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bexterbex · 4 years

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A Soul to Mend His Own | Ch. 4

Warning, if it hasn't been obvious in the movies there is Nazi symbolism within the First Order. I will expand on this much more throughout the story. If this is something that bothers you, please just exit the story. The author does not condone any Nazi ideals, this is just for fictional uses only.

A Kylo Ren x Modern! Reader in a soulmate au with some canon divergence. —————————————SLOWBURN————————————–

He is already the Supreme leader, searching the universe to find you, his Empress. Your name on his wrist has been the only constant in his life, while you have doubts about his existence and his acceptance of you. He isn’t in the database and why did the name Kylo Ren cover Ben Solo?

Originally posted on my Ao3 Crystallclover. (Incase you missed it) Chapter Three

Chapter 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

Chapter 4: When the Machine Starts

Summary: “ALL REMAINING SYSTEMS WILL REMEMBER THIS, AS THE FIRST DAY OF THE NEW EMPIRE!!!” Cannon fire was heard in the distance.

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“Y/N? What do you think,” asked Carter.

You thought for a moment and answered, “I don’t know, this is all so much to take in. When are you guys thinking about registering? I don’t want to go alone, there will be too many people.”

“I was thinking about going tomorrow morning. The registration office closest to me doesn’t open until 9 AM but I want to guarantee that a line will start 6,” said Carter.

“I guess I really hadn’t thought that far to be honest. Too caught up in the alien thing,” said Hayden “Why don’t we plan on going together?”

“I think that would great, but Y/N do you need to go to a special registration center? As an American,” asked Carter.

“Let me check online,” you said while pulling up the government website on your phone. “It says it I should be fine if I go to the motor vehicle registration office, the social insurance number office, or the immigration office. I need my passport, social security card, immunization forms, birth certificate, driver's license, and work visa. It also says that I will be in a separate line and that my registration will take up to 1 hour to complete.”

“Sweet, I know you aren’t a fan of getting up early Hayden but what if we all go to the MVR office tomorrow at like 5:45 AM and just get it done together? We have no idea how long the lines will be or really how long it will take,” asked Carter.

“Fine, but like we need to get brunch afterward or I will riot in the streets. You guys don’t have to work tomorrow right,” asked Hayden. “Tony gave me the next few days off.”

“No, Henry gave us all time off. I’m pretty sure Scott and his wife will go awol. Like you should have seen him this morning. He was on his phone in the walkway for the first hour, late to our meeting. Ally had to message him asking if he was coming. He then walked finally went into his office and got ready. He blamed it on his wife being paranoid,” you said.

“Yeah but that is such a Scott thing to do, I am surprised Talia hasn’t evaluated him yet that man is a walking HR nightmare,” said Carter.

“That isn’t even the worst of it. Immediately after the announcement he kind flipped out. Talking about how the First Order will brainwash us and how we shouldn’t stand for it. Like I’m pretty sure he was going to blow a gasket. Daniel told him off and then he went to talk to Henry but not until saying that this may be the last time we will probably see our families, then Henry gave us the week off basically,” you ranted. “I honestly hate the man he’s late to everything, even deadlines, he also can’t organize his office even if his life depended on it. Plus he’s always on his phone with his wife. Just all around unprofessional.”

“Damn go off, I would hate to hear what you would have go say about me if I worked with you,” stated Hayden.

“Well, I’m glad we are just friends and not coworkers. Brunch sounds like a good idea to me, especially if we can start day drinking because guaranteed my registration is going to be more stressful than both of yours and I’ll probably need something to take the edge off. And if Scott is right about this being the last bits of freedom before the First Order starts brainwashing us or ‘probing’ us then I’d like it to be fun,” you ranted.

“Probing, damn I wish I thought of that earlier. You know we should start watching some really cheesy Sci-FI movies before the ‘Supreme Leader’ announcement,” suggested Hayden.

Both you and Carter agreed and you set up your phone to keep steaming CBC News and you set up “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” on your laptop.

After your third movie, you all just decide to pull up the news to avoid missing the announcement. The seemingly perfect white brunette anchorman and similarly perfect blonde anchorwoman were explaining once again where to register while also talking about the average wait time to register. You always found their perfect hair, teeth, and skin; they were just too perfect.

Live from Washington D.C.

The camera focused in on the Supreme Leader, “People of Earth, the First Order has so far been impressed by the cooperation we have received from you. As it was mentioned before, if you remain calm and follow all orders directed towards you, you will be able to live a long and prosperous life here.

Your respective nation’s leader should have informed you of more updates such as where to receive registration and changes to your planet's economy. The First Order and my self Supreme Leader Ren have a few more directives for you.

First as mentioned to you many times today, everyone on your planet must register with the First Order as citizens. Anyone refusing to do so will be dealt with justly. Second, all citizens upon registration will receive an education on the First Orders and the beliefs of the new empire. Any citizen who has an issue with this education should direct their comments and concerns to any Stormtrooper or First Order officer at their local registration station.

Finally, anyone found in favor of the New Republic or the Resistance will be dealt with immediately. The First Order would like to make this transition for Earth as smooth and as peaceful as possible. Any found being a traitor to the First Order may find themselves at a public execution!

My Allegiant General Hux has a few words for you.” He stepped to the side to reveal the ginger human-looking man.

“Today is the is the beginning of the new empire! And the end of a regime that acquiesces to disorder! At this very moment, in a system far from here, the New Republic lies to the galaxy, while secretly supporting the treachery of the loathsome Resistance,” The red hair man almost seemed to be foaming at the mouth while he was giving his speech. “Our alliance is a fierce machine that we will build, upon which we will stand, will bring an end to the Senate, and to their cherished fleet! ALL REMAINING SYSTEMS WILL REMEMBER THIS, AS THE FIRST DAY OF THE NEW EMPIRE!!!” Cannon fire was heard in the distance and the camera came to a wide shot of the podium’s stage.

On the stage, you could see the U.S. President, Supreme Leader Ren, Allegiant General Hux, and the silver armored soldier. Behind the stage, you could see the white house lawn filled with the white armored soldiers standing at attention. In the distance you could see there was now a banner over the white house, it was large and read with a hexagon with a star-like black symbol. You assumed this to be the flag of the First Order.

The camera cuts back to the news anchors who were now conspicuously wearing pins with the same symbol that was on the banner. “I like the sound of that, don’t you Karen,” asked the male news anchor.

“I sure do Jim. A new galactic economy and protection from a powerful new ally to protect us from the treacherous Resistance. I don’t think we could have asked for a better ‘alien’ invasion, do you, Jim,” responded Karen.

“Now it's almost as if fate was on our side, or should I say the Force. For everybody, at home, both Karen and I have been registered and have started our First Order education. That’s where we got these cool new pins that you will be required to wear once you’ve been registered unless directed to do otherwise,” stated Jim.

“Yes, it is important that all citizens register as soon as possible, and all citizens are asked to cooperate with the First Order. You all heard our new Supreme Leader Ren, they would like us to be peaceful and anyone found in contempt of the First Order may be subject to public execution,” stated Karen. “And I’m sure all of you remember 8th-grade world history when we learned about what happened to Marie Antoinette, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves.” She and Jim chuckled at her off-color joke.

“I’m sure no one wants that so if we all stay calm no one should lose their head. There will be nightly updates every night at 7 PM Eastern Standard Time from the First Order. We have been informed that it will be various officers as our new Supreme Leader is very busy,” stated Jim.

“I’m sure he is, and what a wonderful Supreme Leader we have. Dedicated to our safety and the safety of the galaxy. I can’t wait to learn more about him from my First Order education. Now stay tuned to the weather,” said Karen.

You muted your laptop once again. You, Carter and Hayden all sat in shock after what you just watched.

Carter was the first to speak, “well at least be getting the registration and education over an done with as soon as possible. That General Hux guy seemed pretty intense.”

“Your boss might be right Y/N we may just all be brainwashed soon. Why do I have a feeling like the First Order may be something out of a George Orwell's novel,” said Hayden.

“Just promise us you won’t do anything stupid Hayden, we will all have enough to worry about. Tomorrow at the registration office you might want to keep your conspiracy theories to yourself. I don’t know how much the First Order will like them,” you responded.

Carter seemed to be in agreement with you, “Why don’t we all just call it a night? We can meet in the parking lot of the MVR office at 5:45 AM and I’ll bring coffee for all of us.”

You and Hayden nodded in agreement. Both of them packed up their things and left. You cleaned up the kitchen and plates. Shut your laptop before preparing for bed.

You grabbed your pajamas and went into the bathroom and took a shower hoping it would relax you. Getting you changed into your clothes, brushed your hair and teeth.

You shut off the lights to your apartment and walked over to your bed. You plugged in your phone and set an alarm before crawling into bed and drifting off into fitful sleep.

#lets see if this works #kylo ren #kylo ren x reader #kylo ren imagine #kylo x you #star wars imagine #Star wars soulmate au #star wars #star wars first order #sw first order imagine #first order #feedback is appreciated #armitage hux #a soul to mend his own

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tragedybunny · 4 years

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The Blade’s Edge - A League of Legends Fanfiction - Chapter 17

Hello Lovelies, I hope you are all well in these times. Out of sickness and moving house, I bring you this chapter.

❤Tragedybunny❤

They had a simple arrangement. She was the weapon to be used on his enemies. Things get more complicated when emotions bleed into what should simple. Now the two of them find themselves on the precipice of something that was entirely unexpected.

I stretch and make a note on the report in front of me, the last of a small mountain that had occupied most of my desk, well the desk I poached from the downstairs study. I determine that ultimately it contains nothing of consequence to the Empire. It puts forward that the rebelling mages put an end to Jarvan III, a conclusion that I find open to doubt. Rebels whose very existence was outlawed in Demacia would have seen much more value in the King as a bargaining chip or at least executed him very publicly. I imagine something else is at play. Unless their leader really is the raving madman the Crown Prince has painted him as. Ah Demacia, that veneer of justice and mercy is starting to wear off. I wonder… no, that belongs in the past.

We should dig deeper into what befell this last Jarvan, we might even find out before the newest Jarvan. I carefully lay out the orders in a code, wax seal it, and put it on the pile to be dispatched. At my feet, Skadi stirs and makes an excited chirp startling Bea who digs her claws into my shoulder and caws angrily. Jericho had infuriatingly been proven right about the challenges of keeping the two of them in the same house. I wince but stroke her head, trying to calm her. “Come in Rowan.”

The door to my parlor turned office opens and Rowan glides through, cloak billowing around them. “How did you know it was me?”

I look down as Skadi hurtles across the floor, a black and red blur, to collide with their legs, leathery tail whipping back and forth. “She never growls when it’s you.”

They bend down and acknowledge her with a quick pat which sends her trotting happily back to my side. Rowan slides into the chair across from me, tactfully averting their eyes as I move the reports out of sight. “She certainly has grown quite large in just a couple of months.”

“She’s also a pain in my ass.” Papers stowed, I pull her into my lap, which Bea mercifully tolerates. “And how are you, Rowan?”

“Quite excellent, that hidden library in the Bastion is yielding many interesting insights and mysteries. The Mage’s Council is eternally grateful to the Grand General for the unfettered access to it. It sounds as though he has fared well against this rebellion?”

“As you would imagine. Most of their number broke and ran as soon they realized who they were up against. He’s been chasing down stray bands of them but it would seem a good number have faded back into their former lives.” Skadi suddenly tilts her head up to lick my chin, a habit she’s developed that I imagine Jericho is going to despise. To his credit, he had tried to conceal his dislike for drake hounds but it didn’t take long before it was obvious. I don’t understand why he agreed to me keeping her at all.

“And yourself, is the recent promotion agreeing with you?” I note they’ve been fidgeting with the sleeve of their robe since they sat. Typical of life in Noxian High Command, something more is at play.

I stand, firmly holding Skadi, and Bea vacates my shoulder. “The weather is lovely, let’s walk and talk. I’ll show you my garden.” That should be far enough from any eyes and ears that could be curious. Moira, to her credit, rules the staff with an iron grip, but Gwen’s spy ring has taught me how dangerous their disloyalty can be. Rowan nods and follows my lead out into the hall. “I hate this damned promotion! Between overseeing a contingent of warmasons and leading the Guild I spend most of my time doing dull administrative tasks.” I can’t even admit to them that Inara is mostly running the Guild while I scramble to keep tabs on all of Jericho’s pawns, allies and enemies alike. When he returns I’ll have to have words with her, she’s been spikier than usual and seems to be avoiding me. I navigate the stairs with Skadi in my arms, she still has trouble not tumbling down them, and set her down to bound along behind us. “And I still think it has more to do with earning my husband’s favor than anything I’ve done.” Summer has just settled over the Capitol and the windows all stand open to ease the stifling heat.

“Perhaps, or perhaps your capabilities are greater than you estimate. I’ve heard no complaints about your performance.” Rowan has developed quite a few ties in High Command with their place in the Mage’s Council, and they’re not shy about exploiting that for information.

Silence falls as we pass through the house and finally we reach my long sought after prize. The garden, now reclaimed, is an explosion of color, order carefully disguised as chaos. It seems like a wild space, a forest clearing somewhere far from the harsh steppes of the Noxian homelands, as long as you ignore the benches and fountains.”How do you like it? I didn’t want it to look overly fussy.”

They think for a moment as we continue to stroll. “Perceptive choice. You make an excellent Lady of the House. Perhaps you can even host that trade delegation from Piltover”

I turn to glare at them and see the smile they don’t bother to conceal. “You’re not the first to think this a joking matter. You’re just lucky I’m fond of you and won’t consider stabbing you for it. And don’t remind me of the god's forsaken mess that is Piltover.” We come to a stop and I notice Bea perched in the branches above us. She hasn’t strayed far since Jericho left, she must really feel his absence. “I know you’re not here for tea and gossip or to see this garden. What really brings you here?”

We’re finally out of earshot of the house, a small tree blocking us from view. They lean down to use a hushed tone anyway. “She came to see me. She’s plotting something, I can tell. She was making not so subtle overtures for my allegiance.”

I narrow my eyes. She’s getting aggressive with Jericho gone, but this is more proof of his suspicions. Maybe even something that can finally be acted on. “Keep her dangling?”

“I played neutral, yes. There’s more though, I’m hearing constant rumors, she’s recruiting others. There are possible traitors everywhere, even among your own.”

I think of all the Guild’s potential recruits that have vanished, our numbers still thin, likely an intentional move. I didn’t miss the tense look of General Talus when she promoted me, giving me rank in Intelligence I hadn’t earned. It makes sense now, my loyalty to the Trifarix is somewhat guaranteed. The irony is that the threat is from within the council itself. “Keep what mages you can loyal. And if you can get any word of her sanguinary friend moving outside his little Crimson Cult, make it a priority.”

“Of course. And I’ll await the Grand General’s return with fervor, ready to be of any use I can.” They look down suddenly, eyes wide. Skadi is happily chewing on the hem of their robe.

“Bad girl, stop that.” I lean down and scoop her up “Apologies, we’re still training.” I grimace, cheeks flushing.

Rowan laughs, a musical sound that’s been said to enchant. “Worry not, this is the least of our problems. I will be in touch, dear Katarina.”

Once I see them out I return to the daunting stack of reports. They have a strict deadline of tomorrow morning, I’ve already put them off as long as I can. Currently, I oversee our warmasons to the far west, mainly Demacia and its immediate neighbors. This intel isn’t used for direct military action, yet. We predict where they will intervene, where the Empire can use it’s warhosts most effectively. Although, with all that has happened, I imagine Demacia’s military will be occupied for some time. I can’t say they don’t deserve this with their foolish and backward attitude toward magic.

My mind wanders to Rowan’s warning, the danger is growing and she’s outed herself as the one behind it. If she were mortal I would have slit her throat long ago. She ensnared my father, caused his death, and now she threatens my…, my husband. I look down at the ring on my hand, still an unbelievable thing to behold. He was right about the necessity, it’s been an endless task to keep our circle of allies tight and make sure his presence is still felt in the Capitol. There is the nice little reward of my critics being forced to refer to me as Commander Swain with the sourest looks.

I pull a fresh sheet of parchment from the desk. I haven’t written lately, he’ll probably be looking for an update. Not that he’s been consistent about writing me back, it seems one for every three I write. I should really chide him about that when he returns.

Rowan came to see the garden today. He had some words of wisdom on its care. I’m hosting Argos and his new companion for dinner, let’s see if she’s more entertaining than the last. Bea is well, she’s adjusting to Skadi quite nicely. Noxus celebrates your triumphs and I’m confident you will bring a decisive end to these rebels soon.

Seemingly nothing but domestic babble, I trust him to know what I mean. Rowan came with information, Argos is still loyal, and I��m still managing everything as he would like. I keep them brief since I know he’d prefer to not have excess information to sift through. I tuck it into an envelope and set my personal wax seal on it. One perk of my position in Intelligence is being able to send my letters with official military dispatches.

There was never any doubt that Jericho’s Warhost would crush the rebellion. While not as legendary as the Trifarian Legion, it would be foolish to underestimate it. Really any army could have sufficed with him at its head. I have to admit, I regret I didn’t get to join this campaign. I’d rather be at his side, slitting throats for him, than here reading reports. Damn it, I really miss him. Even if he manages to keep things between us nebulous still. It doesn’t change how I burn for him to be back home beside me.

I need to take a trip to Guild Headquarters tonight. All these emotions have become like waves battering the side of a beleaguered ship, leaving no peace in their wake. I need some good old-fashioned bloodshed to clear my mind and still my heart. When the last report is read and my dispatches are properly sealed and bundled for the morning, I head to my room and ready myself for the hunt. Armor and daggers in place, I head for the stairs, leaving via the window seems awkward now that I’ve become so inexorably tied to this house. Moira is overseeing some grand cleaning endeavor in the hall and I nod as I pass her only to catch a scathing look she too slowly tries to erase. I inhale sharply, and here I thought we were having a pleasant armistice. “Yes?” I snap and regret the momentary loss of control. She hesitates and I temper my tone. “Did you have something you wished to say?”

Finally, after another breath, she lets it out. “Well, the staff was just confused as to why we weren’t informed the Grand General was on his way home.”

I narrow my eyes, it can’t be. “Are you sure about this?”

Her face pales, the implications dawning on her. “Y-yes, the word is all over the city today.” Of course, I’ve been sequestered all day with damn reports. “The army turned east some time ago, engaged in a battle, and is now closing in on the Capitol.”

“I see.” God’s how embarrassing, to be so in the dark. That must be what Rowan was meaning. I swear I’ll repay him for this oversight. “Well, now we all know.” I turn and walk away, leaving her with a word still on her lips, desperately hiding how much it stings to be forgotten. How was he so thoughtless? Nevermind, it must have been a mistake. We’ll laugh it off once he’s home.

Even telling myself that doesn’t quiet the nagging accusations in my head, but the Guild has the cure I seek. There’s a certain diplomat who’s been acting as a second rate spy. The nerve, coming here and thinking you get away with a half-arsed espionage attempt. This is Noxus, if you’re going to spy, you had better excel at it. This is the one I’ve decided to handle personally.

Inara had laughed and asked if I was still sharp as I left, but the jab felt hollow, and I ended up rolling my eyes and walking away. One benefit of Jericho’s unexpectedly imminent return is that’s something I’ll be able to handle. As it turns out, I don’t have to worry about being sharp, my quarry is likely to provide a laughably small amount of challenge. One look through the window I’m perched at reveals a man of ridiculous girth. The only challenge will be making this somehow appear accidental. Despite the reputation of Noxian diplomacy, the outright murder of a foreign agent, even a known spy, would be considered bad form.

His bulk spills over the side of the chair he’s seated in, alone in a room with the lamps turned down low, pouring over some document. I try to analyze my possible approach, how I should navigate this, but with all that just transpired, my patience has run out. I slide the window open, not even trying to quiet it as it gives a keening whine, who needs a plan. I draw a dagger and I’m inside and behind him before he even reacts to the noise. “Writing a little note home?”

He’s been trying to turn to catch the noise, and he comes face to face with me. I give him a predatory smile. “M-Madame, C-Commander!” He stammers, eyes wide with dawning understanding. He opens his mouth, no doubt to scream for help.

I silence him with a blade to his throat, freezing him in an awkward pose with his head turned toward me. “That’s the problem with the position I find myself in. Now you all know me, and each and every one of you thinks to beg me for mercy. Well, I have none, especially not tonight.”

“Please...please.” His voice squeaks as I press the dagger harder against his throat. Another for tears and cowardice it would seem. How dull.

“What did I just say?” Forget accidents, forget political ramifications. Vision fading to red, I drag the blade across his throat; forget who I’m supposed to be. “You really should have screamed for help when you had the chance.”

I dodge the spray from his severed veins and watch him meekly make his exit from this life. There is no satisfaction though, no blissful relief from my own inner turmoil, just a hollow tiredness. Resigned, I leave him to be found, too late to cover my work. I make my way back home, running the rooftops in yet another desperate attempt at settling myself. Below me, the city pulses with life, even at this late hour, as work and leisure never cease among the endless denizens of the Capitol. It does come, just a bit, a little serenity in the noise and motion, as leap one edge to the next, and climb every height in my path. It feels so familiar, I almost expect my long gone stalker to appear, steps haunting mine. It’s fleeting though and vanishes all too soon. I sigh as the seriousness of what I’ve done finally catches up to me with my now clear head. This blatant murder could reverberate throughout our allies, undermining so much diplomatic work. It was reckless and rash and I should have known better. Even worse, I know he'd be disappointed. I berate myself the rest of the way home.

I think longingly of the bottle of wine sitting on my desk, temptingly untouched. Since nothing else has managed to soothe me I could just drown it all. That’s likely to cause me further troubles though, I haven’t forgotten the disaster the night before our wedding. It’s still waiting for me when I return home, along with an eager little drake hound that demands my immediate attention with her high pitched chirps. With her scooped up in my arms, affectionately nipping my fingers, I leave my temptations behind for bed. I need to regain control, I’ve ceded so much of it to Jericho over time, and now my own emotions are spiraling dangerously. I almost laugh at the thought, embracing that lack of control has defined me for so long now. I yawn, there will be time for deep thoughts tomorrow.

The hour is late by the time Skadi is happily tucked into her own little bed in the corner and I crawl into mine, which feels so very empty with just me in it. Painfully sober and finally admitting to myself I’m bitter at Jericho’s neglect, I fall into a fitful, brief sleep. Some nightmare haunts me, someone in the shadows hunting me, a flock of ravens, a woman’s laugh, cold and cruel. I’m ripped from the senseless cacophony by a less than impressive growl from across the room. “Go back to sleep, it’s still night.” A noise comes from Jericho’s private parlor beyond the door and with a final small growl, Skadi shoots into the darkness before emitting her tiny roar.

“Cease that you little beast.” Oh, no. Hurriedly I leap from the bed, rushing to the other room to find a single lamp lit and Skadi with her teeth locked around Jericho’s ankle. My heart leaps into my throat, my irritation forgotten. He’s home. He glowers down at her while her too small teeth fail to pierce the leather of his boot.

“Bad girl, stop.” I can’t help the slight laugh that escapes me as I bend down to pry her off her target. The sight of her determinedly trying to maul him is too much. With her squirming about in my grasp, I stand back up, and my laughter quickly dies in my throat at his dark expression. “Sorry about that.” My mouth feels dry.

“I thought you were supposed to be training her.” It’s not harsh or cruel, but cold and detached. He moves past us without another word, into the bedroom.

“I am, she’s still young.” I trail behind him, elation dissolving, my heart sinking. “I wasn’t expecting you home. You didn’t write to let me know.”

He goes about the room, turning the gas lamps on, throwing a harsh brightness over everything. “I sent word to High Command. I assumed it would be relayed to you.” His tone indicates he didn’t concern himself over it. He pulls the chair back from his desk and drapes his coat over it, again sparing no words for me as I stand there awkwardly. Even Skadi has gone still at the grim atmosphere.

“Well, it didn’t.” He sits and starts sorting through the papers stacked neatly in front of him. “I take it you’re intending to work?” The sun hasn’t yet pierced the horizon.

He nods, not looking my way. “There is much to be done. I’ll expect a report of anything you find pertinent.”

“Right.” I take Skadi and retreat down that narrow passage to my room, to a bed I haven’t been exiled to in so long. Fighting to breathe, cheeks burning, and eyes stinging, I lay in bed and pull her close. That was so much the Jericho of old, the cold possessive man who saw me as an asset, a tool. It was like there was nothing there of the man who’d held me close on our wedding night and called me wife so softly.

What did you think, foolish girl, that he cared for you? Do you never learn? He got everything he wanted from me, the Guild, my position in Intelligence, and a wife to manage his interests in his absence. He no longer needs to maintain his charade. I feel the tears threatening to spill over and I smother them. No, he’s taken everything else, he can’t have them as well.

#swain #Katarina #swain x katarina #League of Legends #league of legends fanfction

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starr-fall-knight-rise · 5 years

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Humans are Weird “Empty Eyes”

So, someone recently asked for this, It has more to do with the overall story-line than the humans are Weird tag, It’s mostly for background context from Vir’s Mother’s perspective because I want you to understand something important if you are interested in the overall story-line.

So, feel free to ask questions and request prompts or Ideas.

Light streamed in through the open window and past the gently rocking gauzy curtains. Martha Vir stood at the sink absently washing dishes and watching the sunlight glitter across the wet grass of her front yard. It smelled like summer.

The screen door at the front of the house opened, and then crashed closed almost violently making her jump and spill soapy dishwater all down her front. “Shoot.” She muttered drying her hands and turning her head towards the door, “Adam?” She wondered, but all she saw was a discarded backpack by the door.

She set the dishrag down on the counter and moved back into the house peering past the doorframe and into the last room on the left.

The small, skinny, blond boy wearing tan shorts and a black T-shirt lay flat on his bed face in his arms. His oversized sneakers hung over the side of the bed. His shoulders shook softly.

Inside she felt a twinge of anger knowing what this might be about, but she kept her composure and sat down next to him resting a hand on his back, “Adam, sweetheart what’s wrong.” He didn’t answer immediately, but he never did, so she waited. Adam never liked showing emotion in front of anyone, so it would take him a minute to calm down enough for him to speak. She looked around the room, at the Star-Wars, Star Trek, Alien, Predator, Battle LA, Interstellar, and a multitude of other posters new and VERY old covering the walls. A big white telescope pointed out the window, and a big-headed stuffed little green alien sat slumped on the bed.

Eventually a mumbled voice.

“What was that?”

The boy sat up angrily chest heaving with the occasional after-sob. He turned his head away quickly, but his big-green eyes were wide with tears. “I-I don’t w-want to g….go to school a-anymore.”

“Those other kids being mean to you again.”

A slight nod, “They s-said I’m stupid b-because aliens aren’t real. I t-tried to explain how b-big the universe is and s-so their m-must be aliens but, but they just wouldn’t listen,”

Martha shrugged, “So, Guess this just means you’ll have to prove them wrong.”

***

“If I start taking classes early, and then graduate, I can have my Bachelors in Aviation. Plus Staff Sergeant Jackson said that if I join the ROTC program, the army will PAY for everting, and I might be able to get my pilot’s license.” The lanky teen bounced on the balls of his feet scruffy blond hair bouncing with him, she very much wished he would cut it. The way he had it now made him look like a boy band reject. “And then if I become a fighter pilot, they’ll have to let me into the Space Corpse.”

Across the room Thomas snorted from where he sat watching TV, “Good luck with that little bro. You gotta pass a PT test to join the army, and you get blown over in a strong wind.”

A loud SMACK, and Thomas yelped, “Shut up, Adam can do whatever he wants.” David grinned at him from across the room, “Go for it kid, you’ll do great.”

Martha Smiled David and turned to Adam again, “David’s right Adam, we believe in you, and if this is what you really want than we have no doubt you can do it.” She glanced at her second youngest son, “Even Thomas.”

***

“I Adam Allen Vir having been appointed a Lieutenant in the United Nations Space Corpse, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend planet Earth against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which I am about to enter.”

Martha Vir felt her eyes fill with tears, which she wiped quickly on her sleeve. Her boy stood tall in his sharp black uniform, white gloves, belt and cap. When had he gotten so big! About 6. 2 and 180 pounds he had really come into his own, and that serious face. She watched as the other young men and women took the oath as well before the ceremony broke, and she watched that same characteristic smile split the young man’s face. He waded through the crowd pulling off his cap and hugging her as she hugged him back.

Tears in her eyes she straightened out his uniform as his father and brothers swarmed them clapping him on the back.

“I’m proud of you.” she whispered quietly

***

She thought she was going to be sick watching as the jet roared over the staging ground one taking right the other veering left, and the last one tipping into a stomach churning vertical climb spinning upside down and then plunging towards the ground with a distant roar She covered her eyes.

I’ll be in that middle one.

At her side, her husband cheered with all the strength he had in his lugs, clapping and whooping like a madman as if their son wasn’t piloting that 30 million dollar flying metal death trap. Her daughter and her oldest son stood close by keeping her granddaughter, Kimber, entertained in the hot afternoon sun.

She was relieved standing on the tarmac watching as the fighter-jets powered down, and their occupants stepped down from the cockpits. Adam came down the ladder wearing his jumpsuit, oxygen mask hanging off to the side under his helmet. Upon seeing them, he came jogging up pulling off his helmet to hang under his arm.

“Seven Gs!” He chimed enthusiastically, “Better than any rollercoaster ever.” He was grinning in that way he did only when super excited about something, and why shouldn’t he be?

She put a hand to her head, “Don’t sound so excited about being close to death, Adam, it worries me.”

He laughed walked over and hugged her, “Sorry mom…. but…. I didn’t just call you here to see my fly.”

Jeremy stepped forward, still holding Kimber, “Yeah, woo wanted us to see the Enterprise launch.”

“Well yeah….. I, because I got onto the crew. I’m going with them.”

And she had to watch him go….. Knowing that he might never come back, but she kept quiet. If he did vanish, he would do so doing what he always wanted.

***

She still remembered the day she got the call, before the news outlets, before the neighbors, after the government. It was full of static, barely audible, but she would have known her son’s voice anywhere. “Mom-we-found-them! I-found-them…..”

She felt her body go cold and warm and then just shock.

He actually did it. They actually did it.

***

She got updates from him regularly, from all across the universe. It felt surreal, but then the pictures started showing up. The crew of the Enterprise standing on an alien planet taking selfies with….. with CREATURES, Adam always in the middle with a thumbs up for her and a big grin.

***

And then a video call. A video chat of her boy sitting there wide green eyes staring solemnly into the camera.

“The Galactic Assembly has asked Earth to offer some assistance with an upcoming conflict. The Drev made contact about the same time we did, but they are warlike, they are dangerous, and they could potentially bring the Galactic Assembly to its knees, if we don’t help…. There’s nothing else to do. “He shifted nervously in his seat, “We are heading out tomorrow….. I really don’t want any of you to worry, but, the ash clouds will be too dangerous for our jets, so they are putting me in with the infantry. The captain said my unit would probably be well back from the main fighting, so, it should be ok…. I love you guys, stay safe.”

And then they lost contact. She kept her eyes closely on the news looking for any clue as to the infantry divisions and the positions watching as the red dots changed weak by weak, and then watching as her son’s position was supposedly overrun.

She remembered talk of the Steel-eye division, but still no contact.

She remembered when they won, and she remembered when they received the call, to pick up their son because he was coming home.

***

She remembered watching him limp from the terminal doors on crutches….. and a metal rod instead of a leg. Her heart had frozen. She looked into his face and saw the emptiness in his wide green eyes. The wonder, the joy, the fun snuffed out like a candle. All she saw was emptiness, and pain. He had been hurt, betrayed by the one thing he had most loved.

She had never understood what hatred was.

They had cried together that first night, and for the first time in almost a year she held him in her arms, and then…. Nothing. He wouldn’t let her touch him, he wouldn’t talk, he lost weight, and he gave up on living trapped in a continual state of fear, paranoia and emotionless apathy.

She had never understood hate, until she knelt outside his door , tearstained, desperate hoping and begging that he would be alive come morning. Pleading that he would just unlock the door, just let them in.

She had never understood hate until she watched him struggle from the hole those alien bastards had put him in dragged from his misery by a real good girl, an angel with four legs. She watched the spark come back, watched him smile for the first time in months, watched him gain back the weight, watch him run for the first time on the shiny new prosthetic, and she had cried when he made his decision to return to the stars.

And despite all his recovery, his promotion, the christening of his own starship, and his first voyage as captain, she never totally forgot the hatred that she felt on that day, let it burrow inside her and fester.

When he brought home the little Doctor alien, Krill, she had been so relieved. Finally someone sensible, logical, with enough fear to keep her son in check, someone who might be able to take care of him. An alien friend that was safe, that would make him smile.

***

And so she sat, harboring that hatred from so long ago as she stared out the open back door and into the night. Watching as that THING sat with her son. The thing that called itself Sunny, a cute happy little name like it wasn’t a war machine, the killer that had stolen her boy from her, stolen pieces of him.

The creature lay on her back gazing at the stars as her boy walked up nudging her arm with a foot Krill trailing behind in a warm June night, “Come on, Sunny, make some room. Least you can do is give me a pillow for an hour.”

She felt her blood go cold as the creature moved an arm, and her boy made himself comfortable in the cook of its arm. The same arm that had caused him so much pain not so many years ago, her like she was a pillow.

“See that Sunny, Pretty sure your planet’s in that system if I have my astronomy correct.” The creature hummed as if in pleasure.

A soft set of footsteps behind her, arms around her, and the soft voice of her husband, a man who never spoke, “You need to let it go. Can’t you see what you’ll do to him if you don’t?”

The empty green eyes stared into her soul from the past.

“I don’t know how.”

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madeforci3342 · 5 years

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Social Media and Participatory Culture

I think participatory culture is a culture than encourages expression and has a low entry point. It’s not that difficult to join the conversation and you don’t need an advanced degree to do so. You can participate however you’d like, whether that be talking about a movie, making fan art of the movie, creating a group chat to talk about the movie, etc.

Social media is one of the easiest ways to participate in this phenomenon. It often takes less than 5 minutes to set up an account and you can instantly be connected with people interested in the same topics. Affiliations - memberships, formal and informal, in online communities centered around various forms of media - are most common through social media and frequently consist of people under the age of 30. Jenkins, Puroshotma, Clinton, Weigel, & Robison (what a title!) said, “More than one-half of all American teens—and 57 percent of teens who use the Internet—could be considered media creators.”

I’ve been a part of participatory culture since I was 13 and read The Hunger Games novels. I had just made a Facebook account (required for a class) and had no interest in it until I found Facebook fan pages. In the earlier days of Facebook (2010 or so, only slowing around 2015), there was a huge community of fan pages for teen books, run by teens themselves. Similar to Henry Jenkins’ work mentioned in Participation and User Generated Content , fans are huge producers of content for tv shows (he used Star Trek as an example), movies and books. In my case, the names of the pages would frequently be quotes from the books itself or the trilogy name: one of the bigger ones for the book Divergent was “Divergent, Insurgent, Allegiant,” aka the three books in the series. (Some would be a mashup of multiple fandoms, such as “ Why can't I be a Half-blooded Divergent Avian Shadowhunter Wizard Victor?: Percy Jackson, Divergent, Maximum Ride, Shadowhunter Series, Harry Potter, and Hunger Games, respectively.) It was a huge privilege to be an “admin” and have posting privileges - bigger pages would have hundreds of applicants.

The pages would mostly post memes (which were primarily screenshots from Tumblr) and every admin would be their own distinct person with a sign-off. Many even had “admin” pages for their name, where they would share personal updates and stuff that wouldn’t make it onto their fandom’s page. This is all to say that for years, I was a part of participatory culture by adminning these pages. I’ve probably posted thousands of photos for people to interact with, had around 3,000 likes on my personal page, and at my highest, adminned 25 different pages for different fandoms around books (Harry Potter, John Green novels, The Hunger Games, Shadowhunter series, all that early 2010s teen angst).

However, even something as seemingly simple as Facebook pages had barriers. There was still a participation gap - the unequal access to the opportunities, experiences, skills, and knowledge that will prepare youth for full participation in the world of tomorrow (J,P, C, W, R 2008). To admin these pages, you had to devote at least 3 hours a day, which someone who was fully in school (I was homeschooled) or has a job could never do. It was also difficult to break into the adminning scene, as admin contests normally resulted in people picking the admin with the most likes on their personal page. Even then, admins with the most likes were often pretty young girls or attractive guys that others thought they “might” have a chance with.

While I may not be active in that community anymore, I still consider myself someone who uses participatory culture theories through other media, like Reddit. I will always find all of these methods fascinating, though - it was such a huge thing that shaped my teen years growing up!

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rufousnmacska · 6 years

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Child of Peace Epilogue 2 - Nesryn

Fanfic master list

full work on ao3

Note - I screwed up. I wrote the Chaol chapter then got the idea to write a separate little head canon about Manon-Dorian meeting Nesryn-Sartaq. Little did I know that head canon would morph into an entirely new chapter. (Alright. I kind of knew. This thing is never going to end, let’s be honest.) The screw up is the chronological corner I wrote myself into with that Chaol chapter. So. This is epilogue 2, but it takes place before the events of epilogue 1.

Also, as I was posting this on ao3, I realized it’s been over a year since I started writing this fic. Thank you to everyone who has stuck with me from the beginning and thanks to new readers who just started!

Dorian strode out of Aedion’s empty tent, frustrated at missing the General yet again. A lieutenant from the Bane said he’d left at dawn for Suria to deal with some of Rolfe’s ships which had recently arrived. Apparently, he wanted to make sure the pirates caused no trouble in the small port city. Dorian couldn’t help but wonder if Aedion had simply needed time away from Lysandra. He felt badly for both of them being stuck in such a difficult situation. But her disguise was the glue to their piecemeal alliance until Rowan returned with Aelin.

He had hoped that when they joined up with Aedion and Lysandra that it would be the real Lysandra again. He’d hoped that Aelin would be here waiting for him and Manon. Instead, they’d brought their witch army to Orynth only to find Aedion and Lysandra at each other’s throats. Her shapeshifting and acting abilities, not to mention her cunning, made Lysandra the perfect imposter. But the growing weight of responsibility and worry for Aelin was wearing on her. And such a haphazard mix of forces – Terrasen foot soldiers and cavalry, the Whitethorn ships, the Ashryvers, the assassins, and the various armies and navies Ansel had thrown together – would be a nightmare for anyone to oversee, let alone a gifted general like Aedion.

At least that had been Dorian’s excuse to Manon when trying to calm her temper in the few weeks they’d been here. But no matter the reasons, Aedion’s reaction to the forces they’d brought with them had been disappointing. Upon first seeing the fields of wyverns and the squadrons of witches, both Ironteeth and Crochan, Lysandra had been ecstatic. Aedion, on the other hand, had looked over the group with stubborn impassivity. Later, Lysandra had confided that she thought Aedion still harbored some ill will towards he and Manon for their roles in Aelin’s capture. For Dorian sending her into the mirror, and for Manon not doing enough to stop Maeve from taking her.

“He blames me too. He actually thinks any of us could have stopped her once she set her mind to something,” Lysandra had said. “She’d resigned herself to the possibility of capture a long time before any of us even knew what was going on."

Although Dorian and Manon had agreed, they still felt some small measure of guilt, and knew Aedion was taking his own out on those around him. Understandable, if not necessarily fair.

That didn’t quite explain his stupidity however. When he’d demanded the witches swear their allegiance to Terrasen in writing… Dorian had to physically restrain Manon. Thankfully, Aven and Petrah had stayed calm enough to simply tell him no before walking out of the meeting.

Which was why the entire aerial force of witches was relocating to the southwest near Perranth. They’d be closer to the Crochans. And farther from an inevitable explosion between Aedion and Manon. But they’d still be near enough to respond if and when they were needed. So, they were leaving tomorrow morning. Many of the witches were pissed off at having to double back over terrain they’d already crossed to get here. Some were upset to leave the large encampment of men and women, a novel source of fun. But he was glad for it. As were the leaders of the witch coalition. It had been getting difficult keeping the witches under control with so many humans nearby. And vice versa. Old prejudices remained, just as he and Manon had feared.

Dorian stopped suddenly in the middle of the road that wound its way through the sprawling war camp. Having just barely missed him, the driver of a horse-drawn cart shouted curses at him and Dorian stepped aside, ignoring the soldier. He stared down an intersecting path at two people who looked like they were lost. The woman looked familiar and it took him an embarrassingly long time to realize who it was.

“Nesryn?” She looked in his direction, and after a moment or two passed for her to recognize him, he didn’t feel so bad about not immediately knowing who she was. Neither one was expecting to see the other in this setting. “Rutting gods! It is you!” He ran at her and before she could speak he swooped her into a hug.

When he let her go, she looked awkwardly back and forth between him and her companion. Who was definitely not Chaol. Dorian turned in an anxious circle, searching for his friend.

“He's just landed in Suria,” Nesryn said, her face falling. Dorian’s look of worry startled her into a nervous laugh and she raised her hands defensively. “No! He’s fine, it’s just...” She sighed. “He wanted to surprise you with his return and if he finds out it’s been ruined, he will never forgive me.” She gave the man an odd look, then turned back to him. “He’s got a lot to tell you so... all I will say is that he is healthy and excited to see you.”

Dorian looked between the two of them, noticing their clothing - leathers that were similar to those worn by the Ironteeth witches - their braided hair, and their vibrant, windswept quality, complete with chapped lips and cheeks. He had an odd, sinking feeling that much had happened to his friends in the Southern Continent, and more was to come. More, like he was losing his captain to her father’s homeland, and possibly, to this handsome man waiting patiently next to her.

“And if I order you as your King, you still won’t tell me?” he asked finally, only half joking.

The man’s eyes grew wide and his entire demeanor changed as he glanced to Nesryn. Dorian conceded, “The hug was probably not the most regal of greetings.”

Nesryn’s cheeks were bright red as she said, “King Dorian Havilliard, this is Prince Sartaq, Heir to the Khagan of the Southern Continent.”

The Prince bowed low. “It is an honor Your Majesty.”

Now it was his turn to stare in astonishment. Not just a prince, but the Heir to the Khaganate had accompanied Nesryn back to Erilea. Dorian quickly regained his poise and said in Halha, “The honor is all mine Prince Sartaq. Please forgive me.” He bowed and then offered his hand.

“What am I forgiving?” the Prince asked, a smile lighting his face as he shook Dorian’s hand.

Dorian laughed. “My inappropriate behavior in response to this wonderful surprise. And my atrocious accent.”

“There is no need for either,” the Prince said. “And your accent is excellent, Your Majesty.”

Nesryn rolled her eyes, so quick that he probably wouldn’t have caught it if he wasn’t so used to seeing it from Manon. “Please, call me Dorian. And the only thing we have no need for is flattery. My Halha is awful. Nesryn can attest to that.”

The Prince’s face lit up even more as he said, “Dorian it is. I prefer going without titles as well. And I’d be happy to help you improve your accent.” He gave Dorian a cocky grin. “Assuming we have any spare time while saving the world.”

Nesryn didn’t bother hiding her reaction this time. “Perhaps there is no need for me to stay. I can go look for Aedion on my own.”

Her eye roll was impressive, Dorian thought, as Sartaq took her hand and leaned down to whisper something in apology. Nesryn glanced hesitantly at him, but Dorian smiled. Undoubtedly, he was in for a hell of a story whenever Chaol got back. And though he was dying of curiosity, he wouldn’t interrogate Nesryn here.

“Actually, Aedion isn’t here.” Dorian said. “But there is someone I’d like you both to meet.” He gestured for them to follow. As he started down a narrower road that led out of camp, he twisted around and said, “Thank the gods she wasn’t here for all of the Your Majesties. I’d never hear the end of it.” He caught the curious look Sartaq gave Nesryn, but she didn’t. She was too busy giving Dorian a smug smile.

He had liked Nesryn from the moment they’d met, but it was obvious that she’d changed a great deal from her journey to Antica. She’d always been straightforward, but also reserved. Quiet. Now, she seemed as if she’d found some piece that had been missing before. Dorian didn’t think that was only due to the Prince who couldn’t keep his eyes off her. It was more like something she’d discovered within herself. A new sort of confidence that went deeper than just being highly skilled at her job. She was still smirking at him and he found he quite liked this new Nesryn. “What is that look for?” he asked.

“Nothing,” she replied. “Just excited to see the wyverns.”

Sartaq stopped and looked between the two of them. “You have wyverns here?”

Dorian nodded, shooting a mocking glare at Nesryn for figuring out his surprise. “How did you know?”

“How did I know princeling?” she asked, drawing out the last word as if harassing a sibling.

He felt his cheeks heat but the small embarrassment disappeared when she added. “We have a surprise of our own.”

Nesryn knew she should probably stop teasing the King of Adarlan. It was just so easy. And fun. The sight of his jaw dropping when she mentioned the ruks was worth it. But, he was still her ruler. And employer.

That thought made her stomach churn, and she stayed mostly quiet the rest of the way to the wyvern paddock, letting Sartaq describe what the Rukhin could offer in the war, and Dorian update them on the state of Adarlan and the forces under Aedion’s command. Trying to catch them off guard, Dorian threw in a question here and there fishing for more details about Chaol. But neither gave anything away. Sartaq always glanced to her for permission and when she’d shake her head in annoyance, he’d turn back to Dorian with a ridiculously sorrowful expression. To which Dorian would say something like No, no, I don’t want to get anyone in trouble. They were like little boys commiserating over some great injustice she had committed against them. She would have been pissed. If not for them clearly liking each other. And the fact that her heart had swelled with that knowledge.

They turned a corner and Nesryn almost ran into Sartaq, who stood frozen, staring in awe across a field filled with what had to be hundreds of wyverns. She walked around him and gaped too. She’d seen them before of course. But... “Gods! So many...” she breathed.

She’d forgotten how big they could get, some easily three or four times the size of Salkhi. And the colors. Various shades of grays and browns and greens, but also blues and even reds. One looked almost purple. Every few moments one would let out a shriek or rumble a low roar, but it was surprisingly quiet for so many beasts confined to one area. There were witches milling about, checking on injuries or throwing sides of meat at their mounts.

Sartaq broke her focus as he anxiously asked, “Do they all fly for you? Or does Erawan still have some in his army?”

She knew what he was thinking. Seeing them in person, seeing the size difference compared to their ruks… She looked towards Dorian, who also seemed to understand Sartaq’s concern.

“He still has some witches with him, but not as many as we have. Though he has other flying monstrosities within his forces.” He pointed to the trees edging the field and she saw a group tending their brooms. “The wyverns are intimidating. But the Crochan clan held back a large enemy force with brooms and magic until Ironteeth allies arrived.” Turning back to them, he added, “And they don’t fly for me. They fly for her.”

She and Sartaq turned to face a beautiful, white haired witch who was walking towards them, smiling at Dorian. Nesryn recognized her immediately, though she would have known her from rumors and reputation if she hadn’t seen her that day in the Oakwald Forest. Sartaq shifted closer towards her side, eyeing the witch warily. She did have a brutal looking sword strapped to her hip, Nesryn thought with admiration. But the way the witch looked at Dorian should have told Sartaq they had nothing to fear.

“Manon Blackbeak,” Dorian said, “this is Nesryn Faliq, Captain of my Royal Guard, and Prince Sartaq, future Khagan of the Southern Continent.”

Nesryn wasn’t sure how to greet Manon. She knew the wing leader was heir to the Blackbeak Matron. Or, had been. If Manon was on their side she must have broken from her clan leader. But either way, Nesryn didn’t think that qualified her as royalty. A hand shake seemed like not enough though. Thankfully, Manon saved her the trouble of deciding.

“Captain. Prince.” She nodded respectfully to both of them, which they graciously returned.

With a casual shrug, Dorian said, “Nesryn knew you’d end up helping us.”

She glared at Dorian in disbelief. It was one thing to tease him, but she certainly didn’t want to get on the bad side of a Blackbeak witch. Manon’s golden eyes landed on her and she forced herself to meet them. They practically glowed in the sunlight. Having only ever seen Manon from afar, she’d had no idea how truly captivating she was.

Manon looked her up and down then turned back to Dorian and said, “Of course she did. She must be exceptionally smart to manage a guard full of men.” The witch wrinkled her nose on the last word.

She and Sartaq choked on their laughs but Dorian didn’t bother covering up his. When Manon shifted her attention back to Nesryn, she smiled and said, “You favor the bow if I recall? Perhaps you’d like to show some of my witches a trick or two?”

Nesryn exchanged a glance with Sartaq, who winked at her. “She does have quite the reputation,” he said. “But, first…” He looked longingly at the bustling field. “May I trouble you for a ride?”

“Oh,” Dorian said, taking hold of Manon’s hand and leading them towards a small, dark wyvern sprawled in the grasses nearby. “I forgot to mention Witchling. They’ve brought reinforcements.”

Manon whirled around and studied them, seeing their clothes for what they were – flying leathers. Then she stared at Sartaq, her eyes wide as saucers, and whispered, “The Winged Prince.”

Before she could stop herself, Nesryn shook her head and said, “Please be sure to call him that in front of his hearth sister.”

Sartaq elbowed her gently. “And she prefers you call her Neith’s Arrow.”

Manon wasn’t even paying attention, too enthralled by the prospect of having the ruks join their forces. But she caught Dorian watching her with a brotherly smile. He pulled Manon along and she thought she heard him say something about wyverns first, ruks second, otherwise, Abraxos would be jealous. Assuming that was the name of the little wyvern they were now approaching, Nesryn almost pointed out that Kadara and Salkhi would be equally upset if she and Sartaq returned smelling of another beast. But the thought left her mind as the wyvern turned and looked at them.

Its head tilted to examine them, then it huffed out a breath and ruffled its wings. Just enough for her to see the silvery sheen on their surface. If she didn’t know better, she’d think it was trying to show off for them. Its intelligence clearly rivaled that of the ruks, and she wondered if all wyverns were like that. Or if it was just this one. “Abraxos? Is that right?” she asked Manon. Who had walked off to… pick flowers? The wyvern bobbed its head as if answering her and she startled backwards into Sartaq.

“He’s too smart for his own good,” Manon said, returning and surreptitiously handing her a bunch of wildflowers. She nodded for Nesryn to give them to Abraxos then whispered, “He already likes you but this will make him love you.”

Nesryn hesitated, then split the bunch giving half to Sartaq. She held them out, expecting the wyvern to eat them. But instead, the beast closed his eyes and pushed his snout into the petals, inhaling deeply and loudly. He reached a bit further and nuzzled her hand. Sartaq stepped up next to her and repeated the gesture. Abraxos took his time smelling them as well, even though they were the same flowers.

On her other side, Manon said quietly, “He was a bait wyvern, used to train the bigger ones. He’d never seen sunlight or grass until I took him out of his cave.”

That certainly explained the scarring. And the decidedly unbeastlike behavior. Nesryn smiled and stroked his snout. Sartaq stood by, silently taking it all in. She could see the note of worry in his eyes. It wasn’t just about fighting against Erawan’s aerial legions. But he was also worried about fighting with these wyverns. Despite her surety that Manon and her coven would ally with Dorian, she had not expected this. A thousand wyverns. And now, a thousand ruks.

“This is going to be interesting,” she sighed, wondering how Salkhi would do surrounded by giant flying lizards.

“First thing’s first, wind seeker,” Sartaq said as he kissed her cheek and walked around Abraxos, his mood lightened by Dorian’s indication that the saddle was ready. She watched as Dorian helped him with the straps to keep him in place. Manon climbed up and sat behind him, pulling the reins around his waist. Before he jumped down, Dorian gave Manon’s braid a little tug, and she gave him a playful scowl. As soon as he was on the ground, Abraxos stood and beat his shimmering wings, visibly excited to be taking to the air. Maybe the wyverns and ruks weren’t so dissimilar after all, she thought. Dorian joined her and they watched Abraxos as he leapt upwards, soared across the tree tops, and disappeared.

After a moment of silence, he walked a short distance away, leaned against a fence and crossed his arms. She remembered him from before he’d become King. Before he’d been collared and forced to do the bidding of a valg demon. Prince Dorian had always been fastidious about his appearance. Always new clothes, trimmed hair, shining boots. Now though… He certainly didn’t look bad. He was as attractive as ever, she thought. But his plain clothing was much more suited to this war camp than a throne room. And his hair was long enough to curl around his ears. He apparently knew his way around a wyvern, and had settled in with the witch clans. He noticed her staring so Nesryn walked over and joined him. She figured now was as good a time as any to get things out of the way.

Leaning on the fence next to him, she opened her mouth to speak but he asked, “How long do I have to find your replacement?” He looked down at her with a bittersweet smile.

Nesryn was quiet, trying to think of the right thing to say. Eventually, she gave up and just went with the truth. “I feel awful,” she said, continuing to watch the activity in the field. “You naming me Captain… It was so important. Not only a woman leading the Royal Guard, but a woman of mixed heritage. I feel as though I’ve betrayed the trust you put in me.” Nesryn faced her King to find him still smiling at her. She’d never truly expected Dorian to be angry with her. Disappointment. That had been her fear. And yet, there was no trace of it in his expression.

“You’ve done nothing to betray my trust Nesryn. Besides. It appears that you have more important things awaiting you than leading a guard,” he said, nodding in the direction Sartaq and Manon had flown. “As a King, I’m sad to lose you. But as a friend, I couldn’t be happier.”

Nesryn didn’t care about protocol as she reached over and hugged Dorian.

“I should have pretended to be more upset in order to blackmail you for details about Chaol,” he said, making her laugh.

They broke apart and Nesryn said, “I’m sworn to secrecy. But I can tell you a bit about my adventure.”

“Please!” He moved to sit down in the grass. “I expect it will include some romance?”

She felt her cheeks flush with heat and said, “And what about your adventure? I’d like to hear it as well. You’ve clearly been up to… a lot.”

Dorian laughed. “Yes, well. That could take all day. Suffice it to say, I managed to convince a witch to fall in love me-“

She interrupted him with a snorting laugh. “I bet that took a lot of work on your part.”

He looked thoughtful. “Actually, it did...: With a wink, he added, “But it was worth it.”

“Can I ask you something?” He nodded. “Do you intend to make her your queen?”

“There is no ‘making’ Manon do anything,” he said dryly. After a moment, he continued. “Actually, we are mates. Through a witch bond. So… I don’t know in what capacity we'll be together. Only that we will be together.”

“I had no idea witches even had mating bonds.”

A shadow of some memory passed over his face. “We didn’t either until we reached the Crochans. It turns out much of the old histories are wrong.” He looked at her, seeming to decide whether he should go on. “Manon’s father was a Crochan Prince, and she is the heir to Queen Rhiannon.” At Nesryn’s gasp, Dorian said, “She hasn’t accepted the title and they’ve not yet offered. It’s… complicated.”

She knew about the Ironteeth’s centuries old campaign against the Crochans, and knew that yes, it must be extremely complicated. She was amazed they’d managed to make an alliance with them in the first place. “Is she still heir to the Blackbeak coven?” Dorian’s face hardened and she wondered if she’d pried too much.

“Technically she is Matron to the Blackbeaks who broke off to join us. But there is a faction who allied with the Yellowlegs and fight for Erawan. This group,” he waved a hand towards the field, “consists of those loyal Blackbeaks, Bluebloods, and Crochans. But the Bluebloods have their own matron and the Crochans have a governing council with only a few members here.”

“What will she do after all of this? Do you think they will accept her rule?”

He glanced at her curiously. “Why are you so interested in all of this?”

Nesryn blushed, then inwardly cursed her traitorous skin. She sighed, planning to explain, but only able to get out one word. “Sartaq…” Dorian’s eyebrows raised as he realized why she was asking so many questions about ruling and governing.

“Are you two betrothed?”

“No! I mean… No. No.” She fiddled nervously with her hands. She hadn’t meant to bark out that response. “We’ve talked about it. And I am…” She laughed. “I’m very willing. It’s just…” She couldn’t bring herself to actually say it.

But Dorian could. “Empress Nesryn Faliq.”

“Exactly,” she said.

He laid back and propped himself up on his elbows. They sat like that for a while, watching the occasional commotion as a wyvern refused its dinner or snapped at a neighbor who’d gotten too close. Manon and Sartaq had been gone longer than she’d expected. Manon’s desire to see the ruks made Nesryn think they’d go up and be back down within a few minutes. But Sartaq must have convinced her to stay airborne for a while.

“Once Sartaq was named heir he told his siblings that he would refuse to follow tradition. He would not kill them or force them to be sterilized just for his throne to go unthreatened.”

“That’s… good?” Dorian said, and she gave him a dirty look. “No, I mean it,” he added, sitting up. “If he has the authority and desire to end that practice, then he can create a court of his choosing. He can run it the way he wants. Or,” he nudged her arm. “The way both of you want.” Nesryn wasn’t convinced.

“Listen, it’s likely that if we win this war, Adarlan will need to be rebuilt from scratch. Not just the physical structures, but the government as well. And I don’t intend to do things the same way they’ve always been done.” Dorian’s eyes were a bright, fiery blue. She couldn’t help but feel pulled into his hopefulness. “Manon and I have talked about it and we both want things to be different. Better. For everyone. Human, witch, fae, noble or poor, those with magic, those without. Aelin does too. It sounds like Sartaq does, though from what I know of the khaganate they’re already centuries ahead of Erilea in most things.” He drifted away in thought, but before she had to regain his attention, he said, “Ruling, the responsibility of it, the pressure, it’s scary as hell.”

“Is that meant to help?” she asked with a laugh, watching a unit of witches zoom overhead on brooms.

“It’s scary but we aren’t left without choice. We can decide how to best help our people. You can decide how involved you want to be.”

“He can’t,” she said, turning back to face him. “You can’t.”

“No, but he and I were both raised for this. It’s all we’ve known. There’s a difference between living this your entire life, and entering into it as an adult. I’ve accepted it. It sounds like he has as well. The question is, will you? And if so, what will you do with it?”

Nesryn nodded, thinking over all he’d said. She had more questions and worries, but Abraxos suddenly appeared from behind the trees, landing gracefully in front of them. He looked like he was grinning. “Are those…” She squinted. “He has iron teeth?”

“He’s a member of the Thirteen,” Dorian laughed, then froze in thought. “Wait. I think I have some ideas for your replacement. If you decide to go on to bigger and better things that is.”

She agreed that any of Manon’s witches would make an excellent Captain of the Guard, but Nesryn wasn’t sure if she shared his confidence in her. She stood and walked towards Abraxos as Sartaq climbed down and almost ran over to meet her.

“That was incredible! It’s so different from a ruk but yet the same!” He picked her up into a hug and she couldn’t help but laugh. When he sat her down and went back to talk to Manon, Dorian came up beside her.

“You should talk to Manon. Her position is... unique, but it might be good for you both to have someone to talk to about it. And, for what it’s worth Nesryn, I think you’d make a wonderful Empress.” He squeezed her shoulder and went over to join Sartaq and Manon.

Nesryn bit her lip, trying not to let her emotions overwhelm her. She watched in amazement as her King, now, her friend, his witch mate, and the man she loved, who just happened to be the future Khagan of her father’s homeland, all fussed over a little wyvern who loved flowers. And on top of all that, she had her very own ruk waiting for her.

With a laugh that sounded more like a sob, she realized neither she nor Dorian had even gotten around to telling their stories.

Sartaq looked up and beckoned her over. When she reached him he pulled her into his arms and whispered, “You look happy my love.”

“I am,” she said. “But can you let go so I can take my first wyvern ride?” He laughed but did as she asked.

Manon strapped her in then settled into the saddle behind her, leaving the reins in her lap. Nesryn turned to give them to Manon but she pushed her hand away. “You hold onto them. Sartaq said you’re as good a flyer as you are an archer.” Nesryn smiled and waved to Sartaq and Dorian as Abraxos reared up and pushed off the ground.

A half hour later, they landed in the clearing near where she and Sartaq had left their ruks. They were tucked within a dense grove of trees, out of sight and away from the camp. When they dismounted, Manon took the reins and bent to look into Abraxos’s eyes. She was silent, but Nesryn had the eerie feeling the witch was speaking to her wyvern.

“It might be easier to bring them to him,” Manon said. “So their space isn’t invaded.”

Nesryn jogged into the woods and returned, slowly leading Kadara and Salkhi by their reins. She wished she’d thought to have Sartaq come along, but they’d decided to do this at the last minute. Kadara listened to her though so hopefully, it wouldn’t be a problem. As they hopped into the field and got their first look at Abraxos, the ruks wheeled back and snapped their fierce beaks. She ducked down low, keeping hold of them, and glancing back towards Manon.

Nesryn almost burst out laughing. Abraxos was on his back, rolling in the grass while his rider watched in frustration, hands on her hips. Kadara was now watching the scene, head tilting back and forth. Her beak was still twitching in agitation, but she was clearly intrigued with what was happening. Nesryn made a split second decision and dropped the ruk’s reins. Salkhi, more timid and waiting to see how Kadara fared, stayed back, his head dipped low but eyes watchful.

The larger ruk began to hop out into the clearing. Slowly, but unafraid. Abraxos continued to frolic, ignoring the approaching bird completely. He stilled when Kadara reached him, letting her smell him. And just like that, Kadara settled into the grass next to him and began to preen. Abraxos huffed loudly and the ruk jumped away, but within a minute, she was back next to him.

Nesryn and Manon shared a humorous look, and she stepped out, pulling Salkhi with her. It took longer, but eventually, her ruk was able to tolerate Abraxos. He was more wary than Kadara, but Nesryn was pleased with the introduction.

“Sartaq told me about how you saved Lysandra with a single arrow,” Manon said out of nowhere. Nesryn fought the blush creeping up her face and nodded. “He told me something else. A story Chaol had told him.” She turned to find Manon’s eyes on her and almost flinched from the intensity of her stare. But she didn’t move as Manon’s hand rested on her shoulder. “You saved Dorian with a single arrow. From Aelin. Before... Before he was freed from the valg.”

Nesryn didn’t know what to say. “We... Chaol didn’t believe he was truly gone. I was there in case Aelin... Well. At that time, he didn’t trust her not to kill him. Even if she claimed it was a mercy.”

Manon bowed her head and touched her fingertips to her forehead. “Thank you, Nesryn Faliq. I owe you a life debt.”

She felt like the moment deserved some special acknowledgment, but no words came to her. When Manon met her gaze, the witch smiled. It was so soft and kind, Nesryn blurted out something she’d been thinking for most of the day. “I’m glad he has you, Manon.”

“I’m glad I have him,” Manon said, then turned back to their mounts. “Oh gods...”

Nesryn whirled, expecting a fight, only to see Kadara nudging Abraxos with her beak and fluffing up her feathers. “Sartaq does call her a mother hen,” she said with a laugh.

Manon rolled her eyes. “If there is one thing Abraxos does not need more of, it’s admirers fussing over him. At least yours has a good head on his shoulders and knows not to feed his ego.”

Salkhi was standing back, but Nesryn could tell by the way he eyed Abraxos that he was a bit enamored of the wyvern. “Sorry to disappoint you, but I think he’s got Salkhi under his thrall too.”

Manon released a long-suffering sigh. But she was still smiling, her entire being radiating love for her wyvern. Surprising herself, Nesryn suddenly thought that she would happily call Manon her queen. And, she decided to follow Dorian’s suggestion and ask Manon for advice.

They ate together that night, exchanging stories of their recent adventures as well as old tales. She and Sartaq were careful not to mention Chaol and Yrene. Though, later in private, Nesryn had given in and answered a couple of Dorian’s questions, reassuring him that Chaol was healthy and that they were still good friends despite Sartaq’s presence in her life.

They were disappointed to hear that the group was leaving the next day to move to Perranth, but it worked out well in one sense. The timing of their departure made it a little easier for Nesryn and Sartaq to claim they had not seen Dorian. Who had sworn not to reveal that he knew about Chaol’s imminent return. Manon would be leaving almost immediately from Perranth to attend to some matters with the Crochans and expected to be gone for a couple of weeks. Nesryn caught her and Dorian exchanging looks that suggested they hadn’t been apart for that long before. She tried to reassure Dorian that Chaol and the Southern Continent forces would provide enough distraction that the time would pass quickly, but he’d only given her a halfhearted smile.

Later still, when she and Sartaq had retired to their tent, Nesryn told him about her conversation with Dorian. She hadn’t admitted all of her fears to Sartaq, worried that he might take it the wrong way. But he understood her misgivings, just as Dorian had. They both had grown up in that world and knew what sacrifices were required. He also knew, he said, that Nesryn could choose how much she wanted to be involved. Which responsibilities she wanted to take on. He even offered to let her run the whole empire.

“That would give me time to go flying with Kadara,” he said cheekily, earning him a smack on the arm. Then, sliding her over to him, he said, “You know I would never go flying without you, wind seeker.”

Nesryn loved hearing him use her mother’s nickname for her. Almost as much as she loved kissing him. Which she did, thoroughly, all night long.

Dorian woke with a choked gasp to find Manon shaking him by the shoulders and calling his name. He took one look at the terror in her eyes, something he’d never seen there before, then promptly rolled over and threw up. She jumped up and was back with a cup of water before he knew it.

“I should have expected it,” he coughed. “I haven’t had a bad one for a while.” When he reached for the water, he realized his hands were shaking.

Manon sat the cup down and took his hands in hers, dipping her head so he could easily look into her eyes. The sight of them, vibrant and glowing even in the low light of their tent, was enough for his breathing to even out. But the tremors remained, even as she pulled his hands to her lips.

He knew she wanted to ask about the nightmare and was relieved when she didn’t. The thought of what he’d seen, what he’d done, threatened to make him sick again. He didn’t think he would be able to put any of that into words.

“I’m going to postpone my meetings with the Crochans,” she said.

Dorian shook his head. “You can’t. It’s too important and I won’t let you jeopardize building a relationship with the council because of a nightmare.”

Manon’s face grew tight with concern. “Dorian.” Her eyes stayed on his. “I saw some of it through the bond. I don’t think you should be alone.”

His stomach roiled but there wasn’t anything left to come up. “I’m sorry,” he said, and stood. But with nowhere to go, he began walking in circles.

What must she think? Seeing images of him torturing his best friend?

Suddenly, Manon was standing before him. She hugged him and said, “You forget that I’ve been in this position myself. And I will repeat your words back to you. You did not do those things.”

He hadn’t moved when she put her arms around him. And he fought the urge to shove her away, fought the feeling that she was contaminating herself by touching him. Getting the blood and filth and horror that covered him onto her.

“You didn’t hurt Chaol,” she said, pulling him tighter.

“I would have,” he choked out, finally letting go and easing himself into her embrace. The tears ran hotly down his cheeks and he struggled to hold back a sob.

Manon ran her hands around his back in soothing motions. “You would not have. You could not have. The valg was in control. Not you. It was never you.” He pulled away to look at her. She reached up and brushed the wetness from his face. “Asleep, you may not be able to tell the difference, but your waking mind can. And I will keep reminding you. Anything you need, remember?”

Dorian stared at her, shaking his head in disbelief. Amazed that this witch accepted and loved him. “Where did you come from?” he whispered.

She shrugged, her lips twitching into a smile. “Blame Abraxos. I told him to take me somewhere safe. The next thing I knew, I woke up on a boat with you.”

“I thank the gods every day,” he said, dipping his head to rub his nose against hers. And I’ll be sure to give Abraxos as many wildflowers as he wants, he silently said to her, feeling her cheeks rise into a smile.

Later, after he cleaned up the mess and they argued about whether Manon would leave in the morning, Dorian watched her as she slept. He’d insisted he would be fine and she’d finally agreed that the meeting was crucial for any hopes of a prolonged peace if they defeated Erawan.

But as the hours passed and dawn drew closer, Dorian had not been able to fall back to sleep. Whenever he shut his eyes for an extended period of time, his head was flooded with horrific images, a mixture of things that had happened, and things that could have been. If Chaol had become his prisoner.

He’d had time. Time during which he’d hoped to heal. But instead, it was only time to remember the things he’d done.

How could he possibly stand before his best friend now? Now that he harbored the memories of torturing and killing Chaol’s men?

Dorian shuddered and forced down the bile that rose in his throat. Manon didn’t stir next to him and for a moment he thought of asking her to stay. He knew she would. But he also knew that sooner or later he would need to face Chaol and what he’d done.

When rosy light began to filter into their tent and Manon woke with a yawn, Dorian pretended that he was just waking too. She kissed his forehead, her lips lingering for a long moment, then stood and began rummaging through her packs. He watched her quietly, letting her presence, her scent, her everything soak into him. Helping make him feel a little bit stronger. Hoping it would be enough to see him through the next few weeks.

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ts-akhmim · 4 years

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Episode 2 | “GET ME OUT OF HERE ” - Devon

okay so i filmed a video confessional earlier which is uploading where i basically talked about dealing with being a winner/the tomb and having an idol/potentially wanting to go to tribal pre-swap/deliberately choosing the puzzle/how much i love jake so that'll come at some point after this but just KNOW that came first. anyway just wanted to talk MORE because i have more thoughts. last round i was really conscious of needing to micro-manage my threat level and i think im putting in work to do that? im very concious that i cant play the same game as montenegro because im coming into it from a very different perspective/position. However, one thing I can do this season is transfer my prejury game, because i think it still works. What I need to do is to some extent take a backseat, where I'm not actively messaging people first, and keeping game talk kinda limited (but acknowledging it when people talk to me). Like I have the safety cushion of my idol, and my connection to jake/jordan, and to some extent dan and lovelis? like im not gonna be a target (touch wood) and hopefully if i am my men tm going to keep an eye out for me.... hopefully? it also means im not gonna be pushy about votes im gonna hear names and run with it (as long as its not jake/jordan, or lovelis tbh i get real good vibes from him). but yeah id really love the beauty tribe to go to tribal this round ive literally never spoken to a single one of them so i'd love one of that tribe that is a complete unknown quantity to go home DJDKLFSF. but yis so im feeling good taking a backseat but im gonna ejector seat myself forwards at some point, just got to figure out when to push the button

Okay so Bodhi left last night and that was really sad. We had nice conversations but i told him that if the rest of the tribe wanted him out i wasn't going to campaign for him. He ended up making his rounds but at the end of the day, no one felt strongly about keeping him. He speaks so well that it took me a night's rest to get my head straight. Also Trace got an alliance together of himself, myself, Scott and Isaac. Bitch i was SHOOK! I am so glad to be likable enough to be brought into someone else's core. So this kind of perfectly positioned myself and Scott between 2 alliances. I believe we're both more loyal to the one we formed before we found out we were going to tribal, but who knows. I did tell Autumn of the news because i figure if we were to lose again. Whichever of Isaac of Trace remains is going to feel on bottom and blow up that Scott and I were two-timing the DADS. Btw that is the dumbest alliance name I have ever been a part of but whatever. The rat pack has also formed and now him and I are in a good spot. I will say that i am nervous that MISS ALYSSA spoke the comparison into existence, but i really hope we don't continue to flop like Luzon did on Cagayan. But hey! If Denise can go to every tribal council in one season and win, maybe i can too. (PS i pissed myself with my score in winterbells but also F*CK WINTERBELLS, thats all, ty)

Honestly I’m really regretting not participating in this challenge because I feel like our scores are.......not great. I feel like I could have turned out the puzzle and even winterbells. The flag Lovelis made is super cute and i think will fair well bc it’s very clean and neat. It’s not super creative, but it’s definitely well made. I think even if we went to tribal I would be okay though. Liam seems like an easy enough boot for us. No one seems that dazzled by his contributions to the tribe.

i literally am the biggest clown who ever clowned for continuing to overdo it in challenges, if i'm allowed to make it to merge at this point it will literally be a miracle.

So Bodhi left on a unanimous vote yesterday and I'm glad that it worked out as planned! I definitely felt bad lying to him about it all and stuff, but I think it was the best for the tribe going forward. What does suck however is that we lost AGAIN! And it was actually close this time! I'm actually annoyed that we lost this time because I submitted my challenge at 4PM and the reason why we lost was because the last submission was at 8 :/ like... y'all couldn't get it in any earlier? Plus I'm annoyed because I find myself in the swing position between the DADS and The Rat Pack. Personally I don't trust Trace after finding out he tried to play the Rat Pack off as my idea when it was really his all along. To me, it shows that he'd betray me later on down the line. And the only purpose for "The Rat Pack" is so they feel like they're in the majority. So since we lost, I don't mind voting out Trace. Duncan and I called to confirm that we're on the same page. We also found out that Devon is telling us the same things about loyalty and allegiances and I don't like that. He also told Duncan that he would throw immunities and play idols for him if he needed it, and that Duncan was his number 1 ally. But he said the same exact thing to me. So... that has me a little sketch. But I also think that Autumn/Duncan are a close pair, so I may need to stick close to Devon for the long hall. But if Autumn/Duncan think I'm more with them than Devon, I'll take it. I'm supposed to go on call with the Dads soon. Duncan wants to tell them about the rat alliance so that Isaac doesn't use it as motive to get us out. Which i agree that it'd be a good idea as long as devon/autumn stick with us. Duncan and I both feel like Devon might be thrown off since he always likes to be in control, but not actually being in charge. So we'll need to do damage control when that happens. But for now it seems like Trace is going unless things change. If things go how I would want it to, then Trace leaves tomorrow.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JKqH3EQMlugIe-lwHMYMG2qoVZ7dvIzr/view?usp=sharing

Omg!!!!! Another win that makes me so happy . The tribe is all getting along great and I couldnt all for better ppl. I'm hoping soon to get some kind of solid group together. Kendell adam and amiry are ppl I def wanna work with long term at the time. Just gotta see what happens.

youtube

Not much has been happening lately so I might be able to keep this short and not ramble on and on like i usually do (ill still end up writing a novel probably) yippy yay it's day 5 and everything is still all smiles and giggles over here because we've won yet another immunity!! kinda boring tbh but obviously im happy we won immunity because now that buys me one more day and at the end of it that's all i care about. I kinda did want the brauns to go to tribal however instead of the brains because i just really would like my beauties to get a nice foot hold and a lead in the game, i actually enjoy taking to some of these people, and im trying my best to talk to as many people as i can, which anyone who knows me knows isn't the easiest thing for me, i was reading some of my old confessionals from both my past games and the one thing i consistently got dragged for was not being as present with people, which granted i did improve a lot on last time around for sure, but i still got work to do and im realizing that more each day when i have no urge whatsoever to talk to anyone (don't worry, it's not you, it's (crippling depression) me! I understand socializing is part of the game and i do think my social game is my strongest asset but to me i like to think of my social game as a more distinct kind, im more elusive and i like to be that, if you leave them wanting more dahling they'll keep you around, i dont like to show all my cards, and that's a quality that i reflect in both survivor and life, and it has advantages and disadvantages in both but ANYWHO despite all that dare i say i think im still doing *decent* ? I'm making it a priority to reach out at least once a day to *most people (AJ, Augusto, Amir, Austin) are the ones ive probably had some of the best conversations with where it was the most natural and just flowed you know, and still is on day 5, and with kendall ive had some talks with her i do like her but idk i get this vibe she's kinda holding back when talking to me, and ESPECIALLY same with connor? we only had one private conversation and he gave me about a 3 word response, and if you havent guessed by now i like elaboration or at least a lil bit of personality when you talk, no shade just an observation, so that's a small red flag im very much a person who matches energy, one of my go to's in survivor is being open to the possibility of anything, ill always work with anyone who will work with me, and i think thats how everyone should play so hopefully the people ive been talking a lot to feel similar but i guess we'll have to wait until a vote of some sort to see about all that.. I still havent heard any idol talk or even game talk quite frankly so im guessing people are just still keeping the friendly facade up..... or ...... is it me?? am i the one on the outs looking like boo boo the fool or is that just my paranoia getting to me??? im not gonna send myself into a tizzy about getting voted out when we're not even going to tribal i- lemme calm down. If i had to guess I'd say Kendall, Connor, or Amir have the idol probably but sounds like a mystery for another day because im DONE im clocking out for the night until other people wanna wake up and play the game too oop final note: ok but it would be sick and twisted if it turns out they are all playing the game just without me and im the first boot of the tribe

Waking up on this glorious Day 5 with a new perspective. I originally applied to be on the brains tribe and was shook when I got brawn because let’s face it, my arms are akin to overcooked spaghetti noodles. BUT my tribe is so much stronger than the brains. I’m hoping for a big name to go to shake things up. AND I’m not really looking to swap onto a tribe with Trace or Autumn due to our past game history. Love them both dearly, but it’s gonna be a no from me.

okie so! update from me is i think im doing okay. like i think the benefit of no dua lipa cave is you can just build connections with everyone, you aren't voting someone out every round so why not capitalise on that? i'm so afraid of the fact that i'm overdoing it in challenges like i really need to calm. down. but im reassuring myself with the fact that in the first challenge i only was top because i did like... one more thing than others like its not thattt big of a deal? my puzzle time was clownery but hopefully people don't pay attention to it? im getting very anxious about overdoing it in challenges, but my thought process now is like. i need to act like people have an awareness of it, without getting kinda consumed by my anxiety about it? idk im hoping since most of these people don't know me, they wont notice me doing good in the challenge but truly who can be sure also am really just liking my tribe? like jake is ofc a king, i love jordan (who im gonna talk to later, he is the only one i feel like i have to talk to today), i also really like TJ who i was super harsh on at the start for no reason, i get good ally vibes from lovelis, liam m is super sweet even tho he is kinda inactive and dan is so fun (plus he told jake that he speaks to me one of the most so we love that!!). i've been trying to figure out what i even do about a lot of the super old school players that i have no connection/point of reference with? like people like scott, adam, kendall, aj i have truly no basis with? thats whats so scary about a swap, is at this point in the game i know 10/20 people left aka the brawn tribe + duncan/isaac/autumn, and like 10/20 isnt bad... BUT then the other 10 aka the beauty tribe + trace/scott/devon i have literally no connection to which is super scary JAKSDFA. im just real afraid of a swap. just swap me with jordan/jake/autumn/isaac PLEATHE. im just a pile of anxiety this season idk what to do im like frozen because of how scared i am... maybe it'll be all fine

Well, that was a close one. I struggled with that comp all day and I feel like absolute shit that I only got our team that 1 point. To me, it's inexcusable not to have be able to help my tribe as I wanted to contribute and make sure I made my worth known. So now I'm just this paranoid mess that I would have been in trouble had we gone to tribal. It's been hard to talk to some of these people or for most of those who I do talk to, I just don't really know where there head is at. I'm not sure if this is just a really guarded tribe, or if I really should be concerned. So I don't know what to do just yet. And that's not a feeling I like when playing TS.

Not gonna lie, I’m pretty sad that Bodhi left the game like he was so active pre-season so I was expecting him to do his best to go super far and maybe he did? I don’t know, but I did want a chance to actually get to play with him in TS but we keep passing each other by! I hope he is doing good despite how he might feel being the first boot yknow but yeah <3

The way I absolutely flopped with the idol system stuff is all types of funny and sad at the same time like I REALLY thought I did something only for it to be part of the challenge… That being said, Amir did tell me that he has a theory the idol system might be based on numbers which is interesting! I am super thankful he decided to tell me and we went on this long talk about how we are each other’s #1s which is super cute! I really do trust Amir and I do want to go far with him because he’s awesome but that being said, my #1 is me like I promised myself that I’d be selfish this time around just because being the selfless person I am hasn’t gotten me a win but we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. We did go over a lot of stuff in terms of tribe dynamics and we both kinda agreed that AJ would be the first boot from the time if we went to tribal, we like our alliance with Kendall/Connor, we both like Adam and we both think Austin is sweet/genuine even if we don’t talk to him tons so yay for that too <3

I am SO trying to sell the fact that me and Kendall are a duo to Kendall which is funny to me idk hjfkds like she did approach me super early on about aligning but I do have the tiniest feeling she did that to mostly everyone but I’m trying to pin us with each other to her so she trusts me more, especially since I do feel as though she is the best connected on the tribe. I even called us Crystal Cox (me bc blazing speed and challenge flop ofc) and Ken(dell) ghfjdksl, I’m doing the most but yeah, I just want Kendall to see me as her #1 in the game on the off chance anything happens yknow?

Austin thinks I’m his #1 which is really sweet? I do like Austin even if it is hard to talk to him sometimes but hey, that happens. He told me that he’s really glad I’m on this tribe (which I have heard from basically everyone especially Adam and Amir which makes me feel cute omg) and that we might need to get a group going soon. I was like…. Tea but I also don’t know how quickly I want to get an alliance including Austin going just because it’s like… do I reveal that Austin and I are close-ish and be seen as a social threat? That just ain’t cute sis! But yeah, Austin told me he also really likes Kendall and Amir and that’s awesome that the two people I feel the closest to are ALSO doing THAT but at the same time, I want to be the one doing THAT the most because I’m greedy (by Ariana Grande) so it’s something to keep in mind!

The way I absolutely flopped at that puzzle… this is why I’m a Beauty cause a sis ain’t smart to complete a puzzle and I’m not brawn-y enough to do well in a challenge hgjfdk BUT that being said, Hagthor beat the thots and apiss and I couldn’t be any happier! I do wish Brawn lost over Brain but yknow, you can’t have everything go your way (‘: it’s funny how I slayed the last challenge and flopped this one tho like a bitch really lacks consistency huh ghfjndmks

Ugh fineeeee since I've been called out... by myself. I guess I'll do the bare minimum. So we won immunity!!!! Wooo!!!!!! Low-key though through out the entire process of making the flag, I just kept thinking darn I wish we voted out someone last tribal because drawing 7 people is annoying... watch me get voted out next tribal council lol. That would be quality foreshadowing. Today I have two goals. 1. Figure out what the method of entering the tomb. I intend on getting in contact with Augusto or Connor for that one. Augusto because he is low-key my number one. Connor because I feel if anyone can solve it he probably could. 2. Set up group chat with me, Augusto, and Austin. So Austin can feel a false sense of reassurance and Augusto and I have options. Write more later maybe.

Honestly im feeling kind of trepidatious going forward which is a little wierd, i just dont feel like ive gotten my footing yet in this game. I think like, im in a good spot to be fine on this tribe because of my social game and how I contribute in challenges, but I dont know if I feel good about anything longterm just yet. What really is bothering me is the tomb. Its gonna be round 3 tonight and I haven't made any more progress on getting in than I have night one. I feel like I have a lot of pieces to this puzzle but nothing is fitting together and its bothering me. I'm also a little upset that if we lose, I could see Liam being the target and I can't see my self risking my position to save him if he cant save himself. He has my name on his wiki page its an obvious association to me, and while I think hed be loyal to me, I'm just wondering honestly if him as an ally is worth the target it may bring. Im cautiously moving through the beginning of this game with a lot of unnease and hopefully I find some steady ground soon.

I am annoyed that we are yet again at tribal. I played so fucking hard at winter bells but of course someone on another tribe got like 238593277 billion which threw us back into tribal... So annoying truthfully. But it's alright, I should be able to make it out alive. I want Devon to go home. But I also don't want to let my guard down. This vote is important for a few reasons. The first reason is that our tribe is very close, so I am nervous that lines are going to be drawn in the sand. The second is that, after this vote, we will be down to five, making 3 the majority. We have an alliance of 4, and lord knows that when you are down to 5, whoever feels like 3 and 4 of the alliance are most likely going to try and rope in the 5th person to get rid of each other. So my plan is to make Isaac and Scott BOTH feel as though they are my number 1s so that they actually stick to our alliance of 4 thinking that I will be keeping them both if we lose again. This is the only way that i can see it working, but idk. I feel bad if Devon ends up going because he's a nice guy, but we have to make choices about strengthening our team, and then I have to make a choice about strengthening my place in the game. Hopefully this doesn't come to bite me in the ass.

Things have been going pretty well for my tribe! We won the first immunity challenge and that really seemed to boost tribe morale. Granted, these past couple of days I've been quiet since I'm trying to boost grades that are literally 0s into something manageable before I graduate hehe. I've tried to keep up with people through small conversations, which seems to work better for me at the moment until I get myself together. Adam wants to create an alliance with Augusto and Amir, which I'm totally for. I understand, though, that he doesn't wanna do it immediately since there's really no urgency to? We didn't go to tribal, so why did it matter! That excuse aside, I do hope that us holding our breath to say something doesn't bite us in the ass because these are people I want to work with! I wanna get something going with Kendall as well hopefully, since I adore her! Earlier, I stated that Adam and I (Adam, really) found our way into the tomb and both flopped in the questions. Adam took another stab at it and found out we've been bamboozled! Someone beat us to the punch and has whatever contents were inside the tomb. I'm assuming it was an idol, but who knows what else is in there! It kinda made me lose motivation to keep searching inside but when in Rome? I'll probably end up trying again despite knowing the end result just because I wanna prove I can be a smart cookie as well. I also didn't gloss over this but I'll mention it really quickly, but I'm sad Bodhi went! He was one of the few people I was familiar with on the other tribes so it's unfortunate we aren't going to be able to connect with each other this game. A king has fallen. In lighter and more recents events, my tribe crushed the second immunity challenge. Kendall stunned with her artistry and I'm still gushing over how cute everyone's character was. I kinda like decimated Winterbells, but I've always been good at the game, and Amir did really well in the scavenger hunt. Augusto and Austin did really well in the puzzle also, despite their lack of confidence in offering a strong performance. We appear to be THEE tribe to beat honestly and I'm loving that. I love our tribe! I LOVE OUR TRIBE! It really would be a tragedy if we aren't able to keep up this win streak we're manifesting.

Sorry for not writing this sooner! Been having a bad depressive episode for the last couple days and it makes me unmotivated to write c': I feel like a flop so far in this game, not because I submit shit scores, but because I find it exhausting to connect with some of these people. They're all very nice in their own special ways, but interacting w some is like pulling teeth, and I guarantee they feel the same about me, which I would expect. That being said, I hope we keep winning, cause I don't have the energy to go to tribal right now.

Heading into a second tribal council, there is becoming less and less room to hide. I am struggling to hold my own against the other tribes when it comes to competitions, but thank goodness it's a numbers game. If everything goes accordingly, I am taking a backseat this vote and allowing a 4-2 vote out when it comes to Trace. I appreciated Duncan coming to me with the alliance chat information with him/Scott/Trace/Isaac, but didn't like how Autumn needed to tell me first. Shows that I really can't trust Scott/Duncan after a swap comes up. In regards to Scott, he outright didn't say anything. I like him and all, but it was a slimy move to say the least. He only said something because he HAD to vote out someone in one of his two alliances. This group will be dumb as hell if they let me swap. I'll flip on them as soon as possible and invite anyone into my alliance. The tribe swap is where I made my 'Slithers' game infamous last time, so I'm hoping for a similar output. Don't forget: I swapped with the minority last time in Guyana (shout out to Jess), so I'm not worried about the numbers and how its split. ALL I NEED IS A SWAP OR TWIST. GET ME OUT OF HERE.

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Thank God we won that based on the tiebreaker, but yikes I didn't think my flag would've tanked so hard. Guess I've gotta get better at perfecting my craft huh, but at least we're safe. I feel nervous on this tribe to be honest, because I think I'm the second to bottom on the totem pole after the other Liam, so it isn't reassuring that if we lose twice I'll either be gone, or I could even be gone at our first tribal if he's got a solid alliance going...the only alliance I have right now is with Jordan and I don't really know where I sit with everyone else, but I'm afraid of overplaying... ugh so annoying! I think I just need to force a couple of game related conversations with people to build up some trust, just hope it wouldn't paint a target on my back for trying I guess...

oh gorl, some of these people on my tribe really think im just the clown of the tribe and cant put two and two together, well guess what, IM NOT. So Amir messages me, which nothing out of the ordinary there, ive been talking to him every day so far for the most part like i said we're a little familiar with each other from our pasts, but i was VERY surprised today at what had happened... what had happened was....he starts talking the smallest bit of game with me, basically he just said, "is it me or is everyone really quiet here?" and so i just agreed with him and i said yeah i dont think people are talking game yet which is a little weird, and then i threw the TINEST tea crumpet out there and i said "yeah ive talked to some people so easily like you, but then there's others who.....i cant say the same for" and i was absolutely hinting at connor/kendall just because i havent had the longest convos with them, which no biggie, but THEN about 20 minutes later i get a message from CONNOR of all people saying "hey adam!" ..... obviously im glad to talk to him and im all for getting to know everyone, but my instincts immediately went off and told me it's a little sus....how not even a few minutes ago i was saying how some people never talk to me and then out of no where the one person i was mainly talking about messages me?? Coincidences don't exist in survivor. Now I really have no choice but to think that amir in someway mentioned to connor that i said theres some people i havent talked to at all and that he probably needed to work on that.. which is true, but cmon. i know the tribe brain cell is missing but at least put a little thought into this and message me later tonight or not right after i say it?? I'm not sure if they have any type of past connection and while I definitely do wanna keep building my relationship with Amir, this will definitely make me question him a little bit at least until i see how some votes fall when we eventually go to tribal. Amir also told me he's had the most convos with Augusto, which is funny because thats exactly how both me and aj feel about augusto, which tells me augusto is really playing the game rn, and while thats someone i want to work with, it's also someone i need to be extremely careful with if we're still playing together down the road. plot twist: connor messaging me has absolutely nothing to do with amir and i just made this whole conspiracy for nothing but idk.... it's a conspiracy IM interested in.

***last add on because i forgot to say how the hell im gonna HANDLE this amir/connor situation... im keeping my eyes on it incase theyre in kahoots and also if they think im that dumb then clearly they havent watched me play before, which is great for me but bad for them, you cant trick a trickster try all you want, There's nothing I love more than being underestimated in survivor because it kinda makes it a little easier to play and gives me more options, so sure ill keep up my fake smiles and act like we're all fine and dandy, ill play dumb and wont even act like im onto them but i absolutely am and ill be ready to make my move the second it seems right

Ugh I feel so DIRTY. I feel so GROSS. Poor Devon, truly. I spoke with Autumn and told her about Devon, and she was in without a fight and told me that it should be 5-1. And then Devon came to me and was like... we all good for the vote tonight? And I'm like ................yes? Lol. I'm good, you're probably not. ugh, this is the part of this game that I hate. I want to never lose immunity ever again, let someone else break someone else's heart!

Something about Kendall is so chaotic and terrifying and I can’t put a finger on why.her aligning was her talking to me for the first time in a day saying “let’s align” and created an alliance chat without even asking who else should be in it which leads me to believe her Augusto and Connor already have a trio and I was the 4th. Are all these focking people playing me?? Like i still cant tell if this is a real alliance but i want to believe it is and not a bluff to vote me out. But also like why even do that, the only person on this cast that I trust and have played with, bodhi, has just been voted out. I’m a free agent and I can help that alliance make it far in the game, but they also have lots of relationships on other tribes so like I might not even be that valuable to them. I mentioned to Augusto about the numbers on the blog, hoping to create more trust because I really really love him and want to trust him but I’m still just so damn unsure. if we lose this immunity and I get one bad signal from any of those 3, if they slip up even once, I won’t hesitate to align and gather the minority. But if they are playing me properly, then kudos to them!

I am just happy i have the idol i am going to put it in my ass.

me when the brains tribe only has 5 members left http://prntscr.com/s8y76g

You know what? https://66.media.tumblr.com/b7b4accba586ad321141b6ba80d69044/tumblr_omule3fwZC1w1swfno1_250.gifv I'm mad but I'm not tight because that same alliance that Duncan and I orchestrated is the same alliance that will get us through. So do I enjoy going to tribal? No. And do I enjoy knowing that Trace created an alliance w/ everyone except me and Devon? No. But the Dads will prevail and I trust Scott and the gang. I mean Ducnan is family so as long as we don't go it's fine. But Devon is my baby so absolutely gotta kill for him. That's what keep em close hahaha But no the Trace vote is a dream come true that I only crossed my mind once and STILL got manifested. Like Duncan suggested it and I said you got it because Trace will be the FIRST to rally all the white boys against me in a swap. Cute or not, Trace will kill me I'm convinced. Like something in my spirit told me not to trust Trace and low and behold: Duncan reveals that alliance to me on Day 3. So confirmed, Trace is leaving so that I don't fall to the bottom of the tribe. But it's all good- Isaac listens to Fleetwood Mac and watches Schitt's Creek so he's a good guy. And Scott is literally a cinammon roll who's too busy to snitch or flip. I don't have time to discuss how much I love Duncan or Devon so we're tabling that. Anyway If y'all need me I'll be doing this 4 part immunity challenge that determines whether I make Final 3 in the other org I'm in so try not to need me lmao

okay so... we aren't going to tribal but its still kinda messy on brawn beach. i kinda have felt this energy for a while, but i don't think jake and jordan have enough trust between the two of them for us to be a continual three person alliance. jake is a very reactive, gut-impulse kind of player which is honestly to his benefit since he is super perceptive. however that also means he is quick to be anxious about stuff in the game, which is the same as me and that is why we click. BUT. he thinks something is up with dan/jordan and honestly i see that and feel it. jordan keeps hinting at dan being the one to loop in and i think that does say something about them having some sort of game dynamic. however, jordan is maybe downplaying that relationship which is scary KLAF tbh i still like jordan and wanna work with him, but i do 100% have to keep tabs on him, his social connections could definitely become a problem if he has other priorities over me! so i think i just have to make sure im a continuing priority for him, so i have to find some sort of information to bring to him (maybe when dan proposes the alliance of me/jordan/jake/dan to me ill run to jordan and be like hey did dan suggest this to you how do you feel) to solidify that sort of trust? idk... i want my j-men to stick together and they ARENT. maybe i need to solidify stuff with TJ specifically more, he gives good ally vibes? but ya... its a mess tm

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ncfan-1 · 7 years

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Breaks in Routine

Her hair was black. That was... new. [Set during ‘The Antilles Extraction’; serves as a companion to ‘Diplomacy Is a Process’.]

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His predecessor had warned him of the things he would need to keep in mind if he ever found himself on the wrong side of a cell door. At the time, Fenn Rau had been a young man, very young, it felt like now, and with all the brashness of youth, he had assumed that such a thing would never happen to him. But his predecessor was not a man to be ignored lightly, and besides, the man had spent the better part of a year in a holding cell around the close of the last of the civil wars, so he had listened.

Do not despair, even if it seems that you might die. So long as you breathe still, there is a chance you will still escape. You need only keep your eyes sharp for an opening.

Don’t go on a hunger strike, for any reason. It will make it more difficult for you to escape, if the opportunity does present itself.

Do not antagonize your captors needlessly, be they cowards or oathbreakers or kinslayers. There is no point, and you should conduct yourself honorably, even if they do not, and have not. At the same time, always keep in mind that your captors are not your friends. Tell them nothing of any value.

If you are given nothing with which to occupy yourself in your cell, you must not sit idle. Lying in your cot, doing nothing but staring up at the ceiling, that will drive you mad after long enough. Find something to do. Exercise, recite poetry, sing if you must, but don’t just wither away in your cell.

Do not long for the sky. Do not forget the sky, but push it to the back of your mind. Do not long for the sky, do not dream of it, do not let it invade your thoughts when your mind is quiet. Just don’t. You’ll regret it, if you do.

And do not let worry for those you have left behind consume you. Your worry alone will not help them; it will eat you alive, and benefit them not at all. If you truly worry over the well-being of those you left behind, then you should devote your energy to getting back to them more quickly.

That was long ago, well over twenty years ago. Fenn had only been a few years out of exile on Concordia, and had thought imprisonment to have nothing on exile, on being cut off from the homeworld and being lumped in with traitorous terrorists in the process. Surely imprisonment had nothing on having few options but to trade one exile for another, Concordia for Concord Dawn, and no way back to Mandalore but by abandoning all honor. He might have listened, but he hadn’t really taken the words to heart. He suspected there might be some things he’d forgotten. Certainly, some of the points were proving difficult to keep putting into practice, and even if the end result was frustration and incredible boredom instead of all-consuming worry, it was still starting to wear.

The boredom was probably the reason he’d stopped viewing the arrival of his most frequent “guest” with extreme irritation, and instead with something more closely resembling minor annoyance.

Sabine Wren was not Fenn’s only “guest,” not exactly. The Jedi, Jarrus, had shown up at his door once, confirming with his scarred face and sightless eyes what rumors Fenn had heard and Wren had managed to sidestep confirming directly. They had spoken little, and to no good end, for the words flew out of memory now like dust in a summer wind. A clone captain, Rex, had stopped by twice, and they reminisced about old battles and training mishaps in empty space around Kamino. (Seeing one of his old trainees had been a surprise, though rather less unpleasant than Fenn would have liked. He’d spent years training the first few generations of the Republic’s clone army. It was nice to see that his training still served some of them even now, though some might have deserted those to whom they owed rightful allegiance.)

But it was Wren who came most often, creeping so quietly up the corridor that sometimes he didn’t even realize she was there until he heard her talking to one of the guards. She seemed to be especially fond of cubikahd, though she might be a lousy player, for she had the astromech who trailed after her—‘Chopper,’ Fenn had heard her call it once—set up a board every time she came. Wren didn’t talk much when she showed up. At times, she would make a stab or two at conversation, but they tended to fall flat under the combined weight of Fenn’s refusal to cooperate and her own reluctance to tell him anything about what went on outside the cell block.

(Fenn would have liked some word from his men. A status update, an assurance that the Empire hadn’t yet discovered his absence, a weather report, anything would have been nice. He was willing to admit that going this long without contact… unsettled him, even if it was only standard procedure in every reasonable army not to let prisoners have unlimited communication with the outside. But trying to get back in contact with the other Protectors would likely have meant relying on Wren as a go-between. He’d just have to live with radio silence until the opportunity for escape presented itself.)

Why exactly Wren kept coming down here, Fenn really couldn’t determine. He somehow doubted it was for the pleasure of his company, and if the kid really wanted someone to play cubikahd against, surely she could have strong-armed one of her companions into learning how to play the game. There was something else, the intermittent gleam in her eyes, brighter than the reflected light from the game board, or the way her brow knit when she tried to talk about something other than the game, almost as if in trepidation. He was beginning to wonder if Wren would ever come out with it on her own, or if he would just have to force the issue. Maybe once she finally came out with it, was honest with what she really wanted, she’d bother him no more.

For now, when Wren appeared outside the force field that served as his cell door, Fenn Rau was reintroduced to something that tended to be rather lacking from the world when she wasn’t around: color. Bright, loud color.

It was pretty clear that the Rebellion, at least the branch that operated here on Atollon (the guards did like to talk with one another at shift change), had no sort of dress code for their operatives. If they had, there was absolutely no way the paint job on Wren’s armor would have been compliant with regulations, nor the dye job in her hair. A bit of personalization was one thing, but making oneself that distinctive would present enough problems in the field as to be another thing entirely. He wondered if Wren just prided herself on being able to move fast enough that the ‘Please shoot me’ paint job on her armor didn’t matter.

But perhaps that bright, variegated paint job was not entirely without use. Though he’d known her heritage in advance, Fenn had not noticed the clan markings on Wren’s helmet until after he’d been tossed in the back of her and Jarrus’s shuttle. It was effective—if unconventional—camouflage, Fenn would grudgingly admit. The eye was drawn to the vibrant designs and splotches of color on the body of her armor, enough so that even if you knew to look for it, you might not notice the clan markings on her helmet, the marks that so clearly identified who she was.

Sabine Wren seemed to be quite enamored of bright—at times, obnoxiously bright—colors, and did not seem at all shy about this love of hers. So when she showed up one evening with all the dye stripped out of her hair, Fenn did what he suspected anyone who knew her, even only in passing, would have done. He did a double-take. And stared.

Wren did not seem to have noticed this lapse, for her expression didn’t shift from careful neutrality as she sat down on the bench opposite from his. “I can’t stay long,” she said, so calmly that he could almost imagine he wasn’t seeing the line of her back tense until it was as straight as a ramrod. “I have to head out tomorrow morning. Early,” and said in the voice of someone who did not sound as though they particularly liked early mornings. She drew her shoulders up slightly as she gestured at Chopper, who had followed her inside markedly more quietly than it usually did. “Do you want to…” Uncertainty blunted the edges of her voice, making her sound younger than her—admittedly few—years.

“Fine.”

Apparently, her natural hair color was black. With the dye stripped out of her hair, Wren suddenly looked naggingly familiar, and Fenn frowned, trying to place it. She was the shade of someone he had met once, long ago, but memory was not exact enough to tell him when, or where, or who. After a long moment of raking at the back of his mind, Fenn decided it did not matter enough to dwell on. He’d had run-ins with members of Clan Wren in the past, both during his time with the Protectors, and before, on Concordia. Most likely, a cousin shared eye shape or jawline, and he’d just never looked for a resemblance before now.

Still, after vivid hues of blue and later lavender, plain black was jarring.

Eventually, Wren did notice the way Fenn’s eyes kept flicking from the game board to her head. She frowned lightly, edging backwards just a hair. “What?” There was the slightest edge of belligerence in her voice; not quite the herald of a fight, but a specter, definitely.

No answer was forthcoming. A change in hair color was not exactly high on the list of things Fenn would willingly admit to having been thrown by. Even if the wearer of said hair was fond enough of dyeing her hair colors unnatural to humans that a natural color was just bizarre to have to look at.

But even without an answer, Wren guessed what the issue was soon enough. “Oh.” She clutched at the end of a lock of stray black—plain, dull black!—hair. “I don’t know why everybody’s so shocked,” she muttered, her mouth forming the suggestion of a scowl. “Hair dye isn’t exactly Imperial regulation.” When this explanation got her a quirked eyebrow, she responded tersely, “Infiltration and extraction.”

An explanation spanning three words was a pretty clear message. You’ll get no more specifics out of me.

The line about the Empire’s dress code regulations hooked memory and drew it back to, of all places, Kamino. Fenn had not left Kamino for a while after the Clone Wars had erupted and the Jedi had sent a representative to oversee the clones’ training. He and Shaak Ti had not spent enough time in each other’s company during off-hours to move past the boundary wall of “colleagues”, nor even “acquaintances.” The Jedi spent most of her off-hours meditating, as it happened.

What Fenn Rau and Shaak Ti had spent a good amount of time doing was having conversations that balanced a knife’s edge between “discussion” and “fight,” mostly about Fenn’s training methods. Words like “inhumane” might have been bandied about, accompanied with phrases like “high risk for little reward” and “corpses can’t learn how to fly.” Sentences like “I don’t see you getting into a fighter pilot and teaching them how to fly” and “If they get dropped green and raw into a warzone, they’ll become corpses that way, too” might have been fired back. These conversations of theirs always managed to stay within the confines of Basic syllables, though they occasionally threatened to leave language behind altogether. In the intervening years, Fenn had come around to Ti’s way of thinking on some of the points she had made, during their conversations, though not all.

Something Fenn Rau and Shaak Ti had wholeheartedly agreed on, though, was greeting the clones’ expressions of individuality with approval. Names to take the place of strings of numbers and letters; dyed or bleached hair; tattoos; painted designs on helmets. Ti spoke of a day when the war would be over, the clones would be properly integrated into galactic society, and a sense of individual identity would benefit them all greatly. Fenn liked to say that he approved just because he could tell them apart more easily that way, but truth be told, the Kaminoans’ dismissive attitude to the personhood of the clones had been disquieting. More than twenty years after he’d first heard it, and it still was.

Shaak Ti was most likely dead now, as were most of the clones she and Fenn had trained—the former slain by the Empire, and the latter worked until they were too worn down to work anymore, or just dropped dead. The Empire treated all its peoples much the same way as the Kaminoans had treated the clones, except that instead of being indifferent to the way their little cogs attired themselves, they actively stamped out any attempt at assertion of uniqueness. But they were powerful enough to squash anyone who tried to assert said uniqueness, and powerful enough to silence anyone who tried to protest. The Empire was strong enough to crush anyone who said or did something that didn’t fit with their vision of how things should be. All the wisest could do was try to weather the storm, as the Jedi couldn’t, as the clones couldn’t.

“The Empire wants us to treat them like any clan chieftain who prevailed over us in war, but I think we both know this isn’t the same thing.”

Yes, Wren would have had ample experience watching people treat the Empire like a clan chieftain to be loyally served, wouldn’t she?

Wren would not willingly give over any mission specifics, and Fenn wasn’t terribly interested in that, anyways. But he still had a question, and he would have it answered.

“Why?” His voice rang out unnaturally loudly in the shadowy little cell, the cool metal walls amplifying volume until a word spoken at normal volume sounded more like a shout.

She looked up, her head snapping up so fast that Fenn was surprised he hadn’t heard a pop, and she practically shrank. Wren’s back and shoulders hunched as she folded in on herself like a collapsible chair. To someone who had made a career tracking down criminals, her body language fairly screamed ‘Fugitive!’ She did this often, sometimes sat that way the whole time she was in here. Fenn wondered if she even realized she was doing it. Certainly, her shrinking posture made an interesting contrast with the fact that, just as all the others times, she’d walked in with her blasters still holstered. Was that carelessness, bravado, or some misguided expression of trust? If Wren was one of his men, he would have corrected the misstep, and furthermore advised her not to sit like that when speaking with a prisoner; seeing as she was one of his captors instead, he merely reminded himself that he would have a hard time getting home even if he did take her weapons.

Despite the way she shrank, Wren never broke eye contact, her light brown eyes flashing with what looked almost like defiance. Her brow knit. “I didn’t have the easiest time getting out of Sundari after I left the Academy. I don’t want anyone who’s come to the same decision as I did to have the same problems getting out.”

Her words rang out clear and strong in the confines of the cell. There was no trace of shame in Wren’s face, every suggestion of sincerity in her voice, and Fenn didn’t know what to make of that at all, didn’t know if he should be angry, or maybe something else. She did seem to be genuinely devoted to the rebellion, though her cause was one that would surely fail once the Empire set about to crushing it. But…

But Sabine Wren had been born to a clan of traitors, grown up around people who respected only strength, and had precious little conception of honor or loyalty. The best anyone could say about the Wrens was that they were loyal to their own; otherwise, they were just the same as the other clans that followed House Vizsla. The Empire knew little of honor either, and it was the Empire that ruled Mandalore when Sabine Wren was a child; they were the ones who defined honor when Wren was a child, and they said, falsely, that ‘honor’ meant serving them. Sabine Wren had abandoned her duty to Mandalore when she joined the Empire, and had then not even kept her vows to the Empire, for she had deserted the Empire, and joined the rebels. Her loyalty to the rebellion might be sincere now, but Sabine Wren’s loyalty seemed a markedly fickle thing. Too unreliable to be trusted.

Asides from calling out the moves, the game went by in silence. Wren lost, but just about anyone could have predicted that. And it seemed like one game was all she had time for, because when it was done, the droid—Chopper—switched off the game board, and Wren got back to her feet.

“Wren,” Fenn commented as she began to leave, “when you’re on this ‘infiltration and extraction’ mission of yours, try to remember whose side you’re on. The ‘extraction’ part of it won’t end well if you forget where you’re extracting your defectors to.”

Fenn hadn’t known it was possible for someone to roll their eyes with their whole body, but Wren did a good job of it nonetheless. “Trust me, I won’t have any problem with that.”

At first, Fenn was content to leave it at that. Infiltration missions were by definition dangerous, and if there was a chance she might die, it seemed only fair to at least let her have the last word. Perhaps, he thought, it would be easier to escape while she was away. But just after Wren and her droid had crossed the threshold and the force field reformed behind them, Fenn found himself calling out, “And Wren?”

Wren stopped, though she did not turn back to face him, not at first. The droid didn’t stop at all, and grumbled a complaint before rolling off out of sight. When Wren turned back around, there was no trace of hostility in her face. Nothing there but narrow-eyed curiosity, though she was silent. Maybe she had imagined something in his voice, or perhaps he’d just had another lapse, and not realized.

“When you get where you’re going, try not to hold yourself like a fugitive,” Fenn advised her, more mildly than he would have liked. “You’ll just get shot.”

Through the golden static of the force field, Wren smiled at him, and even more unexpected than the smile itself was that it actually seemed… Genuine. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

#Star Wars: Rebels #Fanfic #Fenn Rau #Sabine Wren #When I realized that timeline was it was actually possible for Rau and Shaak Ti to have known each other #There may have been some cackling

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paulckrueger · 4 years

Text

Best Day To Book Flights in 2020

I love traveling.

But it can get expensive. Especially the flights and hotels.

On international flights, the same seat on the same flight can range by over a thousand dollars. It costs $800 today and $1800 tomorrow. I’d much rather pay $1000 less for the same exact trip.

A few simple rules will help you land the best prices for your flights.

So when’s the best time to book flights anyway?

Know The True Cost of Flying

When you’re looking at flights, you’re probably focused on the dollar amount listed next to your fight option. Aside from the cost of your seat, here are a few other expenses you might have to pay:

Taxes

Checked Bag fees

Carry on fees

Snacks and drinks

Seating selection

Priority seating

Priority Boarding

Booking fees

Cancellation fees

Flight change fees

Wifi

Pet fees

Sometimes, these fees get buried in the checkout process and aren’t included in the total ticket price. Budget airlines are particularly bad at this. The ticket might officially cost $200 but you have to pay an extra $25 to pick any seat.

A IdeaWorks report shows that some companies have higher fees than others. When you’re booking flights, Spirit, WOW Air, Allegiant, and Frontier are more likely to hit you with baggage fees and online booking fees. These four companies charge an average of $49.25 in extra fees per flight.

Some airlines appear to have low base rates but once you tack on extra fees, the total can quickly soar. For example, Spirit Airlines gets roughly 33% of their total revenue from online booking fees and another 11% from seating fees.

Not only do you have to deal with fees for extras, there’s a bunch of mandatory fees and taxes on your ticket:

Passenger Facility Charge

US Federal Domestic Segment Fee

US Travel Tax

Immigration User Fee

September 11 Security Fee

International Transportation Fee

Foreign Government Security Taxes

U.S Customs User Fee

Most of the time, these taxes and fees are added to the public price of your ticket. There won’t be any surprises.

There is one situation where they can bite you.

When you redeem a reward ticket, you still have to pay all these fees. For example, an international flight might cost 60,000 miles and $100 in fees and taxes.

Most of the time, this amount is so small that you’re basically getting the flight for free. But not always.

Some airlines pass on a lot more fees to you. They can get so large that the ticket no longer feels free. The worst offender is British Airways. You can still get stuck paying $300-500 for an award ticket.

The Worst Times to Fly

Airline fees aren’t the only thing that will affect the cost of your flights. The days you fly to and from your destination, as well as the time of day can impact your travel budget. Understandably, the most popular times to travel are also the most expensive.

The most expensive days to fly are:

The weeks surrounding Christmas and New Year’s Day

Late February through April (Spring Break)

Memorial Day to Labor Day

Week of Thanksgiving

One of my favorite holiday travel hacks is to fly on Thanksgiving and Christmas day. There’s a lot fewer people and the prices tend to be normal as opposed to sell-my-left-kidney high.

During major holidays, there’s really no escape. Almost every route gets more expensive.

Spring break tends to be more destination dependent. You can expect to pay higher prices for flights to Hawaii, Florida, or other tropical locations during that time. Flights to ski towns also get expensive.

What about specific times of the day? Is there a difference in pricing?

If you want to avoid paying the highest fares, skip booking your tickets late at night on Friday when tickets are likely to cost 3% more than the rest of the week.

The Best Times to Fly

If you want to score the biggest deals on flights, choose your travel days in the off-season. That means skipping flights around major holidays and popular travel times. You’re likely to score great flight tickets during the spring and fall.

Most tourist destinations get overwhelmed during the summer, June through August in particular. The main exception to this is popular winter destinations which get busy from December through March.

Traveling in the shoulder seasons is another favorite hack of mine. The weather’s still pretty good and the prices for airlines are a lot better.

The best times to score deals include:

September through November (before Thanksgiving)

April through May

You can save hundreds of dollars by shifting your vacation by a few weeks.

If you want to try and save an extra bit of money, try to book your flight around midnight on Tuesday. The rumor in travel circles is you’ll get a 5-7% discount. I’ve never tried it, I’d rather spend my time finding a better reward flight or less popular destination.

Does The Actual Booking Day Matter?

Yes. People prefer to travel on certain days. While it’s impossible to predict the exact cheapest date to fly, you can safely assume you’ll save at least a little bit of money on certain days of the week, even if you have to travel at busier times of the year.

If you want to increase your chance on major savings, look for flights on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Since most people enjoy taking long weekends, you’ll have higher fares and busier security lines on Friday and Monday. Thursday and Saturday fall in the middle.

I used to do a lot of travel for business and after while, you start to notice a few patterns. The business crowd hits flights hard on Mondays and Fridays. There’s a lot of people that travel for a full week of work and then head home. Weekends are swamped with tourists and families.

If you avoid those two crowds by flying on Tuesdays or Wednesdays, the cost of your flight will be a lot better. Of course, this isn’t always the case. Events, holidays, and popular destinations can all surge pricing regardless of the day.

How far out should you book your flight?

There is a lot of conflicting information online about how far out you should book your plane tickets. The rule that I’ve found to be most consistent is to buy my ticket about 70 days before my departure date. That’s assuming I’m paying full price. If I’m looking for an award ticket, I book the seat as soon as it becomes available.

If you’re making an emergency visit, expect to pay some of the most expensive prices. The average traveler will pay almost $100 more per ticket if they book one to two weeks out and expect to pay $200 or more per ticket within a week of your travel date.

Other Tips For Getting The Best Flight Deals

There are deals to be had if you’re willing to put in a little extra work. If you want to maximize your savings, here are a few other things you can do to make sure you get the best deal possible.

Set up flight alerts: Get alerts sent to your inbox or your cell phone when prices change. Certain sites like Kayak and Google Flights can give you weekly price updates so you can snag a seat when prices drop.

Be flexible: If you can change your travel by one or two days, you can save on your tickets. Make sure to check multiple routes and layover variations, if the budget is a major sticking point.

Try connecting flights: If you don’t mind taking a bit of time to get from point A to point B, try taking connecting flights instead of direct flights. While this will save money, I don’t do it myself. I’d much rather pay a little extra for a direct flight.

Choose a regional airline: If you’re not a stickler for major perks, flying with a regional airline can save you a lot. Southwest Airlines, JetBlue, and Alaska are known for having lower rates than other airlines.

Using an airline rewards credit card: If you purchase your flights on an airline credit card, you may be able to save money on baggage fees or get priority seating. Many airlines offer their own credit cards that offer special perks and discounts that could save you a lot.

Switch airports: You could save a hundred dollars or more by simply switching to a different airport for your arrival or departure. Try looking at smaller airports outside the city, they usually have cheaper flights. For example, I’ve gotten good deals flying into Oakland instead of SFO.

Consider booking a package: If you know where you’re going, you may be able to save even more money by booking your hotel and flight together. Just be really careful with these packages, the quality can be horrible. Get a detailed itinerary from the travel company you’re working with and don’t go through with it if anything sounds off.

Try booking red-eye flights: If you don’t mind flying at off hours or trying to catch a few Z’s mid-air, taking a red-eye flight can cost less. As a bonus, you’ll have much shorter security lines and typically less crowded flights.

When in doubt, book earlier rather than later. While flight prices fluctuate, they’re more likely to increase at a higher percentage than drop. Even if rates drop after you purchase your tickets, you’ll likely still save more than if you’d waited until the last minute when rates are likely to go even higher.

Best Day To Book Flights in 2020 is a post from: I Will Teach You To Be Rich.

from Surety Bond Brokers? Business https://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog/best-day-to-book-flights/

0 notes

kennethherrerablog · 4 years

Text

Best Day To Book Flights in 2020

I love traveling.

But it can get expensive. Especially the flights and hotels.

On international flights, the same seat on the same flight can range by over a thousand dollars. It costs $800 today and $1800 tomorrow. I’d much rather pay $1000 less for the same exact trip.

A few simple rules will help you land the best prices for your flights.

So when’s the best time to book flights anyway?

Know The True Cost of Flying

Taxes

Checked Bag fees

Carry on fees

Snacks and drinks

Seating selection

Priority seating

Priority Boarding

Booking fees

Cancellation fees

Flight change fees

Wifi

Pet fees

Not only do you have to deal with fees for extras, there’s a bunch of mandatory fees and taxes on your ticket:

Passenger Facility Charge

US Federal Domestic Segment Fee

US Travel Tax

Immigration User Fee

September 11 Security Fee

International Transportation Fee

Foreign Government Security Taxes

U.S Customs User Fee

Most of the time, these taxes and fees are added to the public price of your ticket. There won’t be any surprises.

There is one situation where they can bite you.

When you redeem a reward ticket, you still have to pay all these fees. For example, an international flight might cost 60,000 miles and $100 in fees and taxes.

Most of the time, this amount is so small that you’re basically getting the flight for free. But not always.

The Worst Times to Fly

The most expensive days to fly are:

The weeks surrounding Christmas and New Year’s Day

Late February through April (Spring Break)

Memorial Day to Labor Day

Week of Thanksgiving

One of my favorite holiday travel hacks is to fly on Thanksgiving and Christmas day. There’s a lot fewer people and the prices tend to be normal as opposed to sell-my-left-kidney high.

During major holidays, there’s really no escape. Almost every route gets more expensive.

What about specific times of the day? Is there a difference in pricing?

If you want to avoid paying the highest fares, skip booking your tickets late at night on Friday when tickets are likely to cost 3% more than the rest of the week.

The Best Times to Fly

Most tourist destinations get overwhelmed during the summer, June through August in particular. The main exception to this is popular winter destinations which get busy from December through March.

Traveling in the shoulder seasons is another favorite hack of mine. The weather’s still pretty good and the prices for airlines are a lot better.

The best times to score deals include:

September through November (before Thanksgiving)

April through May

You can save hundreds of dollars by shifting your vacation by a few weeks.

Does The Actual Booking Day Matter?

How far out should you book your flight?

Other Tips For Getting The Best Flight Deals

There are deals to be had if you’re willing to put in a little extra work. If you want to maximize your savings, here are a few other things you can do to make sure you get the best deal possible.

Be flexible: If you can change your travel by one or two days, you can save on your tickets. Make sure to check multiple routes and layover variations, if the budget is a major sticking point.

Best Day To Book Flights in 2020 is a post from: I Will Teach You To Be Rich.

Best Day To Book Flights in 2020 published first on https://justinbetreviews.tumblr.com/

0 notes

bexterbex · 4 years

Text

A Soul to Mend His Own | Ch. 24

Warning, if it hasn’t been obvious in the movies there is Nazi symbolism within the First Order. I will expand on this much more throughout the story. If this is something that bothers you, please just exit the story. The author does not condone any Nazi ideals, this is just for fictional uses only.

A Kylo Ren x Modern! Reader in a soulmate au with some canon divergence. —————————————SLOWBURN————————————–

MASTERLIST

Chapter 24: Think of the Children

“Before we begin, I have been informed by First Order High Command and the Supreme Leader this morning that per our discussion yesterday I have an update on the child restriction policy. Earth will become a two-child planet in 5 years' time. Any child conceived before that deadline will be grandfathered in. There may be exceptions to this case but otherwise, the Supreme Leader’s decision is final,” said Dr. Koroban.

Wait what? Kylo made this decision? In the beginning, it felt like he trusted you, with your own planet. But now you were beginning to see the truth, that the man behind the mask was the same man with the mask. If only he knew what repercussions were going to happen with this policy, he might then change his mind.

“So our discussion yesterday had no meaning. Do any of our discussions have meaning then? Are all of our decisions going to be overruled by the Supreme Leader,” asked the Surgeon General.

“The Supreme Leader has the final word on any decision we make. If he doesn’t like something he will change it. As is his right to do so. Need I remind you that speaking ill of the Supreme Leader is a crime. So beware of your thoughts and actions,” said General Pryde.

The three health officials shifted uncomfortably in their seats. They didn’t like being called out—no one did.

“Gentlemen,” said Dr. Koroban pointedly. “The purpose of this committee is to make decisions on Earth’s health. Our decisions go back to the Supreme Leader. If he likes something he will keep it, but if he doesn’t it is well within his right to change it. He takes all of our recommendations, now are we going to continue this discussion or is this meeting something you would like to end?”

All three of them looked to each other and then quickly to you before speaking quietly among themselves. “We would like to end these meetings as we see that Lady Ren may give the Supreme Leader any insight into what our planet may prefer.” And with that, the health officials threw you under a bus. They were leaving these important decisions for you. Someone who as of a few days ago was happily working in a small marketing firm, now you were making decisions for a whole planet.

“Very well then I suppose you are dismissed,” replied Dr. Koroban. The three health officials all got up and left. You just kept your gaze down on your folded hands in your lap. Secretly you hoped you became invisible.

Once they had left the room and the door was shut once more Dr. Dabrini spoke to you, “Lady Ren, you do not have to make any decisions you are not comfortable with. We can find others who will give us insight into how to best handle healthcare on your planet.”

You did not respond right away, the room was silent. When you did speak up there was hidden confidence in your tone, “But it is my planet. There are things that none of you understand. While I do not know galactic history like you all do, I do know enough of the history of my own planet to know that some of the First Order decisions will not go over well.”

“My lady, the reason the Supreme Leader changed the decision on the child policy is for the betterment of your planet. Your planet as we see now, if it continues growing as it has will be overpopulated very soon. In fact, many areas are. We are just trying to make sure your planet is healthy,” said General Pryde. “In fact much the First Order High Command wanted the child policy to go into effect immediately but the Supreme Leader wanted your planet to get used to First Order rule.”

How kind. Just enough time for everyone to be thoroughly brainwashed before it kicks in. Or just enough time for everyone to be thoroughly afraid to call to any action against First Order rule. You buried those thoughts deep within your mind. Even though Kylo was in Moscow, you didn’t know how his Force mind-reading thing worked and you did not want him getting even angrier with you.

“So shall we still go with the plan that we encourage birth control in women and before the law goes into effect, some encouragement to have fewer children. Other than that no one should object to STD screenings or anything else of the sort. I imagine there will be some people objecting to monogamy but then again they are against the vast majority of this planet anyways. Someone else should assist me with finding things on this in the Library of Congress,” you stated.

“Of course Lady Ren, I believe Petty Officer Ersela Tanau will be able to assist you in that endeavor,” said General Pryde. A young female officer stepped forward and bowed to you.

“I believe there is nothing else needed to be discussed today, but tonight I will come up with a list of anything else we may need to go over and send it out to you all,” said Dr. Koroban.

With that everyone left. You, Lieutenant Mitaka, Petty Officer Ersela Tanau, and General Pryde boarded the shuttle to take you to the library once again. Once there you, the general and petty officer all went your separate ways.

You combed the resources for what seemed like hours. You came up with some simple videos and posters. You knew they would most likely need to be approved by someone on the Supremacy so you were not as worried this time.

Good Eating Habits (1951)

Eating for Health (1954)

Vintage Army Nutrition for U.S. Soldiers

Weight Reduction Through Diet (1951)

"Cheers For Chubby" Overweight & Healthy Diet 1950s PSA

1950's - How To Eat Healthy - Diet & Nutrition

Feeling proud of your digging you turn to the lieutenant and ask if there is anywhere you could go for lunch. To which he just informed you that you could go anywhere and that it would be taken care of.

“Is there anything that you would like lieutenant,” you ask him.

“Ma’am we can go where ever you wish.”

“But I am asking you if there is anything you would like. Are there any earth foods you would like to try?”

The lieutenant paused at this question. If you could peer into his mind you swear you could see cogs turning. Or maybe some little men running around with papers in their hands panicking and running into each other. You could definitely tell this was not a question he knew how to answer.

“Ok. How about we go to an old fashioned American diner? If you are used to what the starships serve than this will be a change.”

“Yes, ma’am. Would you like to go to one now?”

“I think that would be most preferable,” you respond. You looked up a local diner on your phone. It was at this moment that you forgot that General Pryde would have to accompany you, for your ‘safety.’ Loading up into the shuttle was you, Petty Officer Tanau, Lieutenant Mitaka, General Pryde, and your golden guard Commander Pyre and his stormtroopers.

Rolling up to the diner you could tell that the people milling about outside and inside were shocked at what was happening. You had to admit it was probably a sight to see a relatively normal-looking person surrounded by loads of First Order personnel. Overall lunch was pretty uneventful other than the diner basically clearing out after your arrival. All three officers ordered burgers and fries for the first time, while the commander insisted that his ‘troops were ok and would eat at a later time.

You all head back to the shuttle that takes you back up to the Steadfast. The lieutenant informed you that your laptop was back from wherever he had sent it off to. You made it back to your chambers as you still had some time before your daily tutoring session with General Hux.

You received a message from Kylo, ‘I will not be back until tomorrow evening. Lieutenant Mitaka has been ordered to get you whatever you may need.’

You decided you still weren’t in the mood to talk to him after the events of last night and his lack of informing you of his decision this morning. The lieutenant informed you that the general was ready for your next lesson. You made your way down to the conference room once again, where the red-haired man was pacing about. He seemed to also be in a mood today.

“General? May I ask you a question that is slightly unrelated to the topic before we begin?”

“Yes,” he responded with annoyance in his voice.

“General Pryde told me that he was a founding member of the First Order. Why didn’t you mention this?”

“Ah, I see,” you could tell there was something about this that turned on a switch in his brain. “Pryde is just that, prideful. While he was good friends with my father and Rae Sloane one argues why is he still here and they are not. I can answer that simply. He may have been from their time, but he has not helped the First Order as they have. The sacrifices they made. Their achievements. He is, was apart of the Empire before the fall. He holds onto that, he can’t move past that. He is stuck in time with no realism for the future,” said the general with disgust for the subject.

“Is this why you are Allegiant General and he is not,” you ask.

“One of the reasons. The other is that my achievements in my shorter military career outweigh his. That and Supreme Leader Ren and I have a history. Maybe not the best history, but he can generally trust my opinions and work ethic. Also although Ren likes his grandfather he wants to achieve more than him, so comparisons here and there are fine but practically obsessing over their similarities has proven to be too much for the Supreme Leader.”

“His grandfather?”

“Yes the late and triumphant Lord Vader. That is something I believe that the Supreme Leader will discuss with you when he believes you are ready. For now, let us stick to the topics at hand.”

Oh great, you were sure that the discussion of his grandfather might go over as well as the discussion of his parents. But if the general was so sure that Kylo might actually speak of it, then you should trust him. After all, Kylo trusts him more than Pryde, so that has to mean something.

#kylo ren #kylo ren x reader #kylo ren imagine #kylo x reader #kylo x you #first order #sw first order imagine #star wars first order #first order propaganda #star wars #star wars imagine #Star wars soulmate au #a soul to mend his own #enric pride #armitage hux #i love this gif

141 notes · View notes

mcjoelcain · 4 years

Text

Best Day To Book Flights in 2020

I love traveling.

But it can get expensive. Especially the flights and hotels.

On international flights, the same seat on the same flight can range by over a thousand dollars. It costs $800 today and $1800 tomorrow. I’d much rather pay $1000 less for the same exact trip.

A few simple rules will help you land the best prices for your flights.

So when’s the best time to book flights anyway?

Know The True Cost of Flying

Taxes

Checked Bag fees

Carry on fees

Snacks and drinks

Seating selection

Priority seating

Priority Boarding

Booking fees

Cancellation fees

Flight change fees

Wifi

Pet fees

Not only do you have to deal with fees for extras, there’s a bunch of mandatory fees and taxes on your ticket:

Passenger Facility Charge

US Federal Domestic Segment Fee

US Travel Tax

Immigration User Fee

September 11 Security Fee

International Transportation Fee

Foreign Government Security Taxes

U.S Customs User Fee

Most of the time, these taxes and fees are added to the public price of your ticket. There won’t be any surprises.

There is one situation where they can bite you.

When you redeem a reward ticket, you still have to pay all these fees. For example, an international flight might cost 60,000 miles and $100 in fees and taxes.

Most of the time, this amount is so small that you’re basically getting the flight for free. But not always.

The Worst Times to Fly

The most expensive days to fly are:

The weeks surrounding Christmas and New Year’s Day

Late February through April (Spring Break)

Memorial Day to Labor Day

Week of Thanksgiving

One of my favorite holiday travel hacks is to fly on Thanksgiving and Christmas day. There’s a lot fewer people and the prices tend to be normal as opposed to sell-my-left-kidney high.

During major holidays, there’s really no escape. Almost every route gets more expensive.

What about specific times of the day? Is there a difference in pricing?

If you want to avoid paying the highest fares, skip booking your tickets late at night on Friday when tickets are likely to cost 3% more than the rest of the week.

The Best Times to Fly

Most tourist destinations get overwhelmed during the summer, June through August in particular. The main exception to this is popular winter destinations which get busy from December through March.

Traveling in the shoulder seasons is another favorite hack of mine. The weather’s still pretty good and the prices for airlines are a lot better.

The best times to score deals include:

September through November (before Thanksgiving)

April through May

You can save hundreds of dollars by shifting your vacation by a few weeks.

Does The Actual Booking Day Matter?

How far out should you book your flight?

Other Tips For Getting The Best Flight Deals

There are deals to be had if you’re willing to put in a little extra work. If you want to maximize your savings, here are a few other things you can do to make sure you get the best deal possible.

Be flexible: If you can change your travel by one or two days, you can save on your tickets. Make sure to check multiple routes and layover variations, if the budget is a major sticking point.

Best Day To Book Flights in 2020 is a post from: I Will Teach You To Be Rich.

from Money https://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog/best-day-to-book-flights/ via http://www.rssmix.com/

0 notes

samuelfields · 4 years

Text

Best Day To Book Flights in 2020

I love traveling.

But it can get expensive. Especially the flights and hotels.

On international flights, the same seat on the same flight can range by over a thousand dollars. It costs $800 today and $1800 tomorrow. I’d much rather pay $1000 less for the same exact trip.

A few simple rules will help you land the best prices for your flights.

So when’s the best time to book flights anyway?

Know The True Cost of Flying

Taxes

Checked Bag fees

Carry on fees

Snacks and drinks

Seating selection

Priority seating

Priority Boarding

Booking fees

Cancellation fees

Flight change fees

Wifi

Pet fees

Not only do you have to deal with fees for extras, there’s a bunch of mandatory fees and taxes on your ticket:

Passenger Facility Charge

US Federal Domestic Segment Fee

US Travel Tax

Immigration User Fee

September 11 Security Fee

International Transportation Fee

Foreign Government Security Taxes

U.S Customs User Fee

Most of the time, these taxes and fees are added to the public price of your ticket. There won’t be any surprises.

There is one situation where they can bite you.

When you redeem a reward ticket, you still have to pay all these fees. For example, an international flight might cost 60,000 miles and $100 in fees and taxes.

Most of the time, this amount is so small that you’re basically getting the flight for free. But not always.

The Worst Times to Fly

The most expensive days to fly are:

The weeks surrounding Christmas and New Year’s Day

Late February through April (Spring Break)

Memorial Day to Labor Day

Week of Thanksgiving

One of my favorite holiday travel hacks is to fly on Thanksgiving and Christmas day. There’s a lot fewer people and the prices tend to be normal as opposed to sell-my-left-kidney high.

During major holidays, there’s really no escape. Almost every route gets more expensive.

What about specific times of the day? Is there a difference in pricing?

If you want to avoid paying the highest fares, skip booking your tickets late at night on Friday when tickets are likely to cost 3% more than the rest of the week.

The Best Times to Fly

Most tourist destinations get overwhelmed during the summer, June through August in particular. The main exception to this is popular winter destinations which get busy from December through March.

Traveling in the shoulder seasons is another favorite hack of mine. The weather’s still pretty good and the prices for airlines are a lot better.

The best times to score deals include:

September through November (before Thanksgiving)

April through May

You can save hundreds of dollars by shifting your vacation by a few weeks.

Does The Actual Booking Day Matter?

How far out should you book your flight?

Other Tips For Getting The Best Flight Deals

There are deals to be had if you’re willing to put in a little extra work. If you want to maximize your savings, here are a few other things you can do to make sure you get the best deal possible.

Be flexible: If you can change your travel by one or two days, you can save on your tickets. Make sure to check multiple routes and layover variations, if the budget is a major sticking point.

Best Day To Book Flights in 2020 is a post from: I Will Teach You To Be Rich.

from Finance https://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog/best-day-to-book-flights/ via http://www.rssmix.com/

0 notes

andrewdburton · 4 years

Text

Best Day To Book Flights in 2020

I love traveling.

But it can get expensive. Especially the flights and hotels.

On international flights, the same seat on the same flight can range by over a thousand dollars. It costs $800 today and $1800 tomorrow. I’d much rather pay $1000 less for the same exact trip.

A few simple rules will help you land the best prices for your flights.

So when’s the best time to book flights anyway?

Know The True Cost of Flying

Taxes

Checked Bag fees

Carry on fees

Snacks and drinks

Seating selection

Priority seating

Priority Boarding

Booking fees

Cancellation fees

Flight change fees

Wifi

Pet fees

Not only do you have to deal with fees for extras, there’s a bunch of mandatory fees and taxes on your ticket:

Passenger Facility Charge

US Federal Domestic Segment Fee

US Travel Tax

Immigration User Fee

September 11 Security Fee

International Transportation Fee

Foreign Government Security Taxes

U.S Customs User Fee

Most of the time, these taxes and fees are added to the public price of your ticket. There won’t be any surprises.

There is one situation where they can bite you.

When you redeem a reward ticket, you still have to pay all these fees. For example, an international flight might cost 60,000 miles and $100 in fees and taxes.

Most of the time, this amount is so small that you’re basically getting the flight for free. But not always.

The Worst Times to Fly

The most expensive days to fly are:

The weeks surrounding Christmas and New Year’s Day

Late February through April (Spring Break)

Memorial Day to Labor Day

Week of Thanksgiving

One of my favorite holiday travel hacks is to fly on Thanksgiving and Christmas day. There’s a lot fewer people and the prices tend to be normal as opposed to sell-my-left-kidney high.

During major holidays, there’s really no escape. Almost every route gets more expensive.

What about specific times of the day? Is there a difference in pricing?

If you want to avoid paying the highest fares, skip booking your tickets late at night on Friday when tickets are likely to cost 3% more than the rest of the week.

The Best Times to Fly

Most tourist destinations get overwhelmed during the summer, June through August in particular. The main exception to this is popular winter destinations which get busy from December through March.

Traveling in the shoulder seasons is another favorite hack of mine. The weather’s still pretty good and the prices for airlines are a lot better.

The best times to score deals include:

September through November (before Thanksgiving)

April through May

You can save hundreds of dollars by shifting your vacation by a few weeks.

Does The Actual Booking Day Matter?

How far out should you book your flight?

Other Tips For Getting The Best Flight Deals

There are deals to be had if you’re willing to put in a little extra work. If you want to maximize your savings, here are a few other things you can do to make sure you get the best deal possible.

Be flexible: If you can change your travel by one or two days, you can save on your tickets. Make sure to check multiple routes and layover variations, if the budget is a major sticking point.

Best Day To Book Flights in 2020 is a post from: I Will Teach You To Be Rich.

from Finance https://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog/best-day-to-book-flights/ via http://www.rssmix.com/

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dailyaudiobible · 6 years

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12/28/2017 DAB Transcript

Zechariah 12:1-13:9, Revelations 19:1-21, Psalms 147:1-20, Proverbs 31:1-7

Today is the 28th day of December. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I'm Brian. It's great to be here with you today. Man, I can feel the end of the year upon us. Can't you? It’s like, holy cow, we've just about finished reading the whole Bible in a year again, but I’ll try not to get ahead of myself in my life or in the Bible. So, let's just be where we are. It’s 28th of December and we’re reading from the Gods Word translation this week. Zachariah 12:1 through 13:9 today.

Commentary:

Okay. So, clearly, we only have a few days left in this year. So, clearly, we are coming to the final days in the book of Revelation as well, which we’ve been kind of diving into this year. And today we come to a great banquet, but also a great battle in which the dark forces of the evil one are conquered and the evil one itself is done away with. And the scene begins with a loud, huge crowd from heaven saying, ‘Hallelujah, salvation, glory, and power belong to our God. His judgments are true and fair. He has condemned the notorious prostitute who corrupted the world with her sexual sins. He has taken revenge on her for the blood of his servants.’ And, of course, this is coming on the heels of what we read yesterday in the downfall of Babylon. This world system ruled by evil fractures, implodes, is judged, falls, is done away with. So, we should observe the contrasts that are happening in today's reading. So, Babylon, these dark forces of evil that have been controlling the world, they fall apart, they’ve been condemned, the notorious prostitute that is this whole system has been condemned because it corrupted the world with her sexual sins. So, we can certainly go, like, okay, this evil empire is very sexual in nature. And, so, this is definitely speaking about sexuality. But, also we should understand that this kind of language, from an allegorical perspective or a figurative view, is about union. I mean, at the most basic level that's what sex is, union, giving yourself over to someone. So, these dark forces demanded worship, demanded loyalty, and allegiance, demanded union and the result of that was a war on God's people, a cosmic attempt to stamp out God's plan. That is in stark contrast to the second song or poem coming from this large crowd that is so big it sounds like raging waters. On the one hand, they’re applauding and worshiping God for the judgment, the downfall of evil. But then they have more to say, ‘Hallelujah the Lord our God, the Almighty has become king. Let us rejoice, be happy, and give him glory, because it's time for the marriage of the Lamb. His bride has made herself ready. She has been given the privilege of wearing dazzling pure linen.’ So, contrasted with the great prostitute or whore of Babylon, this bride was true and faithful and sought union with no one but God and gave her loyalty and devotion to no one but God. And then in the next scene we see heaven standing open. There’s a white horse with a rider on it named Faithful and True and he's going he's going to battle. And the armies of heaven wearing pure white linen, like we just talked about, are following along on white horses of their own. And a sharp sword comes out of his mouth to defeat the nation's. Some scholars would say these are the Angel armies. This is Jesus with the angel armies going to finish the judgment, finish the final battle, while other scholars would say, no, these are God's people going along with Jesus to finish this final battle so that this banquet can begin. And an angel cries out to the birds, ‘come, gather for the great banquet of God. Eat the flesh of kings, generals, warriors, horses and their riders, and all free people and slaves, both important and insignificant people.’ And it's been noted that this is probably a parody. So, on the one hand there is this a great banquet, this great wedding feast where darkness and evil have no place, and not only just have no place, it doesn't exist, this beautiful, banquet, this consummation of all things being made new. And that contrasts with what the angel is saying to the birds. There’s going to be this great banquet for you because all evil is being extinguished. So, it’s like two sides of the same coin. On the one side there is judgment, on the other side there is salvation. And, so, the battle commences and the beast and the false prophet who had done miracles for the beast were captured and were subsequently thrown into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. So, the forces that were at work in this dark, evil kingdom were cast away and the rider on the horse, on the white horse, had a sword coming out of his mouth and finished the battle. And a great banquet happened for the birds even as a great banquet in heaven is getting ready to begin.

Prayer:

Father, we thank You for Your word. This is the 362nd day of this year and every day we have feasted upon Your word. And there are just a few days remaining. And we invite your Holy Spirit to continue to speak deeply to us, transforming us on so many levels. We are most certainly at the place that we can look in the mirror and see that we’re not the same as we were when we started this journey on January 1st. And we’re thankful for that. We’ve been through plenty. It's been a challenging year, but You have been faithful and You have guided us through Your word and through the power of Your Holy Spirit and we’re grateful. This builds confidence in our faith. You are maturing us. And, so, we welcome this to continue. And even though we will finish this year and will finish it well, we look forward to all that You will speak to us through Your word in the coming year. Come, Holy Spirit. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudibiible.com is the website. It’s home base. It’s where you find what's going on around here. And we’re getting ready to switch into a new year.

And one of the things that are going on around here is the brand-new Daily Audio Bible App for your Android or Apple devices and the new web player that’s available at dailyaudiobible.com. And, of course, the new app is totally free. So, if you haven't gotten it yet, definitely get on board. We’ll be phasing out the old app over the next weeks and months. So, all you have to do is go to the app store that pertains to the kind of device that you have and search for “Daily Audio Bible mobile app”. That's the new one. We couldn’t use the same name as the old one. So, if you find “Daily Audio Bible mobile app” that's the new one. So, now is a good time to update that as we get ready to launch ourselves into the new year. And like I said, it's free. So, let everyone in your sphere of influence know about it and invite them to take the journey with you into 2018.

I also want to remind you about the More Gathering for women, our annual women's conference that’s coming up in April. Early registration pricing for that is in effect until December 31st. So, just a few days from now. So, take advantage of that. You can find out all about it and moregathering.com or at dailyaudiobible.com in the Initiatives section.

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible here in the final days of the year, you can do that at dailyaudiobible.com. There is a link on the homepage. If you're using the new Daily Audio Bible app, you can press the Give button in the upper right-hand corner or, if you prefer, the mailing address is PO Box 1996 Spring Hill Tennessee 37174.

And, as always, if you have a prayer request or comment, 877-942-4253 is the number to dial.

And that's it for today. I'm Brian I love you and I'll be waiting for you here tomorrow.

Community Prayer and Praise:

This is Jerry from Duluth Minnesota. It’s Christmas Eve and I ordered five of the Daily Audio Bible Journal and Pencil sets with the Black Wing case. And I wanted to read one of the ones that I wrote to my son-in-law, to Peter. 2017 has been a year of loss. After my dad died on August 8th I went through the deepest depression of my life. While I was going through alternative experimental catenin treatments, I listened to the Daily Audio Bible. At the end of one of the podcasts on August 27th, 21st rather, Brian told the story of his mom dying and how he discovered the Black Wing pencil, the best pencil in the world. So, I ordered a journal and pencils and found that the tactile exercise of writing in a journal helped release some of my frustrations, my fear, my worry, my doubts. I listened every day to the DAB for many years when I did my paper route in Duluth and I’d like to encourage and challenge you to try it on your commute every morning in 2018. I believe it will change your life. May 2018 bring hope for the future. God is working all things together for our good. Love you family. Have a great 2018.

Hey everybody. This is Pelham from Birmingham. Or Addicted to Christ is my spiritual name because addiction is my weakness but it has also become a weapon in my battle that He’s chosen me for. Anyways, I'm calling because the last time I called my job had suddenly closed because the owner had a baby born with major medical problems. And, financially, we were doing very well but it’s a sad…it’s just been a hard time because it's no one's fault and it happened right before Chri…and the Holy Spirit that has been right here with me and has been trying to tell me, hey, we’re always here and we’re leading you in a new way. We’re bringing you to a new place. So, the Marsh’s are doing fine. We’re struggling, of course, we have our battles, but I'm going to be the manager of a much better company. There’s a restaurant opening, literally, a block away from where I had to go for work before. So, there is income. It’s not…you know…I…you see…I’ve got to come to grips with my pride and know that God’s doing what God does and I need to just be happy. He just wants me to be happy, just like my son. He wants my son to be happy. He wants my wife to be happy. I want my son to be happy. And he wants that for me. And I can't get it into my head that He knows what's best for me. Not me. I don't know what’s best for me. So, we’re coming right along. Merry Christmas everyone. I love you. I’ll call back. Blind Tony, thank you.

Hello everyone. This is Victory Victoria calling from Missouri. I’m calling specifically today for 15-year-old Noni that I heard call on the 22nd. Today is now the 24th but I just want to let you know Noni that we are praying for you. You said you were new to the Bible and prayer and you are searching for friends to help you through, onto this journey, I guess, to help you through this and understand the Bible. I want to let you know you have come to the right place. We are so thankful that you have been led here Noni and you are already among many, many friends, ___ friends, who are already praying for you. I want to encourage you to start fresh in January with Brian in the reading of the bible every day. Check out the new app. It’s beautiful. And some of us have been here listening to the bible through the DAB for many years. I am one that has only newly discovered it this year and I am so very thankful. I know so much more about the Bible now than I did in January, a year ago. Noni, also, checkout, to see your new found friends, check out the Facebook page, the prayer wall. Submit your prayers to the prayer wall. You will find so many faithful prayer warriors in this circle of friends. Father, I want to thank You for Noni and that You led her here. Thank You for her desire to become closer to You and to seek out Christian friends for this journey of hers. Please strengthen us as her new friends to be the friends that she needs to help her grow in Your word, to help her know how much she’s loved by…

I see the Lord seated on the throne. Exalted, the train as his robe. Fill the Chapel with glory and the whole earth is filled with His Glory. Gloria from New York, this is Candice from Oregon and I’m just echoing the beauty of the song that you sang. And you’re joining the whole multitude of heavenly hosts, and the cherubim, and seraphim. We worship our Lord and our King and participate in His suffering. And even as He wants us to be in communion with Him like that, He wants us to be in communion with each other. And I just want you to know that I have wept with you. And our God reigns and He is the restorer of all things including your mothers heart. And he will restore everything. He will restore the years that the locusts have eaten and all the enemy’s ploys will seem pathetic on that day. So, look to Him and be radiant my sister, in Jesus’ name.

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