing more on them both for a monograph. So I’ll just end with my take on the Indian conflict.

#asks #Krateros #Craterus #Hephaistion #Hephaestion #Alexander the Great #Macedonian history #Macedonian court #Craterus and Hephaestion #Krateros and Hehaistion #Greek history #Classics #Tagamemnon

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crystalracing · 3 years

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Archive: How unflappable rookie Raikkonen took F1 by stormBy:

Jonathan Noble

Sep 26, 2021, 12:25 PM

Kimi Raikkonen is officially on his Formula 1 farewell tour, having announced his retirement at the end of this season. It will bring down the curtain on F1's longest career, currently standing at 341 race starts, a feat few could have imagined when he sat down with Autosport to discuss his rookie season for the 16 August 2001 magazine

Early January. The sun has already set at Ferrari’s test track. Darkness is descending very quickly, but Kimi Raikkonen still wants to get his first taste of the 2001 Sauber. The team put in enough fuel for 10 laps, although with visibility disappearing rapidly there is no way he will be able to complete them all.

The Petronas-badged Ferrari engine is fired up, and the young Finn exits the pits, disappearing into the darkness for his first experience with the new car. The wail of the screaming V10 is heard coming under the bridge near the pits as Raikkonen flies past, flat-out, before again disappearing into the darkness of the first corner. He cannot be seen until the braking zone, when the flames from the exhaust briefly light up the darkness.

After a handful of laps, he is within tenths of the time set by Nick Heidfeld earlier in the day, then he radios to the pits to say he cannot see enough to continue driving. There is incredulity at his performance.

The ease with which he is so instantly on the limit leaves smiles across the faces of all the Sauber people present. But the finishing touch to Raikkonen’s night run only became evident when he returned to the pits. He had been so fearless, so quick and so committed wearing a dark-tinted visor on his helmet.

The manner of that first test has continued throughout his debut season, when solid performances have singled him out as a huge future star. When it first became apparent that he was being courted by the Sauber boss late last year, he was not even expected to get a superlicence. Now Raikkonen has become the man of the moment.

At almost every track this year, but especially the ones at which teams do not test, he is invariably among the top five during the first few laps on Friday. That shows a man able to get himself and his car on the limit very quickly – something that Michael Schumacher does with aplomb. Yes, Juan Pablo Montoya has grabbed more headlines, but the young, slim, blond Finn has got more tongues wagging.

Raikkonen immediately got on with the business of impressing in his rookie year

Photo by: Motorsport Images

Despite the plaudits, Raikkonen remains something of an enigma. If people thought they had a difficult time enticing words out of Mika Hakkinen during his early F1 career, then they have yet to meet the new boy at Sauber. He is renowned for his one-word answers, his lack of charisma in press conferences and his reluctance to mix it with the other drivers.

But he does not care. As far as he is concerned, he was put on earth to drive racing cars very quickly. When asked what he thinks about life in the paddock, meeting fans, signing autographs and speaking to all the F1 journalists, his answer is swift and to the point.

“It is a bit boring,” he says. “I don’t like the paddock. I just want to get on with my work.”

"Sometimes I think things have happened too quickly, but at the end of the day I was in the right place at the right time with the right people behind me" Kimi Raikkonen

Raikkonen really does like nothing more than being in the car. He is the ultimate efficient racing driver – all speed, no talk. He is as happy testing as he is getting results, and he has been completely unfazed by all the attention around him. He has been mentioned no end of times as the eventual successor to Michael Schumacher at Ferrari, but he has let none of the comments go to his head.

PLUS: Why the time is right for Raikkonen to hang up his F1 helmet

He even admits that he does sit back sometimes and feel amazed at how he has gone from Formula Renault front-runner to one of F1’s biggest stars in just 12 months.

“Sometimes I think things have happened too quickly, but at the end of the day I was in the right place at the right time with the right people behind me,” he says. “I would never have thought last year that I would be in F1 now.”

Despite Raikkonen’s cool exterior, things have not been so easy for him this year. He may not want to explain how tough the adaption to F1 has been, but he does not pretend that his achievements have been a walk in the park.

“It has been hard, especially because I didn’t really have any expectations this year,” he says. “There is not really one thing that has surprised me, because everything has been hard. There is not one things I have learned specifically, because I’ve had to learn everything. But it is quite a bit like I expected.

“For sure, for the first three or four races it was difficult in qualifying, and I didn’t really get the best out of the car. That was really the most difficult thing. But the season has been better than I was hoping for. I think the team has been surprised. It’s good.”

Circumstances have certainly helped Raikkonen in his jump to F1 with Sauber. Not only has the team enjoyed something of a renaissance this year, but the family atmosphere and the lack of driver politics have made it much easier for him to make his mark.

His set-up is similar to that of his team-mate, Heidfeld. The telemetry traces show Raikkonen sometimes has an advantage in the quick corners, but that Heidfeld is more consistent in the slow stuff.

“It has helped being here with Nick, because it is better than having to do it all by myself,” he admits. “it has been easier being here, with a family team, than go to a bigger team. Here the people are nicer, and that helps.”

But the real test for Raikkonen will come next year. Jacques Villeneuve said recently that it was very easy for a new driver to maintain performance in the first year of F1, when all the newness gives a racer lots of energy and carries them through. The problem comes in the second year, when it is much harder to improve - but expectations are so much higher. Ask Raikkonen if he is worried about the Jenson Button syndrome and he is at his most candid.

“No, not really. I think for him [Jenson] it is more difficult because he was with one the top teams, and now he is not. It is more difficult because if the car is not right then you need to do more with the car.

“I am not worried about it. For sure I have enough energy to keep pushing, and next year I’ll be stronger because I’ll have some experience. I know from this year what I need to do, and it will be easier because I will know what is happening.”

Raikkonen was heavily linked with a move to Ferrari, although it seemed he would have to bide his time a while longer at Sauber

Photo by: Motorsport Images

Speculation links Raikkonen with Ferrari in the long term – although it is almost certain he will stay at Sauber until the end of 2003, when his current contract ends. But ask Raikkonen about Ferrari and he claims there is no attraction other than the fact that it is the most competitive team at the moment. He does not care where he gets to drive in the future, as long as it is with a winning team.

“It is nice to hear Ferrari stories, but I don’t really follow that,” he says. “I would be happy in one of the top teams, and I don’t really mind which it is. I guess it doesn’t matter if it is McLaren, Williams or Ferrari. It is where you have the best chance to win.

Rinland remembers vividly the Finn’s first test in the Sauber at Mugello in Italy last September. His lap times were not that spectacular, but it was clear from the way he got down to work with the car that he was something special

“You never know if Ferrari are going to go down the order, or who is going to come up and who will win. Maybe it just won’t be those three teams in the future, because we have seen how Williams have moved down and then come back up again.”

Raikkonen’s long-term future is open, and the fight for his services when his Sauber contract ends will be fascinating. Anyone who has seen him drive at close quarters knows all about his abilities.

Top 10: Kimi Raikkonen’s greatest F1 races ranked

Sauber’s former chief designer, Sergio Rinland, left the team at the start of the year, and he does not mind admitting that his biggest loss in the move is not being able to work with young Raikkonen.

“It was just amazing,” remembers Rinland. “You could see it in his eyes that he was the man. He probably didn’t do a very quick lap time, but in sectors of the track you could see the difference between a good driver and someone who was trying very hard. The telemetry showed that in some sectors he was right on it.”

Willingness to push from the off impressed engineer Rinland

Photo by: Motorsport Images

Rinland remembers going out to the back of the Mugello circuit during the test to stand on the banking and observe Raikkonen in action. Michael Schumacher joined him and was instantly impressed by the style and speed of the young Finn.

Schumacher rarely compliments other drivers, but there was no doubting his feelings then. The world champion said: “I observed him, and I evaluated his lap times, and I could see he could be a champion.”

Is this young talents Ferrari’s next champion? Maybe. Is he a future champion? Almost certainly.

Raikkonen got his chance in a top car sooner than expected, when he replaced Hakkinen at McLaren for 2002

Photo by: Motorsport Images

What happened next?

Just one month later, Raikkonen's future was decided - and in that moment, he couldn't have been further away from Ferrari.

With double world champion Hakkinen losing motivation and on course to retire - his so-called 'sabbatical' would become a permanent one, barring a comeback test at Barcelona in 2007 - McLaren was in the market for a replacement.

Heidfeld, who had won the International F3000 title as a McLaren-supported driver in 1999, was widely expected to be the man who took the seat, while McLaren tester Alex Wurz was also in the frame.

PLUS: How Raikkonen's rapid rise stalled his team-mate's F1 career climb

But the man McLaren boss Ron Dennis wanted was Raikkonen. Dennis negotiated the Finn's exit from his deal at Hinwil - the severance package allowing the team to build a state-of-the-art windtunnel - and he duly lined up alongside David Coulthard for the 2002 season, coming close to a maiden win at Magny-Cours until slipping wide on oil to allow Schumacher through.

The breakthrough win duly came at Malaysia the following year as Raikkonen almost won the 2003 title with a year-old car, but his two-point deficit to Schumacher would be the closest he'd get to title success at McLaren. The team produced F1's fastest car in 2005, but poor reliability handed the title to the more consistent Fernando Alonso.

And so it was to Ferrari that Raikkonen eventually headed for 2007, fulfilling the prophesy in 2001 that he would take up Schumacher's mantle. The seven-time world champion was effectively forced aside to make space for the Finn, who won the title at the first time of asking in one of F1's most legendary comebacks against the McLarens of Alonso and Lewis Hamilton.

Archive: The ups and downs of Raikkonen's 2007 F1 title triumph

Forced out after two disappointing seasons in 2008 and 2009 to make room for Alonso, Raikkonen took a two-year sabbatical in the World Rally Championship before making a winning return with Lotus in 2012. That parlayed into a remarkable Ferrari return for 2014.

Only one more win would come, in the 2018 US GP, before he was replaced for 2019 by Charles Leclerc to see out the remainder of his career in the midfield - back where it all began at the Alfa Romeo-branded Sauber team.

#Kimi Raikkonen #raikkonen #kimi #kimi7 #sauber #alfa romeo f1 #alfa romeo #alfa f1 #f1

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clockworkgraystairs · 4 years

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There is no such thing as vampires #1 || Jurdan AU

Jurdan Smut Week 2020 • DAY 2

The prompt was technically dagger play...it didn’t really worked that way but HEY more smut! (vampire smut cough)

@jurdannet @jurdannetrevels

Rating: E (no I don’t mean ‘everyone’)

Warnings: Explicit content, mentions of blood, some biting (it’s a vampire au c’mon), swear words (just in case)

Summary:

Behind me stands a tall, slender man dressed in black trousers and one of those puffy white shirts men always use in period TV dramas. Raven curls frame the sharp angles of his face and his pale skin resembles marble. I stare at him unsure if my eyes widen because of the scare or how good looking he is. Maybe both.

His lips curve as if he finds my reaction somehow satisfying.

Extra comments: Just because I’m extra af, I’ll leave you the ambience music videos I listened while writing this. In case you’d like to hear them while reading:

Rain in a forest at night - Haunted Mansion/rain/thunder/wind - Narnia Lullaby

Written for: @slightlyrebelliouswriter23 MA’AM AS ALWAYS THANK YOU FOR ALL THE HELP AND SUPPORT, FOR BETAING THIS UNENDING PIECE AND FOR HELPING ME CRAFTING THE IDEA FOR IT! ❤️

Part 1 || Part 2

Masterlist • AO3

“Please tell me again why are we doing this?” I ask for the third time, leaning to rest my head on my sister’s shoulder. We bounce as the uncomfortable van we travel in turns to a cobbled path, leading us deeper into the woods.

“Because,” Vivi hisses back. “Your little brother is currently in his Twilight-obsession phase, and he just broke up with his girlfriend so we’re trying to cheer him up!”

“He’s 9! And they lasted like, what? Four hours?”

In that moment, Oak turns violently from the front seat, scowling at me. “First of all Jude, we were together two full days ok? She was the love of my life and suddenly she’s not sure about us anymore? Now I shall never find love again! I might have to become a priest. I expect a little consideration.”

Vivi ruffles his hair affectionately. “We absolutely understand, your sister here doesn’t have an ounce of romance in her veins but of course she supports the cause.”

That said, he returns to his place. I bite my lip hard, trying not to laugh. Typical Oak. I love my brother I really do, even if half of the time I can’t understand his dramatic outbursts.

Sighing, I stare through the window, to the heavy clouds gathering on top of us. Great. We are probably far away from the highway by now, nothing more than trees, rocks and occasional wild animals around. For some reason, our father had thought that there was no better way of fixing a kid’s broken heart than going on a quest in search of legends and hidden castles.

The thing is that apparently, it works. Instead of an incessant whining about love being doomed, my brother spends the days throwing the most random facts about werewolves, vampires, ghosts and any impossible creature. To be honest, I don’t think wikipedia and the Twilight books are a reliable source, but if it makes Oak happy I could live a couple of days with it. And most importantly if I have to choose between this or spending the week back at home with my mother and twin sister going to tea parties for old ladies, well, the answer is very clear.

I remember reading a few books about myths when I was younger. When I turned fifteen, I developed a hard crush on Brad Pitt after I saw Interview with the Vampire, filling half of the walls in my room with posters of him. Even now ten years later, I actually enjoy talking about old folklore and legends, urban myths and stuff like that.

What bugs me, are the fraudulent morons who want to take advantage of Oak’s naive curiosity to engage us in the most ridiculous tours that were obviously a waste of money. So far, we’d entered three “museums” where most of the so-called relics were made of plastic, and a haunted house with special effects so poorly done, father had discreetly asked for his money back. Only another two of the places we visited were actually interesting, but since the guides spent most of the time flirting with Vivi or me, it had annoyed our father.

Now though, we are driving behind the car of an old couple who swore their ancestors owned a castle where true vampires had lived once. The sole mention of the word “castle” was enough to make Oak hang from our father’s sleeve begging to go.

I’m not going to lie, it is an intriguing idea. But I remain a little worried about how much money Madoc is ready to pay before he hurries his little son back to his fantasy books and videogames.

“Dad, did you know that vampires like to live in the woods because it allows them to make racing competitions without being interrupted?” Oak asks with enthusiasm.

Madoc gasps. “Do they? Is it because they’re so fast?”

Okay, he might be willing to pay more than I thought. Next to me, Vivi muffles a laugh and keeps taking pictures for her instagram, occasionally asking for my help.

Upon arriving at the castle I have to suppress a curse. This, now, is a real castle. Nothing like the pitiful buildings we’d visited before. It is huge, made of pure stone and a modest wooden bridge that connects the entrance with the spot where the cars park. A slight fog covers the sides of the castle giving it a creepier look.

A shiver goes down my back. I turn to find my family who are all equally gaping at the place in front of them. Oak is visibly shaking with excitement. Vivi shoots me an astonished look before taking my brother’s hand and following the couple across the bridge.

The first thought that pops into my mind is that this place must have been taken out from a movie. Or set up for one. Maybe this is one of those pranks for TV. There is no other explanation for the massive room we find behind the giant front gate. Every inch of the walls is covered by paintings, several images barely recognizable through the dust. Aged furniture rests under dust and spiderwebs, pointing out they haven’t been used in quite some time. The illumination doesn’t help either. Electric lights hang from a few spots on the walls, though not enough for the big space, which I suspect is the reason that long candles are lit up too.

My next thought is that I should’ve brought my sweater. The damn place is freezing.

“Phew, sorry about the dust!” The old man says, flashing an embarrassed smile to us. “We were not planning to have any visitors yet.”

“You said this is going to be a museum?” Madoc asks, carefully surveying the walls. Next to him, Vivi tightens her hold on my brother’s hand to prevent him from starting to run around. I swear his eyes are about to pop out of their sockets.

“It will indeed! This place has been in our family for generations, but since it’s hard to adapt it to modern technology it was abandoned.” He turns to Oak and winks. “Not to mention the creepy things that happen here all the time.”

His gaze widens. “What kind of things?”

“Well, some distant relatives used to try spending their vacations here. But after a couple of days they left in a big rush, claiming some strange force had commanded them to go away.” With a lower voice, he adds. “They also mentioned noises coming out from empty rooms and dark hallways. Steps. Shadows that followed them along the place.”

For a second everyone remains silent. The only noise I can hear is the wind outside and the start of a slight rain. Somehow my hands are even colder.

“The legend says,” The woman, whose name is Marrow if I remember it correctly, continues while taking one chandelier with her hand. “This was the hideout of ancient vampires, how many, we don’t know. But they didn’t appreciate people trying to live within their domains.”

“So why come here at all?” Vivi asks. “Isn’t it dangerous?”

“It might be.” She shrugs. “But that’s half of the fun, isn’t it?”

“We like to think we’ve found a safe way to open this castle to the public without taking any risks. We will use a part of it as a museum, to show some of the family relics. But be aware, no one is allowed to go further than the marked area.” He signals at the yellow tape stuck on the floor forming arrows.

“If you please...” Marrow says, motioning at the stairs where the markings start.

They get me for a moment, not gonna lie. The surroundings and the way they speak are creepy enough to make me doubt my beliefs for a second. I shake my head to clear those thoughts away and walk behind my family. There’s no such thing as vampires or haunted castles.

We go through passages. Madoc has to remind Oak to not touch anything, constantly. From what I see, he’s living his best day. Several counters line up side by side against the wall. Some of them contain jewelry, others weapons, old writing pens among other things. Most of them carry a family shield, although it’s too blurry to properly identify what it says.

The rain thickens outside and Marrow keeps talking. She tells the story of her so called ancestors, whose family were big enough to fill all the rooms in the castle. Elwen, Eldred… something like that, and his many wives had once lived here. Along with his abounding children. I see in Oak’s face the intention to ask about how that family arrangement worked but Vivi gives him a slight pull of his hair.

I would have thought our guides would try to keep a proud name for their so-called ancestors. But they don’t. In fact, she seems particularly interested in explaining how Eldred’s cruel and terrible nature brought him nothing but disgrace. His once prosperous castle and assets were gone little by little. He claimed he was under the effects of a curse, but no one dared believing him. At least not until people started disappearing.

I stop listening at some point, focusing my attention on the relics in front of me. I’ve always felt a significant attraction to weapons, but not the ordinary ones like guns or rifles. These ones though, such beautiful daggers and swords. I’d give a kidney just to hold one of them.

On the next shelf books pile one next to the other, the dust around them a clear sign of how long they’ve been unbothered. All except for one. The navy blue cover has almost no dust at all, yet it looks like it would fall apart with a gentle blow of wind. The title is partially gone, probably through time.

I turn my head to my family but they’re gone, probably to another corridor since I can still hear the muffled voice of Marrow and my brother. Would she care at all if I check out that book?

I bite my lip. As long as it doesn’t break it’s probably alright. Standing on the tip of my toes I reach for it.

“That is an excellent book.”

I shriek and whip around, my hand flies to my mouth trying to cover the embarrassing sound. The book falls open next to my feet.

His lips curve as if he finds my reaction somehow satisfying. “My personal favorite. Too bad the author was a poisonous bunch-backed toad.”

My mouth opens to apologize, but I only manage to let out a strangled. “Shit”

The stranger lifts an eyebrow and chuckles.

“Sorry, I- that wasn’t what I meant to say.” I stutter. I feel as if my heart has jumped to my throat. “I wasn’t trying to steal the book.”

“I did not say you were.” He answers, his voice is like velvet.

I nod and take a deep breath. “I came in with my family. Marrow is showing us the place.”

His dark eyes wander down my body, but not like one of those rude men on the streets. No. Something in his gaze feels feral, like an animal sizing up his prey. A strange urge to run pools in my stomach, yet at the same time my muscles seem to have forgotten how to do so.

He looks me in the eyes again and it’s all gone. I let go of the tension in my back and a breath I didn’t know I was holding. When he smiles again, I feel as if I could trust him. Why shouldn’t I?

“And are you enjoying the tour?” He bends to pick up the book I’d dropped before and puts it back on the shelf. His movements are fluid and carefree. I doubt I’ve ever seen such elegance in a simple action. It is unsettling as much as it is attractive. Then I realize I’m supposed to answer.

“Yes, this is amazing actually.” I look around and take in the aged stone of the walls and ceiling. In that corridor there’s only one electric lamp, the rest is only lightened by candles. I can see our shadows dancing along to the flames. “All of this really helps getting in the ‘mood’.”

“The mood?”

I look at him and notice his tilted head. “Yeah you know, the mood of enchanted castles and old legends. This is well put enough that a credulous person would believe any story. Marrow is pretty good at it too.” Motioning a hand to him I add. “They even have their own actor.”

A thunder roars outside. “I beg your pardon?”

I roll my eyes and flash him a smile. “You don’t really have to keep the charade with me. I’m not some schoolgirl.”

“Yet I managed to pull a scream out of you, didn’t I?” The way he says it feels as if he was talking about an entirely different subject. Heat creeps up my cheeks.

“That was… not the same.” I mumble. “I didn’t hear you approaching. That could scare the living hell out of anybody.”

“I have been told I am quite sneaky, I concede you that.” He nods. “Why don’t I give you the rest of the tour? As an apology, of course.”

He’s doing his job, I remind myself, he’s not flirting with you.

“You haven’t even told me your name.” I say. “If we’re roaming around a castle together I should at least know who’s guiding me.”

That sounded an awful lot like flirting. Dammit.

“Cardan, at your service madam.” The tone he uses feels like a caress, he bows his head in a way I’ve only seen in movies. He takes his role seriously. I almost chuckle, but the sound dies in my throat.

“Cardan.” I repeat, just for the pleasure of doing it. “My name is Jude.”

He straightens. “Delighted to meet your acquaintance.” He answers and offers me his arm. “Shall we, Jude?”

I can’t believe how far away my family has gone. Cardan and I walk through a couple of corridors and still there is no trace of them. Did we take that long talking?

He’s an excellent guide, I have to acknowledge that.

While Marrow uses a tone of suspense and mystery, Cardan has this melancholy in his voice that sounds as if he’s talking about a memory. It’s bewitching. He also drops the most ridiculous “facts” about the people on the paintings. I refrain myself from asking if inventing things is allowed for employees, because saying that the girl with the pearl necklace enjoyed to play on the beach while saying she was the Princess of the Sea, certainly sounds like it.

“If you bite your lip one more time, I am going to do it for you.”

My heart skips a bit and I let go of my lower lip. I hadn’t realized I was tugging it. It’s an unconscious habit. I turn to him and I find his gaze different, hungry. It sends a shiver down to a place I know it shouldn’t. He arches an eyebrow as though he notices it.

“Is that a thing vampires like to do?” I say, trying to lighten the mood. The last thing I want him to know is that for the last twenty minutes I’ve been listening to him speak wishing he put a different use to that wicked mouth of his.

His gaze doesn’t change. “It is a thing I would like to do.”

I am pretty sure my expression is giving me up by now. Knowing my traitorous body, I’m probably flushed, my mouth open in awe. Desire coils inside me.

At my lack of answer, he continues. “Why don’t I show you something vampires really like to do?”

He walks back without letting go of my hand. I notice he steps out from the marked section and into a forbidden corridor.

The sensation returns, the one that is telling me to run. The problem is that I don’t know whether to run away, or straight to it. My mind wants both and my body, only one.

“You’re going to the restricted area.” I’m partially surprised by how breathless my voice sounds. “You can’t go in there…”

Cardan pauses and a confused expression crosses his face. A second later, it returns to his charming and teasing smile. “Are you afraid?”

I am.

Yet, I don’t care. I walk into the shadows with him.

As we cross the passage darkened by the lack of chandeliers I tell myself this is a terrible, terrible idea. The way he devours my mouth the moment a door slams shut behind us, convinces me it is the best.

Cardan pushes me against the wall, the cold temperature of the stone goes through my clothes making me gasp. He takes the opportunity and kisses me harder, his tongue explores my mouth with such deliciousness I have to bite back a moan.

My fingers are tangled in his hair pulling him closer to me, if such a thing is even possible. His hands are everything but still. They roam intensely from my breasts, down my sides and finally to my rear, where he grabs me, pressing me against his pelvis. I hear him groan and the sound makes something clench inside me.

Before I can double-think about it, one of my hands lowers to rub his hardness, still hidden behind his trousers. His breath hitches. He pulls back a bit and whispers to my ear. “Needy little human.”

I frown a moment, something about his words not clicking inside my brain but whatever it is I forget it the moment he slides his cold hands under my jersey. I yelp at the sensation, not sure if what flutters down my back is a result of the temperature or the eagerness which he’s holding me with. When he reaches my bra I hesitate for a moment. Cardan pauses too and leans back to stare into my eyes.

“Do you want to stop?” His voice is throaty and charged with desire. Still, he doesn’t make a move, waiting for my answer.

An instinctive part of me knows this is something I shouldn’t be doing. But that’s definitely not any close to me wanting to stop. Without removing my eyes from his I take the hem of my jersey to pull it over my head. The piece of fabric hits the floor, but neither of us pays attention to it. Once again Cardan’s gaze roams me in that predatory way.

I don’t stagger this time.

When my bra falls to the floor too, I take his hand and guide it to my jean’s button. “Do I look like I want to stop?”

Without hesitation he yanks the button open and slides his hand inside to cup the apex of my thighs. The contrast of my warm skin against his coldness makes my hips buck. Cardan buries his other hand in my hair and tilts my head back. I can feel his lips nipping down my jaw and my neck. A moan escapes my lips as he swipes a finger along my heat. He hums in response, the vibrations of it against my neck makes my eyes roll back.

He continues his ministrations until he feels me wet enough to slide a finger inside, he curls and pulls out. Then back inside. My breath comes out in elaborated pants as he quickens his pace. My hands almost finish unbuttoning his shirt when he slides another finger through my folds, his movements turn fast and punishing. Wet sounds taint the silence around us. As pleasure takes full control of my body I cling to him like a life saver, trying to muffle my moans.

“Let go Jude, let go for me.” He breathes next to my ear. My back arches and I sob a curse, writhing down on his hand.

He slows down as I come back from my orgasm, but never stops. Despite the freezing surroundings a drop of sweat runs down my chest. My heart beats as if I just ran a marathon. Cardan’s lazy moves continue, frequently grazing that spot that makes me mewl.

I hear him sigh. “You smell so good.” He claims my mouth one more time and bites me hard enough to make me wince. His tongue caresses my lower lip and a warm throb expands through my veins. He freezes and pulls back, releasing me. I stare at him in confusion, or at least as much as I can manage giving my current state.

He pants a couple of times before looking up at me. There’s a fiercess in his eyes that would’ve been scary under normal situations, right now, it only makes me want him more. He swallows before finally speaking. “If we go further, I won’t be able to stop.” His voice is like sandpaper.

My body seems to work on its own account, as I move to cup his face between my hands. “I already told you.”

“Jude…” He warns me, but I interrupt him joining my lips to his.

“I want this.” I breathe into his mouth. Cardan lets out a defeated groan before pulling my body back against his. Either he’s been holding back or it is until that moment that I realize how strong he actually is. He kisses me like a starved man and I can feel my pulse rise once again.

Soon his shirt joins my other clothing. My fingers trace his chest and torso, marveled at the softness of his skin. I mimic him moments before and kiss his neck. A low sound that almost resembles a growl comes out from his throat. My hands travel lower.

Somehow I manage to free his raging erection from his trousers, closing my hand around him. He hisses and then tilts his hips up to my touch. I start pumping him with unsure movements before gaining confidence to do it harder, tighter. Now it’s his turn to curse. Even though it sounds like something taken out from a Shakespeare novel, it makes my core pulse.

Cardan grips the hem of my jeans strong enough that for a moment I fear he’d rip them away.

“Take these off.” He demands instead.

I’m not sure of how I manage to do it. My mind feels blurred with a mix of sensations. Disoriented, not sure about exactly how my body is doing all of that, and the bliss of knowing I’m enjoying every second of it.

Before the air hits my skin, Cardan lifts me from the ground. My legs circle his waist in a reflexive move. His lips quirk in approval. Then my back is once again pressed against the wall, making me arch in a failed attempt to avoid touching the cold stone. A sound leaves my mouth, though it is not clear if it’s a protest or a moan. I hear him chuckle in my ear and I turn my head, searching his lips.

His kiss is slower but still deep. I feel as if small electric sparks are tickling every single one of my nerves. More, I need more. Cardan holds me in place with his hips, letting his hands wander up and down my legs.

The tip of his shaft is grazing my core over the thin fabric of my remaining piece of clothing, with an aching slowness that is not enough to ease my thirst. More.

I might have said that out loud because Cardan’s hips grind faster against me. It feels so good. And yet, it’s not enough.

I whine his name like a plea.

He continues for a couple of torturing seconds before reaching between my thighs again. There’s no teasing now as he moves my panties aside and immediately sinks his fingers inside me, pumping in and out with a pace that has me gasping in no time. He murmurs something I can’t understand and lines himself up to my entrance.

With soft, deliberate movements he slides through my heat, letting me feel every inch of him until he’s completely filling me. Then he stills. My muscles twitch around him, trying to adjust to the invasion. The exquisiteness of it is making my head swoon.

Cardan grabs my jaw and locks his gaze with mine. I can imagine what he’s looking at. Hooded eyes and flushed skin, though he doesn’t let me think a lot about it as he starts to move. Slow at first, with careful strokes that quickly evolve into long and deep. My mouth falls open at the sensation and my eyes shut.

“I warned you.” I hear him pant. “That there was no coming back.”

A whimper escapes my lips. I’m not even sure I’m actually trying to say something. He doesn’t seem to care either and leans to whisper to my ear. “You are mine now, Jude.”

There is something in the way he says it, his words carrying some compelling implication I can’t fully catch. His lips trail down my neck and I want to answer. To tell him that I am, that after the way he’s taking me, how could it be otherwise?

That’s when I feel a sharp stinging pain on the base of my throat.

I cry out and try to shake it away but whatever it is won’t let me go. Cardan’s words echo at the back of my mind, Needy little human.

As if sensing my thoughts he grabs my thighs and opens them wider, he thrusts into me harder and faster. Everything mixes in sensation. Pain leaves as fast as it came, leaving behind it that throb in my veins I can’t really explain. It is more intense now, what I felt as warm now is scorching. My entire body feels like it’s on fire, I’ve never felt so exhilarated before in my life. I don’t want it to stop.

Cardan sucks on my neck again and I moan his name. Without realizing it, I’m on the brink of another orgasm. I only realize it because he groans when my legs start to shiver around him. I cling to his neck and his hair. If I’m pulling too hard I can’t really know. A familiar swirl comes up from my core to the rest of my body as I spasm around him. It takes me a moment to notice the broken moans and sobs I hear come from my own mouth.

He keeps going a little longer until his fingers tighten over my skin, surely leaving bruises on both thighs. Muffled moans ring against my skin as he comes, thrusting in a couple of times more before stilling. A warm sensation covers the place where we join together. His mouth lets go of my neck. I grunt and shiver.

He puts me down carefully, still holding my waist, which is good considering I don’t know if I’m able to stand by myself. I feel dizzy. Cardan lowers his lips to mine one more time. He’s slow and gentle as though he’s worried. There is a slightly metallic taste in his tongue but I don’t pay attention to it. I trace the fine features of his face with trembling fingers. Little by little my senses start to take in the surroundings, the cold.

The place rumbles with another crack of thunder.

“You have to go back.” Cardan says, barely pulling his lips apart. Go back. I frown, then images of my family crash in my mind. I look around searching for the door, there is something on the floor. I realize soon those are my clothes. Shit. The tour, Oak. How much time have I been gone?

I dress in a hurry, not really caring if I put on my jersey correctly. He does the same but with the calm an elegance he has.

Panic must be written in my face because he grabs my chin and turns me to him. “Hey. Calm down.” He soothes me. Then his tone changes, turns commanding. His eyes are darker too. “Listen to me. You are going to do exactly as I say, do you understand Jude?”

I want to ask why, but for some reason I only nod. Cardan grabs my hand and pulls me out of whatever room we were in. “You must follow this passage until you find a way to turn left. Then continue until you see a painting of a black snake then turn right, you cannot miss it or you will get lost. Walk straight, and you will be back to a safe area.”

“But-” I start. I don’t want to go alone. And I don’t understand why but I don’t want to separate from him either. Which is nonsense, I barely know him and still...

He interrupts me. “I cannot go with you, I have lost so much control already and I don’t think…”

“Cardan, I can’t-”

A growl echoes in his chest and he pulls me closer to him. While his voice is still hypnotizing it sounds threatening now. “You will not tell anybody about what you saw here. Now go if you intend to leave this place alive.”

Then he's gone. I can’t recall if I blinked or turned, because a moment before I could still touch him and now he vanished.

I take a deep breath and start walking. Focus. Go straight, then turn right. Or was it left?

All passages look the same, some spaces don’t even have a painting or anything at all to help me differentiate them. Sometimes I whip around, thinking I heard a familiar chuckle behind me. Distant rain is the only sound that is a constant companion, but even with it I’m able to hear an echo of every step I give. It unsettles me more with every minute that passes. Although I feel more in control of my body than before, my knees falter constantly and a sensation of tiredness slides over my mind.

I find the snake painting just as I’d started to think I would be trapped here forever.

It’s huge, and despite the years that have probably passed the scales still seem to shine. The head is painted in an angle that gives the illusion of the eyes following the person looking at it. It doesn’t help that the candle’s flames also make the snake look as if it’s moving. Stalking. Before noticing, I start hyperventilating. I shut my eyes close and turn away. Something is terribly wrong with me, I need to get out.

Turning right, I start running. I cover my ears fearing that if I don’t, I’ll start hearing the snake’s hiss behind me.

I cross an arch made with the same stone and stop right in my tracks upon realizing somehow I’m back at the room where we first arrived. I blink to adjust my eyes to the change of light, since here’s where all the electric lamps are. The room is empty though.

I’m not sure of what I am supposed to do now. Sit and wait? Go out to the car?

While I’m weighing my options, trying to choose any that doesn’t imply dropping myself on the floor to have a panic attack, I hear murmurs and steps getting closer.

“Jude!” My little brother yells and runs to me. Behind him, Vivi scans me like she’s trying to find something wrong. I straighten my back and put on my best calmed face.

“Where were you?” She demands. “We lost you hours ago! Are you ok? You look pale.”

Always such a mother hen, I sigh. “I’m fine. I fell behind and lost y’all. Then... I guessed it would be better to just… return here.”

I try not to frown at my last words, since I didn’t fully intend to say them. You will not tell anybody about what you saw here.

“Jude knows how to take care of herself.” My father adds. I could hug him, but we’re not exactly the affectionate type. So I just flash him a smile.

Vivi does not look convinced but still stands down. “I guess so. The weather did a mess with your hair though.” A flash of Cardan’s fingers pulling from it to gain access to my neck sends a shiver through my body. Had that really happened just minutes before?

Before I can answer, Marrow calls for us. We turn to find her standing next to a big set of paintings that apparently were covered with a curtain. “You cannot leave without meeting the royal family.”

The canvases are ordered to mimic a family tree. A man with a severe expression rests at the very top. Eldred, I assume. Just by looking at it I feel judged. I can’t imagine what was like to actually live with him. The pictures of his wives look all so different but under them, their sons do have resemblance to one another. A weird sensation tickles my fingers as my gaze continues travelling over the paintings. Finally, I get to the last one. Once more, I cover my mouth to avoid an undesired sound.

Staring back at me I see Cardan.

I don’t care if it’s a painting, there is no way I could not recognize those features. Those lips.

“A big family, I see.” Madoc’s words seem so far away.

Marrow hums in agreement. “The Greenbriars always felt proud of their vast offspring. Such attractive sons and daughters. It’s a shame the curse took most of their lives all those centuries ago.”

“Did he…” I start, without knowing how to continue.

She approaches me to look at the canvas. “Ah, young master Cardan. He was the last one of Eldred’s children.” Then a frown appears on her face. “There was a lot of controversy regarding his death. Some say he died because of the curse, some others say he was the curse. The books all have different versions.”

“That sounds creepy as fuck.” Vivi says.

“Creepy as fuck.” My brother mimics her, the thoughtful expression on his face makes him look ridiculous. We cackle as Vivi shouts Oak he’s not supposed to say bad words.

By the time we get out of the castle the rain has decreased to a drizzle.

Madoc carries Oak on his shoulders, listening to his non-stop squeals of excitement after visiting what he calls ‘a real vampire hideout’. This time, I don’t find the words to contradict him. Vivi is the first one to get to the car, shouting back some nonsense about the Greenbriars needing a protection hex.

The moment I step down from the bridge something shifts in my head and I feel as if I had just woken up.

Perhaps it is me who needs a protection spell after all.

Before closing the car’s door, I turn to the castle one more time. Marrow and her husband wave at us from the front gate.

A dull ache throbs on the base of my neck and my hand flies to the spot. I retrieve it and see blood staining my fingers.

My heart misses a beat when I lift my gaze to the upper windows, where a tall figure with white shirt and dark hair is looking right back.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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