#Arlette hope

[itmightneverbetherighttime]

...

[rascalcurious]

today i have a 4t2 conversion of @simstrouble 's arlette hair, as well as a version paired with @huiernxoxo 's marry hat.

version without hat: CF-EF, 9k poly, animated

version with hat: TF-EF, 8.9k poly, animated

download: SFS / MF

i hope you enjoy these conversions :)))

@4t2clay

[dcymcres]

❝you're right.❞ arlette smirks, amused by the outright denial when she hadn't even said a word just yet. of course she couldn't just leave it at that. ❝I did hear it though, you alright over there?❞ she teasingly asks.

@dcymcres | liked for a starter

"You didn't see that." Listen, tripping when you can't see is natural but that doesn't make it any less embarrassing.

[hikuneeeeeeeeeeee]

Sup!

soooooo- i've been working on this little ''animatic'' about Arlette/Pokker and Lute singing ''More than anything'' from Hazbin Hotel.

Here's a little ''frame'' of the ''animatic'' im working on so i hope ya'll like my little drawing :D

[blackswaneuroparedux]

Θαρσείν χρη, τάχ’ αύριον έσσετ’ άμεινον. Eλπίδες εν ζωοίσιν, ανέλπιστοι δε θανόντες.*

- Theocritus

You need to have courage, because tomorrow will be better. While there's life there’s hope, and only the dead have none.*

My ex-regiment proudly traces its lineage back to the Glider Pilot Regiment which spearheaded British airborne forces to take Pegasus Bridge on D Day 6 June 1944. During my service I had the privilege to travel there and take part in the commemorative ceremonies whenever D Day came around. I loved listening to the stories of some of the surviving veterans and also some of the local French too. The British taking of Pegasus Bridge - re-named partly after the emblem of pegasus of airborne forces - was one of the stand out events of the first days of D Day by British forces.

Airborne landings in the British Sector were targeted mainly at the Orne River/Caen Canal crossings and the artillery installations of the Merville Battery. The strategic purpose was to secure river crossings for the beach break-out and to reduce enemy defences.

At 00:16 hours on 6th June parachutists and gliders from the Airborne Division, consisting of D Company of the Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, began to land east of the River Orne and the Caen Canal.

The small force of 181 men was commanded by Major John Howard and joined with a detachment of Royal Engineers who landed at Ranville-Benouville in six 28-men Horsa gliders. Having taken off from Dorset, the gliders were towed across the Channel by Halifax Bombers. With perfect navigation and piloting skill, the gliders landed on time and on target within few yards of each other.

Major Howard’s glider landed within a few feet of the canal bridge. The bridge was captured after a fierce ten minute fire fight, the action all over by 00:26, a full six hours before the beach landings.

But the success of the mission was also down to intelligence gathered by locals and passed onto British intelligence through the French resistance channels. 

One of these was Georges Gondrée and his wife, Thérèse. Georges and Thérèse moved to Bénouville where they bought a small café in 1934 on the shore along the Bénouville Bridge, called Café Gondrée. During the Invasion, they had three small daughters: Georgette, Arlette, and the newborn Françoise.

The family certainly hated the German occupation. Among other things, they refused to allow their café to serve as a billet for German soldiers. But they went further by joining the French resistance at great danger to themselves.

As the war progressed, the more risks and dangerous activities they undertook against the Germans. Thérèse, who grew up in Alsace, knew quite a bit of German. Local residents did not like her Germanic Alsatian accent  but she took care to keep her knowledge of German secret from the German soldiers themselves. This often helped her to eavesdrop on conversations of the soldiers and then pass on important information to the resistance through her husband, Georges. There were a few times when they were nearly caught but somehow they survived.

The information gathered by the Gondrée family contributed greatly to the insight of Major Howard and his troops to better assess the defensive positions around the bridge. Among other things, Thérèse was able to pinpoint the exact location of the detonator that was supposed to have detonated the bridge during the attack. Georges was also known to British intelligence and even Major Howard had heard his name mentioned during the planning of the invasion itself.

The importance of the family’s contribution to the success of the British attack can also be seen from an example during early May 1944. When Field Marshal Erwin Rommel came to inspect the bridge, he had given the order to place an anti-tank gun beside the Bénouville Bridge. Within two days Major Howard had been informed that a new structure was being built along the bridge and within a week Georges’ observation had helped to confirm both its function and exact location.

So, just 90 minutes after taking off from RAF Tarrant Rushton in England, Major Howard was able to send the code words “Ham and Jam”, indicating that both bridges had been captured. In this early action of D-Day, the first house on French soil was liberated, and the first British soldier of the Normandy Invasion was killed in action: Lieutenant Den Brotheridge.

It was No. 1 Platoon which knocked out a machine gun position firing from the bridge and rushed across to capture the far side, firing from the hip and lobbing grenades during the charge. Lt. Brotheridge was mortally wounded by gunfire as he made a grenade attack on a second machine gun position. The bridge had been prepared by the enemy for demolition, although the Royal Engineers removed the unset charges.

Within half an hour of the bridge being taken, 6th Airborne parachutists landed to provide reinforcement. The Ox & Bucks were reinforced half-an-hour after the landings by 600 men of 7th Battalion, the Parachute Regiment who were the relieving force to bear the brunt of German counter-attacks to the west of the Caen Canal throughout the 6th of June.

The Battalion distinguished itself in holding a wide bridgehead around ‘Pegasus Bridge’ against constant enemy attacks which were often armour supported. In particular the “A” Company, based in the nearby village of Bénouville, suffered the most severe fighting and were eventually cut off from the remainder of the 7th Battalion.

The first relief in force was from 6 Commando, led by the commander of the 1st Special Service Brigade, Lord Lovat, who arrived to the sound of the Scottish bagpipes, played by the 21–year-old so-called ‘Mad Piper’, Private Bill Millin.

The remnants of the 7th Battalion’s “A” Company continued to hold out until 9:15pm on the 6th June when British infantry, in the form of the 2nd Battalion The Royal Warwickshires, arrived from the invasion beaches and secured Bénouville, and so allowed the evacuation of “A” Company’s many wounded.

In honour of the distinctive emblem of the Parachute Regiment, the distinctive bridge at Benouville was renamed and will forever be known as “Pegasus Bridge”.

Arlette Gondrée being kissed by two veterans who remember her parents.

Over the years, many thousands of pairs of British boots have crossed the threshold of the Café Gondrée. General Montgomery in 1945, veterans paying tribute to fallen comrades and numerous members of the Royal family.  Arlette Gondrée, the daughter of Georges and Thérèse, still recalls with crystal clarity the very first occasion a British soldier arrived at the cafe on the night of June 5, 1944, when she was just four-years-old, cowering with her family in the basement during the start of the D-Day invasion.

Commemorating the landings in 1945, General Montgomery visited the Café Gondrée Pegasus Bridge, renamed after the winged emblem of the British 6th Airborne Division, with some widows of the soldiers lost in the Normandy campaign. Georges produced some of the vintage champagne he had hidden, including a 1926 Pouilly-Fuissé.

Over the ensuing years, the family never ceased to celebrate their liberation. “Daddy would make a large U-shaped table in the café and we would eat together as a happy family, and very, very thankful to the British for what they did for us. And that remains so to this day.”

Life was hard for years, made worse by rationing. The effect of the ordeal on the girls was subtle, but not invisible: in November 1944, the Red Cross visited and told Arlette if she stopped biting her nails, they would give her a real doll to replace her cardboard toy. The café didn’t open properly again until June 1945.

To this day, Mme Gondrée keeps her “little house” as a shrine to the British Airborne forces that liberated her family. She has said that she always felt honoured to have the privilege of being custodian of the memories of that fateful day.

Photo: Major John Howard is flanked by George Gondrée and Lt. David Woods raising a glass to the successful capture of Pegasus Bridge that day.

[milarqui]

Scarlet Lady: Prime Queen

Directory | Robostus

Scarlet Lady: Prime Queen

Lila observed the bouncing girl, slightly worrying how she would survive the night, while she kept the phone close.

“Thanks for hooking me up with this babysitting gig, Marinette,” she told her classmate. “I need some cash for Mme. Bustier's present.”

It had been a bit of a surprise that all of her classmates were actually into buying presents for their teacher – something she had never done before – but she really wanted to fit in with the rest of the class, and, well, when in Rome...

“No problem! I already had plans anyway,” Marinette replied. “You might want to record Mme. Chamack's new show tonight. Manon conks out at 8:30, so she'll probably miss half of it.”

“Ugh, an hour long interview with Scarlet Lady,” she complained. “Maybe Chat Noir and Marigold will tie her to the chair so she behaves.”

----

Marigold heard the soft laugh of her classmate and made a grimace.

“That's not a bad idea,” she muttered, as she started to break off the conversation.

It was time for... an interview.

----

“Live in 10 and no heroes, Nadja.”

“They'll be here, Arlette!” Nadja Chamack, TVi's star reporter, told her producer, trying not to sweat: regardless of her assurance, she knew something could still go wrong. “We're gonna break records tonight!”

“You better if you want to keep your prime time slot,” Harlette threatened, as per usual (the slot was coveted by most everyone at TVi and she had been lucky to present the idea for Face to Face and have it accepted). Still, she was certain she had what she needed for –

“Hey.”

“WAH!” Nadja involuntarily screamed as the couch that had been empty two seconds before now had two heroes happily sitting without a care. “How– where did you come from?!”

“Trade secret~” Marigold sing-sang, as Chat Noir leaned towards her with his hands on the table.

“Where's Scarlet Lady?” Nadja asked; while she wasn't strictly necessary for tonight's interview, she could help put the cherry on top of her hopes.

“Oh, she'll be here,” Chat Noir reassured her. “At the last possible second. But forget that, let's talk interview.”

Chat Noir jumped back and sat next to Marigold.

“Off the table topics: Identities. Miraculouses in reserve. Power ups–” Chat Noir counted, while the Bee Heroine looked amazed at him.

Wow, he's like a professional... almost like he's done this before... she thought.

----

“5 minutes, 35 seconds... 5 minutes, 33 seconds...”

Sweet almighty forces of creation (which she wielded on a regular basis), could Chloé get more self-absorbed?

“Chloé, just wait for the show to start with the others!” Tikki berated her.

“As if! I have to make a showstopping entrance worthy of my stardom!”

Never mind.

Every time she asked herself that question, Chloé just proved herself more than capable of saying 'yes'.

----

“Whatever. We don't need Scarlet Lady, we have the two that matter.” Arlette said. “Don't forget the goal, Nadja. Boost the ratings to max audience reactions. Make sure that red turns to green.”

Nadja briefly looked down at the electronic bracelet on her left wrist, currently showing a single red line, as a door slammed and a familiar red and black figure swung her way into the studio.

“Helloooo~ The star is here!”

“Scarlet Lady!” one of the cameramen exclaimed, as the aforementioned landed right next to the table.

“Nice of you to join us, Scar,” Chat Noir sarcastically greeted her, while Marigold sighed.

“As if you could start without me!” Scarlet Lady replied, unaware of how wrong she was in that regard.

----

“I'm Nadja Chamack, you're watching Face to Face!”

“Mommy!” Manon exclaimed, while Lila smiled. When she was calmed down, she was a little angel...

“For our first show, we have Paris' favorite protectors, Marigold, Chat Noir and Scarlet Lady!”

----

Elsewhere in Paris, the Césaires were watching the program with interest, as was a good part of the city. Most times, what they could see of their heroes outside the fight were brief moments before they had to leave, so the fact that they would be for a good hour on screen was interesting.

“Thank you for coming,” Nadja Chamack said.

“Thank you for having us, we're happy to be here!” Marigold replied, smiling.

----

“Ooo, Nadja, the Queen Bee is pleased,” Chat Noir teased.

“'Queen Bee'?” Marigold asked, looking at her partner. “Just how many nicknames do you have for me, Chaton?”

“Do you really want to know?” he asked in reply, grinning at her.

“Good evening, my loyal fans!” Scarlet Lady exclaimed, ignoring the conversation behind her as she hogged the camera.

“Um, please sit down,” Nadja asked as she moved on to the first part of her interview.

----

“We see you saving Paris, but we know next to nothing about you,” the reporter said as the camera focused on the heroes.

“Lucky you, you can ask anything!” Chat Noir replied with a smirk.

“Within reason,” Marigold added. “You never know who could be watching.”

Watching, indeed, Gabriel thought. If there was anything that he could exploit to achieve his objective, then he could well watch this asinine television program.

----

“How about some questions from your fans?” Nadja said, turning to a blank screen behind her. “Hello, caller!”

The screen, turned on, showing–

“Hi, Marigold and Chat Noir! I'm Alya~” their friend said, smiling and waving. “Would you give me an interview for the Ladyblog?”

As they saluted her with different ranges of awkwardness, Scarlet Lady glared at the screen.

“Excuse you, you've forgotten about me,” she said. “You know, the illustrious leader?”

“My followers are interested in the heroes of Paris, not you,” Alya said with a deadpan look.

“WHAT?!” Scarlet Lady yelled.

Nobody cared.

Instead, Alya turned the camera towards her twin sisters, standing next to their beds.

“Marigold! Chat Noir! We have a question!” Etta said.

“Yes?”

“When are you bringing back Koki Marina?” Ella asked.

“She was so cool!”

“I like her hair!”

Marigold smiled.

“Don't worry, girls, Koki Marina is a great hero and we'll definitely be calling on her again,” she replied.

“Yay!” the twins shouted, but then Ella looked at Alya with a curious face.

“Alya, why are you blushing?” she asked, and the camera turned around to show that, indeed, Alya was heavily blushing.

“ANYWAY!” the future journalist said, interrupting the conversation. “Remember to submit your Akuma sightings to the Ladyblog! And tune in for that future interview–”

“NEXT CALL!” Nadja shouted in an attempt to recover control of the situation. The screen stopped showing Alya and turned to show another girl the heroes knew well. “Welcome, caller!”

“Hello~” Lila said, and from a corner of the screen another face showed up.

“Hi mommy!” Manon said, and Nadja smiled.

“Hi sweetie,” she replied, as she silently gave Lila the cue to make her question.

“I'm Lila and I have a question for Marigold and Chat Noir.”

“What, nothing for your ex-best friend, you fraud?” Scarlet Lady said, laughing, while Marigold glared at her.

“Knock it off, Scarlet,” she warned, as Manon reentered the frame with the Marigold doll she had made for the little girl to play with, and Lila readied her question.

“What I wanna know is, how do you put up with Scarlet Lady when she's the worst?”

The heroes froze up at the blunt question, sweating as they tried to come up with something useful, while Scarlet Lady became incensed.

“How der you call in to slander my name and insult me?!” the red-suited girl yelled. “You're just mad I called you out for being the liar you are!”

Lila just stuck her tongue at her as she took a hold of Manon.

“Okay, that's enough!” Chat Noir shouted, sweating as he attempted not to show his true thoughts. “We all work towards the same goal of saving Paris and defeating Hawkmoth.”

“Scarlet Lady has a very important role ensuring we can all continue mostly unbothered by Akumas.

“So you put up with her because you have to, got it,” Lila 'helpfully translated' while Manon waved at the screen.

“Goodbye, caller,” Nadja cut off with a sigh.

“Nadja, get control of your show!” Arlette commanded. “Get to the scoop, now!”

Well, she had hoped to take a while longer to reach that point, but if she didn't act quickly she would lose the chance.

So she turned to Chat Noir and Marigold.

“Numerous fans think that on top of being a couple of superheroes, you're a 'couple', period,” she dropped, leaving them shocked. “Can you confirm it's true?”

“Huh?!” Marigold mumbled.

“What?!” Chat Noir shouted.

“Gross,” Scarlet Lady interrupted. “As if I'd ever be a couple with either of these sidekicks!”

Nadja gave her an awkward smile.

“I'm referring to 'Chatgold',” she said. “No one seems to care about your love life.”

“WHAT?!” Scarlet Lady yelled.

And, yes, nobody cared.

Chat Noir glared ahead at Nadja, while Marigold blushed, looking down.

“We're partners, doing our job,” the Black Cat Hero said. “No feelings involved.”

“That is a very personal, very inappropriate question,” the Bee Heroine added, clearly angry.

“The views are rising, don't let up! Time to give your evidence!” Arlette continued, pushing her to go forward with the plan.

“So then,” Nadja said, as the screen turned to show a still image of Marigold and Chat Noir kissing. “How do you explain these pictures?”

Chat Noir quickly recognized what it was from.

“Oh no.”

Marigold... didn't.

“WHAT?!”

Scarlet Lady...

“Oh, that.”

… didn't particularly care.

Marigold immediately jumped at her partner.

“When did THAT happen?!”

“I was reversing Dark Cupid's spell, I swear!” Chat Noir said, embarrassed. “I was saving you, not kissing you!”

“Then how about these?” Nadja continued, showing more images.

When she scratched him under the chin over his idea to capture Animan.

When she kissed him in the cheek to catch Glaciator unaware.

When he kissed her hand as he gave her the Tiger Miraculous for Juleka.

“Those are out of context!” Chat Noir yelled.

“Excuse me, the kiss?!” Marigold shouted, still stuck there.

“We're partners, friends! Of course we're going to be close, but–” Chat Noir shouted at Nadja, but Marigold...

“THE KISS!”

… had yet to comprehend everything that had gone on back then.

“OH KNOCK IT OFF ALREADY!!! I'm at my FUCKING limit!”

Everyone on the set turned to look at Scarlet Lady in shock.

“I can't believe you'd waste my time to speculate on my sidekicks' love lives, instead of focusing on what's really important – ME!”

True to form, she did the right thing for the wrong reasons.

“Of course we'll cover your exploits, Scarlet Lady,” Nadja said in a conciliatory tone, “as soon as your partners admit the truth–”

“This is the dumbest interview ever!” Scarlet Lady shouted. “We're leaving!”

Nadja just barely avoided dropping her jaw in shock.

“What?! You can't–”

“Sorry, but for once I agree with Scarlet Lady,” Chat Noir said, giving the presenter an ugly look as he helped an almost comatose Marigold leave. “This has been incredibly unpleasant and uncomfortable.”

“Wait! The show isn't over!” Nadja attempted to call out. “The fans will be disappointed if you don't answer–”

“No means NO, lady!” Chat Noir shouted at her, and the door to the set slammed shut.

----

The command to stop the program came a few seconds after the heroes (and Scarlet Lady) left, and Nadja collapsed to her knees, crying; it had been her best chance to make a program to rival everything else in the channel, and it had sunk within a few minutes.

“Welp, wrap it up, people,” a crew member said after no one started to move for a few moments.

“Do you think we'd have a better success rate if every show at our station wasn't live?” a camera man asked.

No one noticed the black butterfly flitting down towards Nadja Chamack.

At least, not until it was too late.

----

The heroes and their not-so-heroic companion had jumped to the roof of the studios, where the latter of the group proceeded to continue making her displeasure of the previous events known.

“The AUDACITY! What a HACK!” Scarlet Lady yelled. Chat Noir ignored her, instead approaching his partner, who was clearly saddened by the reveal of their kiss.

“Marigold! I'm really sorry!” he said, trying to fix his mistake. “You can punch me if you want–”

“It's fine,” she interrupted, but even he could tell it very well was not. “It was just because of the Akuma, right? It didn't mean anything. So let's drop it.”

Chat Noir tried to come up with something to reply, seeing how hurt she was, but –

“AND ANOTHER THING!”

– Scarlet Lady was still in her tirade.

----

At her house, Lila looked at Manon, who had fallen asleep just a moment before everything went to hell, and saw her being completely dead to the world.

“What a dumpster fire,” she muttered, thinking of how badly Manon's mother had handled the show – as well as Scar's reaction.

“Good evening! Welcome to your new show! I'm your hostess, Prime Queen!”

Lila turned to look at the screen... which showed Nadja Chamack, only this Nadja had deep red hair, fluorescent blue skin, and Tron lines over her dark blue clothing.

“... of course,” she grumbled. After everything, it wasn't surprising that she became Akumatized.

----

“Tonight, Marigold and Chat Noir disappointed their fans by refusing to admit they're a couple in love!”

For once, Chat Noir, Marigold, and Scarlet Lady shared the same opinion on what they were just watching.

“You've got to be kidding me,” they said in unison.

----

“We'll see how far they'll go to hide the truth!” Prime Queen continued – and the screen behind her showed...

“Huh?!” Lila said, shocked. The studio screen was somehow showing her, as seen from her TV screen!

Which, of course, was the point when the Akumatized villain pushed her hand through the screen – and, as if it were an American horror film, Prime Queen's hand was suddenly coming out of her TV!

“What the heck, why ME?!” she complained as she tried to dodge the hand of doom.

Unsuccessfully.

----

“Welcome to the Subway of Suspense!” Prime Queen declared, showing a speedometer to the side, while a column to the side was filled to about a fourth of its size. “If it reaches 100 km/h, you can say goodbye to Scarlet Lady's former best friend!”

“Nadja, you idiot, you just kidnapped your babysitter!” Lila, tied up in cables, screamed at the Akumatized reporter – who ignored her.

“Will you dare to go through the screen to save your dear little Lila?”

Scar scoffed.

“As if I'd get my nails dirty for the superliar.”

Chat Noir sighed. Knowing Scar as he did, it didn't surprise him. Nor did her reaction to him pointing out the obvious.

“It's being broadcast live,” he said.

“Out of my way!” Scar shouted, ignoring the dismissive glares from both heroes as they jumped behind her.

----

Landing into the now moving metro car, the tiny screen at one end showed Prime Queen, looking with way too much interest at them.

“You're going to be the stars to the biggest audience record in TV history!” she declared. “Rules are simple! You admit the truth, that you're a couple in love, and I'll stop the subway!”

“A forced confession is as good as a false confession!” Chat Noir angrily shouted back, furious that she was trying to force something that was untrue.

“I want my scoop!” Prime Queen yelled; much like every other Akuma, she was looking for Number One.

“Seriously, why does anyone even care about this?!” Marigold said.

“If it helps, I care more about the 'not crashing' part,” Lila added from the floor.

Marigold sighed, and began to blush as she spoke.

“Fine, Prime Queen. I confess. I am in love with Chat Noir.”

“Oooo! Saving their fan by admitting their true feelings! The news is going crazy~!”

“Good thinking with that lie, Goldie!” Chat Noir whispered as she looked his way... but then she looked away.

“Superheroes don't lie, Chaton,” she whispered back.

And then he began to blush, as he realized what she meant by that.

“What a sweet gesture!” Prime Queen continued, simpering, as the bar to her right filled up to half. “But! The audience isn't breaking records yet! You'll have to do better than that~!”

As the heroes patently held onto their wish to roll their eyes at the goalposts being moved, Prime Queen gave a little clap.

“Oh, I know! To prove your feelings are authentic, you need to take off your masks! To do so, give me your Miraculouses!”

“Gross,” Scarlet Lady interrupted. “I'm not in love with either of these cretins. And I will do no such thing!”

Prime Queen made a grimace.

“Oh, I forgot you were there.”

“YOU–!”

Clearly unwilling to give up, the Akumatized villain jumped through a screen that took her to the Louvre museum, and then reached through another, grabbing someone else and tossing them into a sarcophagus.

“On to the next segment, dear viewers!” Prime Queen declared, showing her newest victim was–

“ALYA!” Marigold said, terrified.

“Marigold! Please, help me!” Alya – tied, trapped, helpless – begged before Prime Queen slammed the sarcophagus shut. “Ow!”

“Oops! Isn't that the girl who runs the Ladyblog?” Prime Queen maliciously said. “Better hand over your Miraculouses before your biggest fan is mummified!”

“Uh, why should I save her after she snubbed me–” Scarlet Lady muttered.

“Hurry up so I can go back to my room!” Lila interrupted her, shoving her through the screen.

“AH–!”

Marigold and Chat Noir jumped through as well...

“This isn't the Louvre!” the Bee Heroine exclaimed; instead of the museum, they had landed into a freezer room.

“She trapped us in!” Chat Noir added as the screen behind them changed to show Prime Queen's face.

“You got that right!” the villain replied. “Last chance, heroes! Take off your Miraculouses or your biggest fan will take a dip in the Seine!”

“NO! ALYA!” Marigold shouted again, trying to look for something that would help stop the Akumatized villain.

“Don't keep the public waiting~!”

“So what.”

Chat Noir and Marigold turned to look at Scarlet Lady, shocked.

“SCAR!” Chat Noir yelled.

“What? I'll bring her back when we win, so what's the big deal!”

----

“The 'big deal' is that that's seriously messed up, Scarlet!” Marigold shouted.

The other big deal was... well, it was being broadcasted live.

And hundreds of thousands of Parisians were watching.

And they just had seen and heard the so-called 'heroine of Paris' demonstrate a complete lack of regard for a potential victim's death.

And through many minds went one thought.

Is she what we thought she was?

----

Besieged by glares from the other two, Scarlet looked away.

“Oh fine, you big babies: Lucky Charm.”

As she saw the object Scarlet had summoned – a roll of tape – Marigold quickly came up with an idea.

“This'll work,” she declared, picking an empty pizza box – from the same pizza shop where Luka worked, even – and pulled it apart.

And put it on top of the screen, while Chat Noir (who had quickly seen the plan) grabbed the tape and fixed the spread box to the screen.

“Wuh–What's going on?! Why can't I see?!” the villain shouted.

“Too bad, Prime Queen,” Chat Noir said, grinning, as he stood to one side of the screen. “We think we will take off our Miraculouses.”

“And we will reveal our identities!” Marigold taunted.

“You just won't get to see it~!” both of them finished in unison.

“They'll probably make out too,” Scarlet added.

“No, Scar,” Chat Noir added, ready to move as soon as the villain fell for the trick.

“You better not be lying,” Prime Queen said, confirming she had swallowed the bait, and she punched through the screen and pizza box.

Which a prepared Marigold was all too happy to take advantage of.

“Venom~”

“Cataclysm! Free with one freezer exit,” Chat Noir said as he destroyed the freezer's door.

“The fact that that worked was embarrassing,” Scarlet Lady said as Marigold pulled the paralyzed Prime Queen into the freezer.

“Who's the idiot here, her or Hawkmoth?” Marigold rhetorically asked.

----

Once more, everything was fixed through the use of the Miraculous Cure, save for Scarlet Lady's entitlement and reputation, and... the situation between Paris' heroes.

“Marigold, I–”

“Chat Noir, I know we're just good friends and partners, you don't have to–”

“NO!” Chat Noir interrupted. “Goldie, you're AMAZING! And kind and wonderful and the best partner ever!”

“Chat, please, just don't–” Marigold begged, struggling not to tear up in front of her friend.

“I mean it! It'd be easy to fall for you, but --” and here Chat Noir began to blush, “but I'm already in love with Marinette Dupain-Cheng!”

Marigold completely blanked out at hearing those three words, and slowly turned to look at her partner.

She must have misheard something.

Or she had just gone temporarily crazy.

Because there was no way the boy she loved just said he was in love with her civilian self.

“Wuh... buh...” she babbled as she tried to make sense of it.

“You might not know her since I had her swear to stay out of fights around the time you joined the team,” he continued, completely unaware of the storm he was causing in her mind, “but she completely captured my heart! But since I see her everyday as 'myself', I can't just forget her! If you met her you'd get it!”

Marigold's eyes widened, and her blush intensified. What Chat Noir had just said... it really sounded like...

“The two of you are so alike, it's almost as if–”

Whoa, time to cut it off.

“AHAHAHA! You know what?!” Marigold interrupted, smiling. “She sounds awesome and you should totally go for it. Anyway, gotta go!”

“HUH?!”

And, as Marigold left, Chat Noir was left looking at her, trying to make sense of what had just happened.

----

Finally back at home, she watched at the now snoring little girl on her bed, making her pout.

“Wow. Amazing what people sleep through,” she muttered, before putting the covers over her again and moving to another room so she could check her computer without disturbing Manon.

Just in time to receive a call request.

Opening the screen, she quickly accepted.

“Yo!” Alya said, smiling and waving. “Glad you're safe!”

“You too,” she replied, returning the smile. “I guess the Cure has more heart than Scarlet Lady.”

Alya's face turned thunderous.

“She was gonna let me drown! She's dead to me!” she yelled, before shaking her head and breathing deeply. “Prime Queen sorta had a point with these views. Too bad for her they're all on my blog.”

“Seriously? That many people care about the imaginary romance between coworkers?” Lila asked, opening the Ladyblog and seeing the comments.

“Mostly people are split between ship wars, and freaking over Scarlet Lady,” Alya replied, and Lila could tell it was quite the understatement.

DING!

“Huh? An email?” Alya said, opening it – and she squinted at the contents. “You've got to be kidding me.”

“What is it?”

“Nadja Chamack just invited me to be a guest on her new show, 'Side by Side'.”

Her jaw dropped.

“All that melodrama over her dumb show being cancelled and they just handed her a new one?!”

----

“What a looong day, come to me my love~” Plagg sang, hugging a piece of Camembert cheese, but Adrien paid little mind to him, instead going over of what just happened. Which the Kwami noticed. “Uhh, what's got you thinking so hard?”

“Marigold... her reaction was strange.” He turned to him. “Her mood completely changed when I mentioned Marinette. And not in the way you'd expect if she was jealous... is it possible... that Marigold could be...”

Plagg began to sweat.

“Oh, no,” he whispered.

He really didn't want to face Tikki if his boy realized the truth.

----

“WOOHOO~!” Marigold said, landing on her terrace as she changed back to her normal self, letting Pollen come out.

“What a wonderful revelation!” the Kwami said, clapping with her little arms. “Chat Noir is in love with 'you', my Queen! Aren't you happy?”

“Sure, but, uh...” she replied, shrugging, confused. “What did he mean he 'sees me everyday as himself'?”

----

Zombizou

@zoe-oneesama Finally reached the end of Season 4! Let's see how much I manage to do before you end the story...

Also, we're at 498 pages, 199,063 words, 1,073,925 characters!

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

April 24, 2024

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

APR 25, 2024

This morning, President Joe Biden signed into law the $95 billion national security supplemental bill providing military aid to Ukraine, Israel, and the Indo-Pacific, as well as humanitarian aid to Gaza and other peoples suffering humanitarian crises. The Pentagon immediately sent about a billion dollars worth of ammunition, air defense munitions, and artillery rounds, as well as weapons and armored vehicles to Ukraine. The U.S. Department of Defense had moved supplies into Poland and Germany in hopes that the measure would pass; they should move into Ukraine soon. 

The Pentagon also said today that in mid-March it provided Ukraine Army Tactical Missile Systems, or ATACMS, with a range of 185 miles (300 kilometers), twice that of previous weapons sent by the U.S. 

For many months, Ukraine has been desperately short of supplies, especially ammunition, and its war effort has suffered as it waited for the reinforcements that are finally on their way. 

In a speech after signing the law, Biden explained that the U.S. would send equipment to Ukraine from its own stockpiles and then “replenish those stockpiles with new products made by American companies here in America: Patriot missiles made in Arizona, Javelins made in Alabama, artillery shells made in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas. In other words, we’re helping Ukraine while at the same time investing in our own industrial base, strengthening our own national security, and supporting jobs in nearly 40 states all across America.” 

Biden emphasized that the law is “going to make America safer. It’s going to make the world safer. And it continues America’s leadership in the world, and everyone knows it.” But he called out that border security was missing from the bill, and he promised to bring that measure back. 

Biden made it a point “to thank everyone in Congress who made it possible, especially the bipartisan leadership: Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson; Leader Jeffries; Leaders Schumer and McConnell. They don’t always agree, but when it matters most, they stepped up and did the right thing. And I mean this sincerely, history will remember this time.” 

“We don’t walk away from our allies; we stand with them. We don’t let tyrants win; we oppose them. We don’t merely watch global events unfold; we shape them. That’s what it means to be the…indispensable nation. That’s what it means to be the world’s superpower and the world’s leading democracy. Some of our MAGA Republican friends reject that vision,” he said, “but this vote makes it clear: There is a bipartisan consensus for that kind of American leadership. That’s exactly what we’ll continue to deliver.” 

This morning, Arlette Saenz of CNN reported on the six months of behind-the-scenes negotiating Biden and his team engaged in to get House speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) behind Ukraine aid. Meetings, phone calls, defense briefings, and so on, laid out for Johnson just what abandoning Ukraine would mean for U.S. and global security. 

Biden urged his team to stay in close contact with Johnson, as well as House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), but to avoid attacking Johnson in order to allow room to move discussions forward. 

Counselor to the president Steve Ricchetti, a key negotiator, told Saenz: “He just kept saying, ‘Keep talking. Keep working.’ You know, keep finding ways to resolve differences. And that was his direction.”

Biden’s focus on the slow, steady work of governance is a change from the actions of Republican leaders since 1981 whose goal was not to build up successful programs that helped Americans in general, but rather to slash the government. Killing programs requires only saying no to other people’s ideas and riling up voters to endorse that anti-government program by flame-throwing on right-wing media. 

Over the years, it seems we have become accustomed to the idea that flame-throwing defines politics, but in fact, Biden’s reliance on slow, careful negotiation harks back to the eras when leaders sought to build coalitions and find common ground in order to pass legislation.   

North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU) acknowledged the power of Biden’s approach today when it endorsed Biden for president in 2024. The union’s president, Sean McGarvey,  noted that Trump had promised to protect pensions and to pass infrastructure laws that would help employment in the building trades, but did neither. In contrast, Biden worked to pass the American Rescue Plan, which protected pensions, and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Chips and Science Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act, which McGarvey said ���have brought life-changing, opportunity-creating, generational change focused on the working men and women of this great country who have for far too long been clamoring for a leader to finally keep their word.”

In an ad, McGarvey said: “Donald Trump is incapable of running anything, let alone the most powerful country in the history of the world.”

The NABTU has 3 million members across the country and has committed to investing heavily to organize workers to vote for Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris in the battleground states of Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin, where about 250,000 of their members live.

Trump has other problems today, as well, after an Arizona grand jury yesterday indicted 11 of the fake electors in that state with conspiracy, fraudulent schemes and artifices, fraudulent schemes and practices, and forgery for their attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. 

Those charged included state senators Jake Hoffman and Anthony Kern, former Arizona Republican Party chair Kelli Ward, and Tyler Bowyer of the right-wing advocacy organization Turning Points Action. The indictment lists seven other co-conspirators, who are not yet named but who appear from descriptions to include Trump lawyers Rudy Giuliani, John Eastman, Christina Bobb, Boris Epshteyn, and Jenna Ellis; Trump campaign operative Mike Roman; and Trump’s former chief of staff Mark Meadows. Bobb is now senior counsel for “election integrity” for the Republican National Committee.

Trump is listed as an unindicted co-conspirator.   

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

[sliptohk]

Prompt #23: On Cloud Nine

"You have nothing to fear. Isamu is my friend."

It was not the most reassuring phrase the Winds had heard. But with that thick coating of rock, ice, and snow barricading the most immediate escape from the Yawn it was a hope they clung to. With lives saved and then spared, the two surviving members of Merciless had little place to offer any suggestions to the contrary. So they followed docilely enough.

"Do not meet his gaze. He does not like to be challenged."

Most knew beasts well enough not to inadvertently challenge them within their own den. But one could never be too careful when dealing with unknown strangers. Awayuki shuffled unsteadily, but she had insisted that she travel unaided as they came through the cavern. The fact the chocobo had remained near the foot of the mountain was a blessing, as it removed the alluring promise of fresh meat. With neither strength, nor hunger, tested it ought to limit the number of things Isamu could take issue with.

The large pack looked a touch more proportioned on the seawolf, Skarnmhar's, back. With his cleaver resting somewhere beneath the deluge outside it gave him a more valuable role to fill for the group on the voyage. Regana still moved unsteadily, but Arlette had assured them all that she would recover. Though notably ignored any attempt to wrest an expected time from her.

When pressed to lend some aid, Oliver shook his head, "Regrettably, there is nothing wrong with our new companion that I could address. As ever, Arlette's arts confound the structure by which my own operate."

Ellory was fairly certain he was just trying to avoid getting on the woman's badside. A blameless sense of self-preservation.

Movement came with the sound of accompanying grunts. A faint tremble in the stone as the large bulk of the frantically searching sasquatch drew closer with each step. Or at least that was the name the raen had given to the species. It seemed a considerable amount larger than what they had come to expect in their own travels. And Crater had been reasonably certain that the ones he knew were largely herbivores. This one was a more worldly connoisseur.

Raising a hand for them to pause, Awayuki likewise lifted her voice as she stepped forward into the cavern. Not loud enough to echo, but clear enough for the distraught creature to hear. The shift in its demeanour was dizzying as it leapt clear across the length of its den to slam down before her. Huge and scarred where patches of thick skin were not masked by his thick, white pelt, while she stood slender and battered before him. Great fists pressed to the floor on each side of her as he lowered his head until his massive lower jaw was resting on the rocks

While warned to avert their gaze, it seemed that was not necessary for the courier. Stepping forward, she rested hands on his cheeks and leaned in to press a warm kiss to the mass of scar tissue that made up its forehead. A gentle smile on her lips as she hugged his huge skull in turn. The mountain guardian let out a relieved whine at the much improved state she was in.

"I have met some kindly travelers Isamu. They will see me tended."

Though he lacked the ability to speak, there was intelligence behind those eyes. It seemed to understand, raising its head to regard the politely waiting party on the edge of his domain. Gently withdrawing from the au ra's touch, the beast strutted over toward the others. All the arrogance of man distilled into that cocky approach that clearly communicated its thoughts. You are no threat to me. And I will destroy anyone that claims otherwise.

He looked them over one by one. Sniffing them and gauging something they were unable to truly discern. Arlette earned a longer regard, though was dismissed soon enough with a snort after it seemed to satisfy itself. The shivering Regana got an extra snort that sent her stumbling a few steps. A semblance of laughter escaping Isamu as if at some grand jest from the interaction.

Ellory assumed this was how a doting father would react to their daughter's suitor. And apparently they had earned his acceptance, even if they may never gain his approval. None of them commented on the fact that he blubbered with tears upon parting. Nor how they insisted on carrying Awayuki down to the foot of the mountain. A welcome chaperone as he easily swept clear the trail with sweeps of his one free hand.

One more tearfilled farewell at the foot, before Isamu turned to climb back up the mountain once more. Looking back over his shoulder frequently until Awayuki was out of sight. One last deafening roar, before he vanished back into the peaks.

"Your friend seems nice!" Without a beast to offend, Ellory grinned widely at the raen, "How did you meet him?"

A tender smile creased the courier's lips, "He was an infant in need of assistance. I provided. He remembered."

Pressing two fingers to her mouth, the hyurgadyn began to blow sharp whistles into the air as they walked. River lifted Awayuki to his back to keep pace. It was several bells of travel before Scirocco found them, charging forth with his companions. A couple spare beasts in tow with saddles still in place. It was clear that the purloined mounts Merciless had taken were not lost to the elements or the sudden relocation of tonze of rock and ice from the peaks down to the valley.

"Good, no need to ride double!" Skarnmhar bellowed out, hauling himself up onto one draught chocobo. Arlette looked toward Oliver with a slightly less pleased expression, before claiming the reins to her own bird.

It was impossible not to have spirits buoyed by success, or at least survival. Awayuki in particular looked especially thrilled to be smelling fresh air and racing back toward civilization. Who could blame her after such a long ordeal? Though for all her enthusiasm, there were still many wounds to recover from. To say nothing of the weight and strength she had lost while unable to eat regularly. Ellory seated her comfortably in her lap to ensure the exhausted woman wouldn't tumble from their perch at an inopportune time.

The sellsword even joined in with forced exuberance as glittering snow was kicked up in their chocobos' wake. A successful job and a respectable payday should their plans for patronage unfold as they had planned. They were bound to get everything they wished out of the contract, to say nothing of the supplementary payout on the bets they'd placed on themselves. Regana was thrilled. Probably. It was difficult to tell as they slowly shook off their malaise. Skarnmhar as well, though the two had much less to be excited over. Or a lot more, if one counted their life as the greatest treasure of all. Oliver seemed pleased. Arlette was Arlette.

Unlike herself, the brothers were not so given to the performance. She could not fault them. But hope did still breathe. The tattered remnants of Merciless had mentioned they had not slain any of the other crews. Not even Ozbeg, when he ran frothing into the night after Silent, only to return coldly furious and unsated.

She banished it from her tone, as she whispered into Awayuki's horn. Not quite certain how those things functioned, and not of a mind to annihilate whatever passed for eardrums for the au ra. "Whaddaya gonna do first? Eat? Bathe? Sleep?"

The woman took a while to respond, long enough that Ellory began to think she had nodded off to the rhythm of the coursing Scirocco, "I will sketch."

She said it so lovingly that it was easy to believe it was the finest pursuit across the star. At least some of them were elated to be near the end of their journeys.

[disorganizedkitten]

Bursting Bubbles of Bad Luck Chapter 5

Miraculous Ladybug | 2020 | 1,104 | Ao3 | Prev | Masterlist | Next

July 27-Once Upon A Time

 Allegra was pacing. Really, really fast.

 She watched the ladybugs slip down into the cellar, felt her bruises and cut from getting home heal, and was overcome with an irrational rush of anger. She knew it was a good thing. Of course it was! Those ladybugs were healing survivors, maybe even bringing people back to life, she had read about the pure, no-practice needed, miracle-like feats that could be made with someone using a magic heart.

 She really hoped that Felix was okay. Really, really hoped that he was okay. He had gone out there, with no training and- okay, if that ring was a magic heart like she suspected, he had a huge amount of power backing him. But without training, that was nearly as much of a hazard as the corrupted heart that caused this. And he was on his own.

 This was horrible. So, so very horrible. Her chest hurt from how fast her heart was beating.

 She turned again, jumping when her phone rang. It had barely been half an hour since this started, but she felt years older.

 A ridiculous picture of her sister Aurore popped up, the blonde pulling her smile with her fingers while a paper cloud hung from her tongue. Allegra answered without thinking. She hit the speaker button, not stopping in her movements.

 “Arlette and I are both okay, we’re in the storm cellar. No news of mom or dad. Your turn?”

 Aurore sighed, the noise distorted by the speaker. “Thank goodness. Mom’s still in Germany, I just got off the phone with her. The crisis delayed flights.” Allegra felt relief. Someone was safe. She opened her mouth to ask about dad, but Aurore beat her to it. “Dad was in the office Stoneheart brought down.”

 Allegra’s heart stuttered. She closed her eyes. That meant he was either dead or injured. That hurt.

 “I think he’s okay though! All the corpses-” and wow, wasn’t that a horrible way to hear her sister refer to their dad? “-seem to be waking up, so I’m waiting to see if I can find him.”

 “Ror, please tell me you weren’t outside this entire time.”

 Aurore was silent. “Not technically? We had PE, you know this, so we all sort of scattered to wherever we could find for shelter?”

 Allegra felt vaguely like swearing. “I love you so much, but you’re a dummy.”

 “I’m a dummy who will be home in thirty minutes?” Aurore offered sheepishly. Allegra sighed.

 “Be careful.”

 “I will,” her sister promised.

***

  Arlette patted her big sister’s cheek. Allegra smiled back, but it wasn’t as big as it should have been.

 Arlette didn’t like that.

 She didn’t like today, period.

 First, she felt really bad last night, and kept waking up. Second, the ground threw up during breakfast and it was really scary. Her babysitter screamed with her, a lot. Third, the ground throwing up meant the sky came down, and that sounded like thunder but worse and she hated it. Fourth, her babysitter took her down to the super secret emergency underground hiding room, and then left her in her playpen, alone. While the ground kept throwing up. Fifth, when Allegra finally got there after forever of Arlette crying alone while the ground stopped throwing up, she was crying too. There is something horribly, inherently wrong with seeing your big sister cry. Sixth, Aurore and dad were still not here. Seventh was that Allegra had just told her mom wouldn’t get home until tomorrow.

 Arlette laid her head on Allegra’s shoulder, two-year-old arms drooping over her shoulders. She didn’t like today. She wanted it to be over.

***

 Snow Cone:

 Monster is down. I’m unhurt. Other hero fixed the city(?) What’s your status?

 Me:

Mostly good. Sisters are okay, waiting for news on dad.

Snow Cone:

 Fingers crossed.

Me:

How are your sibs?

Snow Cone:

 Emilia has locked herself in a cocoon, Rio broke his arm but it was reportedly healed, and Dira is clinging to Mè.

Me:

Oh thank goodness.

***

 Felix poked at his bedsheets, not meeting Allegra’s eyes. Plagg was here, off sleeping in a pile of smelly cheese.

 It had been two days since the confrontation in front of the eiffel.

 “What do you need to know?”

 “Everything.”

 Allegra made a noise somewhere between a growl and a sigh. “Specifically.”

 “You know magic.”

 “Since I was four. My sect is sentiment.”

 “What are the sects?”

 “Officially? Protection, Modification, Sentiment, Purity, Destruction, Restoration, Deception, Chaos, and Manipulation. Unofficially, we call them protection, change, empathy, order, destruction, creation, illusions, bees, and chaos.”

 “Confusing.”

 Allegra laid down, jostling Felix as she did. “It’s a big world.”

 “Do I need to be sworn to secrecy?”

 She snorted, and Felix actually looked at her. Allegra was smirking. “Oh no, kid. No code of secrecy. We just exist and wait for people to pull their heads out enough to notice us.”

 He hummed. She reached up and booped him.

 “It’ll be okay.”

 “I just signed up for a war. A magic war.”

 Allegra’s face hardened. “And for that, you are an idiot. But we’ll figure it out. If you have any questions, I’ll try to answer them, and if I can’t then ask Ladybug. She’ll be good for that, I’m sure.”

 “So what are the hearts?”

 “Miraculous. They’re like… imagine each sorcerer or sorceress has a cigarette lighter’s worth of power in them. The miraculous, the hearts, they have a flamethrower’s worth.”

 “Extreme concentration.”

 “Yeah, that.”

 Felix nodded. “I’m sorry.”

 “You better be!” Allegra moved to smack his leg. “You could die. You could die and then I’d have to tell your parents and Allan and Claude and my sisters and I’d want nothing more than to yell at you but I won’t be able to-” She took a harsh breath. “I won’t be able to because there’s only so much death anyone can reverse, even Restoration.”

 He leaned on her. “I’m sorry, Legs.”

 “Just don’t die.” She wiped at her eyes. ‘Ugh, I can’t believe we’re talking about this. This is ridiculous. I hate it.”

 Felix agreed. Once upon a time, comments like this would be mostly joking while she stepped into a river or climbed a pile of rocks. They weren't supposed to be directed at him. They weren’t supposed to be legitimate threats.

 “Hey, I’m in a discord server that’s pretty good for answering questions, if you want?”

 “The more sources, the better.”

 Allegra grinned and grabbed her phone. “Thank goodness, because I’m actually pretty clueless outside my element.”

 Felix giggled. Well, they’d have to find a happily ever after sometime, wouldn’t they?

[mylordshesacactus]

In the leadup to and during the only mildly disastrous masquerade infiltration, our wizard Audie used the Message spell to send a few plaintive messages to the Bastion of Life, the legendary former adventurer who leads the capital city of Requiem. She was expressing frustration and hurt at the stonewalling, at first; asking for guidance or aid from someone best able to offer it.

Then after things exploded at the masquerade she sent another, very funny message hastily clarifying that the sudden explosion of chained wild magic surges had nothing to do with her previous messages and she’s never met these men in her life, officer.

At all previous stages, the Bastion has been stonewalling her--not replying to her messages, not giving any indication that he even heard.

Finally, however, as she was sitting in a random tavern anxiously waiting to hear from the rest of the party, Audie felt the pressure of a Sending spell and relaxed into it, expecting to hear from Arlette--who holds the other half of their Sending stone pairs.

It was not Arlette.

The message was as follows:

“You bring chaos to my city. ….It begins where it ended. Any hope for Suncrest lies with Canticle now. I can help no further. Farewell.”

In the words of our ranger: Oh shit.

[overturetoanadventure]

The immediate gratification of cleaning heals my soul like nothing else can. Moved everything off the counters, scrubbed them down well and wiped ‘em dry. After placing everything back, I get to see the reflections of the items like ahhhh chefs fucking kiss. Same for the stove, oven, appliances, sinks. What a thing of beauty 🥹 tomorrow I hope to sweep and steam mop the kitchen, sweep and vacuum the living room, and water all of the plants.

Spent majority of the day with Arlette, with a lil bit of Monique and Fatima sprinkled in and it was so nice to enjoy everyone’s company.

Also watched monkey man today and I love the parasocial catharsis that a good revenge plot provides, at the most surface level enjoyment of its plot.

Also a lil update on the cheating boyfriend bullshit; I’d reached out to the other woman on insta a few hours after I found out and hadn’t contacted him since my texts from Saturday night. He called at noon, I let him talk himself in circles and trying to spin a way out of just the initial anger that he is aware of from Saturday since I didn’t tell him I found out about the rest on my own afterwards. I really enjoy the icy detachment that clarity can provide where I know I’ve done all I could and now it’s out of my hands so no point in stressing over it. Anyways he tried to end the conversation with an ultimatum of well he might just leave me to which I responded if that’s what he wants to do 🤷🏽‍♀️ and ended that call. Later he sends random memes, I continue to ignore. Then around five thirty he’s texting me that he wants to talk and if I don’t pick up he’ll just have to continue dangerously sending messages asking me to not give up on us instead. Then proceeds to call me a little over twenty times but I’d already set my phone to dnd without letting repeated calls come through. I send a text saying I’ll be enjoying time with friends and can call once I’m home for the night so he backs off. It feels like he’s losing it a little bit and I’m honestly enjoying watching the unraveling.

Anyways while I’m watching the movie, the other woman responds and the essence of her messages were that she already knows he’s been ‘fooling around’ but that they’re in a ‘gray area’ in their relationship right now and I’m being presumptuous to have considered myself his exclusive girlfriend while we dated. Lmao okay babe. He’s shit talked you to the sun and back and I would try to vouch for you out of a place of girlhood and also bc I doubted that you were the only problem in the relationship. Anyway, essentially I responded to her as nicely as I could muster the following paraphrased blurb: listen bitch i didn’t come here to beg you to leave him. I thought you were in the dark too so was just tryna help you save your time and energy but I don’t play second fiddle and never have. You can keep him and have a great life together; meanwhile, I’m out. Peace n blessings ✌🏽

I cannot fathom settling for someone who does not want you and disrespectfully goes out of their way to show it?? Then again, it’s simply not for me to understand. I know he doesn’t deserve it but solely so he’ll leave me the fuck alone from here on, I’ll have the final conversation with him tomorrow and breakup and be done with this trifling ass matter 🥳

[krissims]

Hii!

This is my first lookbook! Francis Moreno is my Ascendant legacy challenge founder. This lookbook includes clothes from some packs as well, if you’re interested to know which ones I used let me know :) . All cc used can be found below!

Tattoos : homemade tattoo’s ( by myshunosun)

First look : Everyday

Hair: Fauna hair (by okruee)

Top: Ola Top (Serenity’s ‘’Luna’’ Set)

Bottom: Lauryn pants (Serenity’s ‘’Midnight Out Collection’’)

Accessories: Nico rings (greenllamas ‘’The Gossip Collection’’ set)

Second look : Formal

Hair: Brenda Hair (by aharris00britney)

Top: Constance corset v2 (greenllamas ‘’The Gossip Collection’’ set)

Shoes: Madlen Arlette Boots, short version (by Madlen)

Accessories:  Madlen Ayelet Watch (by Madlen)

Third Look : Athletic

Top:  Rush top (Serenity’s ‘’Energia set’’)

Bottom: Biker shorts (Miiko’s ‘’Energy set’’)

Accessories: GF Headphones ( by candycottonchu)

Fourth look : Sleepwear

Top: Celia Bra (Serenity’s ‘’Aster clothing set’’)

Accessories: Maxis manicure (by isaiahillustrates)

Fifth look : Party

Hair:  Fauna hair (by okruee)

Sixth look : Swimwear

Accessories: Dutchess hat and Blackout glasses (isaiahillustrates ‘’Planet AxA set’’)

Seventh look : Hot Weather

Top: Avril top (isaiahillustrates ‘’Planet AxA set’’)

Eight look : Outerwear

Top: Aimee Gilet Hoodie (by oakiyo)

really hope I mentioned them all!

[greybackdragonstables]

NIILAS (NILS)

Name: Niilas, called Nils for short

Age: 20 Human Years

Species: Norwegian Ridgeback.

Gender: Male

Nils is Arlettes first dragon who arrived at the Sanctuary when he was approximately 6 or 7 human years. At age 19, she was the handler on duty when Nils was brought in, exhausted from being blown off course and with an injured wing. She helped wrangle him into a paddock and fed him. When asked for a name to identify the injured and weakened Norwegian Ridgeback, she called him Niilas, shortening it to Nils, hoping the name would inspire courage in the dragon

Over the years, she's worked tirelessly without fail to bond with and care for Nils, earning a small degree of trust with the dragon *as in he won't immediately try and torch her...if she stands still too long it's a possibility)

Now Arlette is an senior handler, Nils lives in a very luxurious paddock on the Sanctuary. Out of all the adult dragons, Nils is the one who is best behaved, having the least escapes and incidents to his name.

Nils cannot be transferred and released back to the wild due to an injury sustained in his wing that brought him to the Exmoor Sanctuary.

[emmagoldberg]

AUJOURD'HUI 17H -- TODAY 5PM SHOW N° 103 -- « JUST LIKE EMMA » ON 242 RADIO UK "Just Like Emma" Sur 242 RADIO UK will be broadcasted every 2 weeks at the following times; "Just Like Emma" Sur 242 RADIO UK sera diffusée pendant 2 semaines aux heures suivantes; Monday -Lundi 16h 00 UK/17h 00 France / 11h 00 EAST COAST/ 07h00 PST Tuesday- Mardi 22h 00PST Wednesday -Mercredi 06h 00 UK/ 07h 00 France/ 01h 00 EAST COAST Thursday - Jeudi 19h00 EAST COAST /16h 00 PST Friday - Vendredi 00h 00 UK/ 01h 00 FRANCE SHOW N° 103 -- « JUST LIKE EMMA » ON 242 RADIO UK 1-MARIANNE SIMARD « TOURNE,TOURNE » 2- OPHELIE M « INSOMNIE » 3 – JERRY CHAMAND « ROAD TO HEAVEN » 4- VICTORIA EMAN « LOVE SUNRISE » 5-THE FOOLE « DON’T CALL IT LOVE FOOLESH « (REMIXX) 6- JUDITH BERARD « ITINERAIRE » 7- PERRINE HOPE « RESTE Là » 8-SHADOW « WANT TO GET BY » 9-SEPTEMBER BY FEAT CORALIE ROYER « SI SEULEMENT » 10 -STEPHANE PORTELLI « BOUM BOUM BOUM» 11 – LES BB « MOI-MÊME » 12 - LUDOVICK BOURGEOIS « QUE SERA MA VIE » 13 – KRIS OFWOOD « NO ONE AROUND » 14- LEE AUTUMN « RUNNING AWAY » 15- LOUIS ARLETTE « TOKYO » 16- GENERIQUE « I LOVE YOU THE WAY YOU ARE » EMMA GOLDBERG https://www.242radio.com/

[arlettepchavez22]

Intro

Hi, my name is Arlette Chavez. I’m currently a sophomore this year. My major is animation with emphasis on 2D animation! I chose to take this class because I thought it would be cool to learn how to take photos. I never took a photography class in highschool. I would like to take photography up as a hobby! So far I like the experience. In this class I hope to learn to how to tell a story through my photos and obviously take good pictures. :)

[alloftimeandspacetosee]

The Godfather

In which the Gang meet Giratina and the twins don't feel like they're trusted at all.

Yet another part of the roleplay that I brushed up a li'l, bc while it's going I don't always feel like I can do 'em justice, or. you know. edit in the moment I guess.

~

 The clouds were thick and dark with the promise of rain when they walked into Veilstone once more. Bebe was dragging her feet, hanging back as they continued towards the Voake household.

 Warren rested a hand on her shoulder, making her speed up. “Cheer up.”

 “But I want to keep travelling with you.” Bebe sighed, reaching up to scratch Fetch, who was sitting on her shoulder. “I don’t want to go home.”

 “I know, but you can train Fetch and Fog. When they get stronger, you could maybe travel by yourself, huh?”

 Bebe shrugged, looking down at the ground below her feet.

 “It has been fun though, the travelling we’ve done together, right?” Zlata smiled at Bebe.

 “We’ll swing by every so often, see how you’re doing, if y’want?” Arlette offered.

 “Maybe drag you off again.” Aurora shrugged. “Anywhere you like.”

 Bebe nodded, scratching Hohenheim as the bird nibbled at her fingers. “That would be good. I did have fun, I’m glad I came with you.”

 “Don’t worry,” Warren said, stepping up the path to their door. “Mum can’t keep you here forever, you’ll be able to travel.”

 “I hope so.” Bebe smiled.

 “You think your mother will be okay with Nyx? She seemed really disdainful of her last time,” Ryun asked, looking at Nyx. “I’m not sure if she needs that right now.”

 “Just tell ‘er you hang out with pirates, that’ll take some of the heat off Nyx.” Aurora snorted, grinning.

 Warren nodded, glancing to Nyx. “Maybe it’d be best if you waited for us.”

 Nyx nodded. “Alright. It was nice hanging out with you Bebe.”

 Bebe rushed over to hug Nyx. “You as well! I’ll miss you…”

 “I’ll stick out here,” Arlette said. “Keep Nyx company and all.”

 “That would be nice.” Nyx smiled. “We can talk about girl things, and Warren’s exboyfriend.”

 Warren rolled his eyes. “Right, you got everything you need?”

 Bebe nodded, running to hug Nyx and Arlette one last time.

 “Mind if I come with you?” Ryun followed Warren.

 Aurora followed them towards the house.

 “Hey.” Arlette called her sister’s attention and threw her a small pouch.

 “Thanks.” Aurora caught it.

 “Not for you, idiot.”

 Aurora smirked and followed them into the house.

 “Mum?” Bebe ran in. “I’m back.”

 Rowena stepped out of the kitchen and gathered Bebe up in a hug. “Bebe, honey! I missed y – what is that on your shoulder?”

 “Fetch.” Bebe smiled. “Warren got him for me.”

 “Warren should have asked me first.” Rowena shook her head at Warren, before glancing to Aurora. “Are you a friend of Warren’s as well?”

 Ryun stepped out of the way, moving to Warren’s side of the hall.

 Aurora nodded. “Pretty much. Aurora, please t’meet you.” She tossed the pouch from hand to hand.

 “What’s in the pouch?” Warren asked.

 “Gift for Bebe.”

 “You got me a present?” Bebe smiled.

 “Hopefully it’s not another pokémon,” Rowena sighed. “I hope that thing is clean, Bebe…”

 Ryun looked up. “He is clean. Cleans himself every day.”

 “Sort of.” Aurora shrugged, holding out the pouch. “Just a small thing to remember us by.”

 “Wow!” Bebe rushed over, taking the pouch and lifting out a small ice made figurine of a fennekin. “Thank you so much!” She hugged Aurora. “It’s so pretty!”

 “It is, beautifully made too.” Ryun glanced at the sculpture. “Where did you get that?”

 “Get?” Aurora laughed, hugging Bebe back. “We made it. Took a while, though… ice sculpting really isn’t one of our skills.”

 “It’s very pretty, I didn’t know you could sculpt ice like this,” Bebe said, stepping back.

 “Even so, it does look good,” Ryun remarked. “I’m just surprised you could get ice this time of year to sculpt with.”

 “Nevermeltice,” Aurora explained. “We always have some.” She pointed to the sculpture’s ears. “If you heat them slightly, they’ll glow. It’s better in the dark, it’s pretty faint.”

 Bebe smiled. “Thank you so much Aurora, I love it.” She lifted it up to show Fetch, who licked it curiously and shivered at the cold.

 “Are you staying in Veilstone?” Rowena asked.

 “No, I think we’re heading north next.” Warren shrugged, stooping to hug Bebe. “I’ll come back on the return, if you like.”

 “That’d be nice.” Bebe smiled.

 “Where did you learn?”

 “Our grandfather, he owns one of the sculptor shops in Snowpoint. We should head up there sometime.”

 Warren started to motion them towards the door. “We’re going far, I don’t know when we’ll return.” He looked towards his mother. “I’ll drop in on the way back.”

 “See that you do.” She nodded, taking Bebe by the shoulder.

 Bebe waved to Warren as Aurora opened the door, looking a little sad.

 Warren smiled and bent down to her level, handing her a pokéball. “Write to me, ok? Zuzu can find me wherever I am.” He looked around to Aurora and Ryun. “We good to go?”

 Ryun nodded. “I think we are. If you’re ready, we can leave now.”

 Aurora pulled open the door and stepped out, waving back to Bebe.

 “Don’t worry, when I come back you’ll easily be able to beat me in a battle.”

 “I hope!” Bebe laughed. “Bye!”

 Warren closed the door and they rejoined the others.

 “You’re not getting rid of us that easily,” Arlette was saying. “We’ll manage through it.”

 “Manage through what now?” Aurora frowned.

 “What’s going on?” Warren asked.

 “Rem, she’s gone… and she’s – I think she’s at Turnback,” Nyx said. “We need to go and rescue her.”

 Warren nodded. “Alright. How do we get there, though? I mean, I’ve read about it. Some people say it doesn’t exist, others say it changes its location. It’ll be a pain to find.”

 “Not for me,” Nyx said, hitching her bag up. “I’ve sent Corvus, she’ll be above us any second, we just have to follow her.”

 “So we need to get there fast.” Warren released Sammy and climbed onto her back, leaning down to offer Nyx a hand. “Don’t worry, we’ll find her.”

 Zlata released Niagara, who lifted Hohenheim up before letting Zlata on.

 Ryun frowned as he took in the information, and then stepped nearer Zlata. “Could I get a lift?”

 “If you’re sure you want to come.”

 Ryun nodded and climbed up onto Niagara’s back. She shifted about and growled, getting used to the weight on her back.

 Aurora held out a hand for Crawn to land on, and transferred him onto her shoulder as she hitched her bag better across her back. “Lead the way, then.”

 “Are you two planning on running?” Soise raised an eyebrow.

 Arlette shrugged. “We don’t exactly have a pokémon between us that can carry us.”

 Nyx fumbled in her pockets and released Xinch. “You can take Xinch if you like, he’s probably the fastest.”

 The big galvantula clicked and scurried over to the twins’ sides.

 “He’s fast though, you need to hang on around tight corners.” Nyx looked up as Corvus landed on a low wall near them. “Lead on, Corvus.”

 The honchkrow took off again. Sammy followed, Niagara not far behind. The twins stepped carefully onto Xinch’s back and hold onto each other as Xinch races after the two water types. Soise bounded after them, sending illusions racing ahead of the group to get people out of their way.

 Corvus led them south out of the city, towards a thick patch of fog.

 “Stick together!” Nyx called. “We can’t let him split us up.”

 “Sammy, careful!”

 The samurott almost slammed into a tree, and they ran slower after that. Nyx leapt from Sammy’s back and became her black mightyena form, leading the way.

 “It’s going to be fine,” Ryun said. “If we stay together, we’ll look out for each other.”

 Aurora rested her head on Arlette’s back. “Stay strong.”

 “I will,” Arlette murmured, jaw stiffening.

 “Keep your heads,” Soise said, padding along beside them. “It’ll be fine.”

 Nyx led them on a winding path through the fog until it cleared, leaving them standing on soft, emerald coloured grass beside a sparkling lake. “This… is Turnback?” She padded forward, looking around.

 It was beautiful. Perfect as a view. It seemed a clearing in the woods, trees hanging back from the water to provide a calm, open space. But it was quiet. Far too silent – there were no pokémon around.

 “I thought it was a cave.” Aurora frowned, stepping from Xinch’s back and looking around.

 “Where is Rem?” Zlata pulled Hohen back onto Niagara. “I want to get away from this place. It feels dead.”

 “Turnback is the entrance to the distortion realm, we aren’t going there unless we have to.” Nyx padded towards the water, stretching down to sniff the water. “Rem?” She stretched and became human again, looking back to the twins. “If the dragons start to get to you, then we should leave, alright?” I don’t want you to get hurt because of me.” She looked back into the water, staring at something.

 “If that happens, we’ll stay with you. You can’t be left here alone.” Zlata nudged Niagara closer to Nyx.

 Arlette grunted and followed her sister from the galvantula’s back. “Soise – don’t go too far.”

 Soise turned back to them. “How long’ve we got?”

 “All the time in the world,” Arlette said, smirking. “And yet–”

 “None of it,” Aurora completed. “We know.”

 “Rem?” Nyx looked around again. Then she kicked a stone into the water, disturbing whatever she’d seen there. “How stupid do you think I am?” she hissed.

 “Nyx?” Warren stepped towards her.

 Nyx turned away from the water. “Rem.”

 “It could be a trap,” Warren said, returning Sammy.

 “No.” Nyx lifted up her bag again. “It’s definitely a trap. But… it’s Rem.” She hitched it up on her shoulder and moved along the lakeside, just edging into the mist.

 “We can’t let her run off.” Ryun gritted his teeth.

 “I know. Nothing good ever comes of it, especially not here.” Zlata climbed off Niagara.

 Ryun looked back at her, frowning.

 “I’d rather not have her running blindly in fog. Who knows what sort of things are around here?”

 “Alright.” He unsheathed his sword. “What’s the plan?”

 “Same as it was. We follow her.” Zlata moved into the mist after Nyx.

 “Get Rem and get out.” Warren nodded.

 Hohenheim coated himself in bright red fire, acting as a beacon.

 “Well… at least we know we’re walking into a trap.” Arlette followed after them. “No need to waste time on being surprised.”

 Aurora laughed and followed along, Soise at her side. Xenos whistled, pressing his hands into Arlette’s neck. She smiled at him and continued walking.

 “It would be better if it wasn’t a trap in the first place,” Zlata murmured.

 “There.” Ryun pointed with his sword.

 “Oh no.” Zlata ran forward to join Nyx. “You got her, Nyx. Let’s go, now!”

 The rest of the group clear the fog and stand arrayed out behind Nyx.

 “He’s looking better than I expected,” Arlette remarked, folding her arms.

 “A human form tends to help.” Aurora smiled thinly.

 Soise glanced at them, frowning.

 “I’m sure I’d say it’s nice to see you, but… yeah, we only lie when it’s important.”

 Nyx was holding Rem, mumbling to her.

 “I have a certain fondness for rats.” The man looked up, staring particularly at Arlette and Aurora. He moved towards them, smiling. “I’m sure my siblings will be annoying you, seeing as I’m outside my prison.”

 “Giratina,” Nyx hissed, still trying to soothe Rem. “How can… how are you here?”

 “Thin dimensional walls, or something.” He shrugged. “I can wander about the lakeside. It’s pretty, isn’t it?” He tilted his head, still watching the twins. “What a pleasure it is to meet the guardians.”

 “Nyx, Arlette, Aurora, we should leave now. We have what we came for, we should not talk to him,” Zlata hissed.

 Hohenheim’s flames grew brighter, turning golden as he rushed forward and tugged at Nyx’s clothes, trying to pull her away.

 “It normally is a pleasure to meet us, we’re told.” The twins smirked and bowed.

 “But – ah, as nice as I’m sure it’s been for you, meeting us and all, we should probably be going… you know, before your siblings twig you’re up and about.” Aurora gestured away. “Nyx, mind coming and showing us the way out?”

 Giratina laughed. “Shame, I do like to annoy them as best I can… it’s hard when you are trapped in a different dimension.”

 “We’d appreciate it if you didn’t do that via us, all the same.”

 “Yes, we should go.” Nyx crossed her arms around Rem and turned her back on Giratina, only to find he had moved to stand in front of her.

 “Nyx, I was hoping we’d have the chance to talk.”

 “No, no talking. I came for Rem, so we should be going.” She turned again, but he was in front of her, this time in a wolf form bigger than hers, with gold markings under the eyes.

 “All I want to do is talk.” He padded towards her, voice smooth and hypnotic. “I just want to talk.”

 Nyx growled, in her own wolf form. “What do you want to talk about?” she snarled.

 “I need your help.”

 “Don’t listen to him! Whatever he wants help with, it is nothing good.” Zlata’s voice shook. “You have Rem now, she needs your help as well. Don’t let Giratina talk you into something you’ll regret.”

 “Oh, we know, you always need her help, you want your freedom.” Aurora placed a hand on Nyx’s back, hiding the fact that her fist was clenched and trembling.

 Giratina rolled his eyes and stepped in front of Nyx, whining submissively, with his ears down and tail between his legs. “I do want to escape, but wouldn’t you? I’ve been trapped in that place for so… so long.”

 “You want to escape, and cause chaos and pain and misery, that’s your thing. Why would I help you?”

 Giratina lifted his head. “Why do you think it would be bad if I escaped?” He sidled round, scales forming in his fur so he became more snake like. “Are you forgetting that my siblings are free? They have caused pain and misery themselves…”

 Zlata glanced at the twins and stepped nearer Nyx, although not getting too close. “Soise, is there anything you can do to help the twins, to stop or delay the dragons? Nyx, don’t listen to him. He’s using you, garnering your sympathy, playing to your niceness. Have you forgotten what happened the last time somebody did that?”

 “Yes, they’ve caused pain.” Arlette nodded, closing her eyes. “We’ve seen that. But – they’re also integral to the world. We need them around more than we need someone with your power and no duty.”

 Soise shrugged, frowning. “They’re not there yet.”

 “We’re doing fine on our own,” Arlette said, eyes flickering brighter blue for a moment.

 “You are right. I intend to slaughter them if I get the chance.” Giratina smiled, looking down. “But you may have a place in my world, you bear their power. If space and time are… as integral as you say, then how about you govern them in their place?”

 “But you want chaos,” Nyx said, before Aurora can retort.

 “Yes. I don’t want to destroy space and time, I just want to… change them.” Giratina leapt away, taking the form of a black furred rattata. He moved away into the mist, and Nyx followed.

“How long can you keep fighting them?” Zlata started to move after Nyx. “Soise, if the dragons take control, can you delay them for a while, stop them getting to Nyx? I’ll leave Hohenheim to help you, tell him what to do.”

 Ryun grabbed her by the shoulder. “If you’re going to do that, let me come with you. In case he attacks you, at least I can buy you time to get away,” he said, voice shaking.

 “Yes. Thank you.” Zlata nodded.

 “We can manage fine,” Arlette said, as Zlata and Ryun walked away. “A little more faith, please.”

 “Where are you going?” Soise grabbed at her wrist.

 Arlette glanced back, frowning. “To do my duty. What d’you think?”

 Aurora stepped around them, tossing a juggling ball lightly between her hands. “Yeah, we can get them and get out, rather than them having to come back here to collect us first. Quicker, no?”

 “Only if you’re sure you can keep in control.”

 “Do you think we would suggest this if we couldn’t?” Arlette hissed, slapping Soise’s arm away.

 Hohenheim’s head whipped around and his flames disappear. He jumped into the air, launching himself towards Arlette and knocking her to the ground.

 Arlette cursed as she rolled across the ground. Xenos squealed, catapulted from her shoulder.

 Aurora flexed crystalline wings and stepped towards Hohenheim, a growl rumbling in her throat. Soise intervened, slamming her face first into the ground.

 “Get – off,” Arlette snarled, yanking at Hohenheim’s wing to pull him from her back. “We have to help.”  Crawn pecked as Soise’s face and she pushed him away, shoving him into Aurora’s bag.

 “Just – stay here. It’s better if you–”

 “No it’s not.” Arlette rolled sharply and knocked Hohenheim from her back, getting to her feet. “Trust us.”

 Hohenheim recovered and snapped at her, wings glowing with fire.

 She glared at him. “We have a duty here, Hohen.”

 He screeched and flared fire at her, surrounding her with it.

 “What is he saying, Soise?” Arlette asked from inside the fire, closing her eyes to concentrate.

 “If Giratina gets Nyx, if that’s the best option, we’ll let you go. Otherwise you could lose control and kill–” Soise was cut off, knocked backwards as something in Aurora’s bag exploded with light.

 “Do you really trust us so little?” Arlette snapped, walking through the fire, shielding her face with metal coated hands.

 Hohenheim screamed at her, but she ignored him to offer her sister a hand up. As Soise scrambled to her feet to help Hohenheim stop them, a gaunt and gangling bird ripped free of Aurora’s bag and flew at Soise’s face.

 Soise cried out and stumbled backwards. Hohenheim attacked the bird, leaving the twins free to run into the mist towards the lake.

 Arlette glanced to Aurora, who had wings shimmering behind her. She took Aurora’s hand and closed her eyes, grunting as the wings disappear.

 “You shouldn’t–”

 “I have.” Arlette flexed her hands, forcing away the armour. “They need to learn.”

 Hohenheim appeared in the thinning mist before them, spreading his wings wide and hissing at them. He shook his head, glaring.

 “Hohenheim. Don’t.” Arlette glanced at him as they split to walk around him.

 “We just want to talk. Do our duty. And you are not helping.”

 Hohenheim followed after them as they arrived by the others.

 “We haven’t missed much, have we?” Arlette waved.

 Nyx turned to see them. “No, nothing. We should probably go.”

 Zlata turned as well, eyeing them up. “Not much. Just some talking.” She nodded. “That would be best. I’m glad you’re seeing sense, Nyx. We should really go before Giratina and his silver tongue get to you even more than it already has.” She turned towards Giratina. “The world is fine without you. There’s no reason for Nyx to listen to you.”

 “Yeah, you’re right about that.” Aurora nodded. “People really don’t need your intervention to be happy.”

 “Ah… we should probably have gone.” Arlette frowned. “And should go, and are going, and yes – which way’s the way out now?” She shook her head, silver and blue marks playing across her face.

 “We need to go and rescue Soise from my manic bird, by the way.” Aurora shook her head. “Not exactly fond of what’s happened to him here, but I suppose we can live with it.”

 Nyx stroked Rem and looked back up to Giratina. “We’re leaving. Don’t try and stop us.”

 He raised his eyebrows. “I’m not going to try and stop you, Nyx. I’m not going to force you to do anything you don’t want to. I just hope I have opened your eyes a little, to my side of things.”

 Nyx scratched Rem around the ears, looking down.

 “Go, but be sure to return, Nyx, it has been wonderful talking to you.” He smiled. “Maybe… come alone next time.”

 “We’re going.” She turned her back on him. “Corvus?”

 Zlata turned away. “We should have done a long time ago.”

 The honchkrow swooped down from the sky and wheeled, showing them the way out. Giratina sighed, smiling as he looked up. Then he took a step to the side, vanishing instantly. The air rippled around the group, and they saw him in the lake in his true form, staring at them.

 “What’s this about a manic bird?” Nyx asked.

 “Oh, Crawn evolved… whatever this place is, it’s done something to him, I think.” Aurora frowned. “He’s weird.”

 Arlette shuddered, armour flaking into scales and slowly fading back into skin. “SkyLord take the bugger.”

 “Which one?”

 “Both of them. All of them.” Arlette shrugged. “Bunch’f ice cursed cowards.”

 Aurora snorted.

 “You weren’t really going to accept his offer, were you?”

 Nyx shook her head, moving into Warren’s arms. “Of course not.”

 Warren released Sammy and helped her up onto the pokémon’s back.

 “Well that’s good.” Zlata turned to the twins next. “He would need a dusk stone, right? Did you have one, by any chance?” She released Niagara and Hohenheim climbed up onto her back.

 Ryun climbed up as well, and Zlata got on last.

 “Thank you, by the way.”

 “I didn’t do much.” Ryun shrugged. “I didn’t do anything, actually.”

 “Still, I appreciate you coming with me.”

 “Yeah, course I did.” Aurora rolled her eyes. “You’ll see.”

 “Do you want to call him off yet?” Soise burst out of the fog, overtaking them.

 “Crawn!” Aurora yelled, running towards him as the honchkrow spiralled after Soise, screeching. “Crawn, calm down!”

 He twisted and landed in front of her, twitching his head. For a honchkrow, he’s a disappointment; all scrawny and dull feathers, almost serpentine in the way he moves. He’s at least as tall as Corvus, but it doesn’t look as though he could carry anyone but the lightest child.

 “What the hell happened?” Aurora whispered, reaching a hand out to him.

“Maybe it was because he was so close to the distortion world when he evolved? It’s the only explanation I can think of.” Zlata watched Crawn.

 “And here’s Xenos,” Soise said, circling back to Arlette’s side and pulling the ralts out of her mane.

 Arlette took the pokémon and placed him on top of her bag.

 Corvus screeched and dived down to land in front of Crawn, smacking him with a wing.

 “Is it safe yet?” Warren asked, making Sammy stop.

 Nyx turned around, looking. “I think so. At least, there’s not as much distortion in the air.”

 “We should probably keep moving until we get out of this mist,” Zlata said. “Just to be completely sure. Even if Giratina did let us go, I don’t trust him, not after all that.”

 Crawn tumbled backwards and hissed at Corvus.

 Aurora slipped between them, blocking any attacks. “Stop that.” She touched Crawn gently, and when he doesn’t attack her, rubs a hand over his head and tilted it, checking him over. “Soise, did you get my stuff as well?”

 “You had stuff?”

 Corvus drew herself up and clucked at Crawn, evidently displeased with him.

 “A whole bag, Soise.”

 Crawn replied in kind, skulking behind Aurora.

 “Is there anything there you needed, Aurora, that can’t be replaced? Only it is best if we get away from here as soon as possible, keep moving until we’re back on the road to Veilstone. I don’t trust Giratina not to change his mind.”

 Aurora frowned, checking her pockets. “Well… most of it – clothes and juggling balls and the like – I can borrow from Arlette, but – oh shit.”

 “What?”

 “My team. And the box of spices from Ecruteak.”

 “I could send Corvus back, or we could all go back together.” Nyx looked back into the mist.

 “We should just leave–”

 “Did you not hear?” Arlette snapped. “Her team. We can’t leave them.”

 “We can’t go back, though,” Zlata said, urging Niagara. “It’s too risky.”

 “If Nyx and I went, we wouldn’t take any time at all.” Arlette looked back. “He wouldn’t even have to know.”

 “Nah, you’ve already been possessed once today, I don’t think any more is needed.”

 “Soise. I – was – not – possessed.” Arlette glare at her. “I am strong enough, even if no one seems thinks so.”

 “I think it’d be a bit too risky,” Nyx sighed. “Besides, Giratina’s probably snatched them back into the distortion realm by now… I’m sorry, Aurora.”

 Warren moved an arm around Nyx as she tightened her hold on Rem.

 “It’s not worth the risk having either of you run in, no matter how quick you are.”

 A large rattata hopped awkwardly out of the mist, dragging something behind it. The tattered remains of Aurora’s bag, with most of the things still inside it. Hohenheim hopped from Niagara’s back and picked up the bag by one of the straps, helping the rattata with the weight.

 “Right. Got it.” Arlette turned away, folding her arms. “Shall we get going quickly then, before we get properly possessed and kill you all?”

 “Arlette, stop. Just forget about it. We are leaving now, and look – we have your bag, Aurora.”

 Zlata climbed off Niagara and approached Arlette. “It isn’t that. There is a difference between not thinking you’re strong enough and not wanting you to take unnecessary risks. Today has already been eventful enough without having you struggle against Dialga again.” She smiled gently. “Let’s just leave. I doubt anybody wants to stay here longer than they have to.”

 “So why the fuck did your guard dogs not let us help earlier? I came here to help Nyx, not get flattened by one sand scratching legendary.”

 “Because we wanted to play it safe,” Soise replied, grabbing her arms. “I’m here to protect the three of you, even if that means from each other.”

 Aurora crouched down to thank the rattata and carefully pick up her bag. “Wow, Crawn, you really did a number on this thing.”

 “Arlette, it’s over. It’s behind us, alright? There’s no point in getting angry over it.” Nyx stood up, letting Rem sit on her shoulder. “We’re leaving, we can forget about this.

 The new rattata hopped onto Aurora’s outstretched hand, sniffing at her.

 “Rem says his name is Raphael.”

 “Believe me, it was for the best that both of you were not there to see what Giratina was telling Nyx. There was not much you could have done, anyway. Keeping you away was the right thing to do, it was safer for all of you,” Zlata said, watching Arlette.

 Hohenheim’s crest drooped and he lowered his head, giving a mournful little croon.

 “And he apologises for knocking you down, but there was no other way he could think of in the heat of the moment to keep you away.”

 Arlette stared around the group and shook her head, closing her eyes. “Fine. Because evidently you all know what’s best for us.”

 Aurora smiled at Raphael, standing up with the remains of her bag clutched under her arm. “Thanks, Raphael.”

“If that’s how you feel, Arlette.” Zlata got back up onto Niagara’s back. “It’s been a rough day. As soon as we get out, let’s put this all behind us, forget this ever happened. It’s probably for the best. And maybe when we get to Veilstone, we should get you a new bag, Aurora?”

 Crawn scrambled to his feet and darted back towards Aurora, away from Corvus.

“That might be an idea.” Aurora nodded, shifting her stuff so she could carry it better.

 “Shall we get moving, then?” Soise looked around. “Only this fog is making my fur heavy.”

 Corvus clucked, moving closer to Crawn as they walked on, tilting her head to examine him.

 As the group moved on – with Arlette tailing near the back – the fog lifted away, leaving them on the country tracks outside of Veilstone. Despite the grey clouds in the air, it was beautiful. There was life around them, in the trees, on the ground and in the sky, and that made all the difference.

 “And… back.” Nyx smiled, lifting up her arms.

 Hohenheim spread his wings out, and the clouds parted to soak them in sunlight.

 “It’s weird.” Warren looked back the way they had come. “You’d never think there was a place like that under the mist.”

 “Weird dimensions.” Nyx shrugged and looked down, seeing Raphael still following them. “You staying with us?”

 “Think you can handle two rats?” Warren asked, looking down.

 “I think so.” Nyx smiled. “Arlette, are you alright?”

 “Don’t,” Zlata said, glancing back to Arlette before turning to Nyx. “Give her a little time, hopefully she’ll recover.”

 Arlette flicked a glance at Nyx. “Yeah, ‘m fine. Always am.”

 “Are people ok with a shopping trip?” Aurora asked. “I can always catch you up after, it won’t take me too long.”

 “Nah, we’ll come in. Or I will, anyway.” Soise shrugged. “I can help you carry some of that stuff as well, if you want.”

 “I could go for a trip to Veilstone,” Warren said. “I need to get a better coat if we are heading northwards, it’ll be freezing up there.”

 “Sure, it would be good to get some supplies.” Nyx nodded, sliding from Sammy’s back and slowing down to walk by Arlette.

 “It would be nice to do something normal after that, and we do need some supplies if we’re going to continue travelling.” Zlata turned to Warren. “Even with spring upon us? In that case, I might need to get a jacket too.”

 “It’s May. Should be warm enough, but I suppose, you lowlanders…” Aurora grinned. “’Specially if we head up Sowpoint way.”

 “So shopping trip in Veilstone. Nice way to round off meeting the distortion lord, I suppose.”

 “That makes sense. It would be good to have warmer clothes then.” Zlata smiled. “Do you have any better suggestions?”

 “Well… yeah, can’t think of anything better to do after that.” Aurora shrugged, grinning. “Nice way to balance it out.”

 “Not that I can think of.” Warren smirked. “Nothing better than a girly shopping trip to lift our spirits.”

 “We’re just going for necessary things, Warren, that’s not a particularly girly shopping trip.” Zlata grinned. “You probably know Veilstone best out of all of us. Is there anywhere we can go to get what we need?”

 Crawn stretched out his wings and broke into a shambling run, lifting into the sky.

 “I’m sure we could make it girly, if you wanted it to be.” Aurora grinned. “I do need new clothes, after all.”

 Corvus took off after Crawn, spiralling in the air.

 “I just need a coat, not sure how girly I can get with just that.” Warren smirked. “But… if you really want to, we can go for shoes and bags and whatever it is girls like… there’s a good shopping centre, full of clothes shops, and a great art place as well.”

 “Well, not unless you want to, Warren. I’d rather we just get what we need.” Zlata smiled wryly. “Though if you want to go on a girly shopping trip, you could take Ryun with you again, I suppose.”

 “What?” Ryun looked up.

 “Just wondering if you’d like to go on a girly shopping trip with Warren, like you did in Saffron,” Zlata explained, grinning.

 “It wasn’t that girly, we just went to a clothes shop and a jewellery shop… alright, yes, perhaps it was. And I don’t need anything, but if you want company, Warren, I could come.”

 “Yeah… it’s just a new bag and some clothes for me.” Aurora laughed. “I’m not going to drag you round all the latest sales and fashion stuff.”

 “So we are all set then,” Warren said. “It’ll be fun, and since Nyx is rich after her birthday, she can buy everything for us.”

 “Hell no,” Nyx called, looking up from her conversation with Arlette.

 “It’s alright, I can buy my own things. So, will you show us where this place is, Warren?” Zlata smiled.

 Aurora glanced around and dropped back to walk with her sisters. “What’s eatin’ you?”

 “Just – thinking.” Arlette shrugged. “Nothing important.”

 “Hm.”

 “D’you want to put things in my bag?” Arlette pulled it off her shoulders, flipping it open.

 “Might be an idea.” Aurora nodded, still frowning as she carefully placed her items into it.