#Charging Stations Leaf

[edenesth]

The Chosen One

Pairing: prince!San x palace maid!reader

Word Count: 0.9k

'Crazy Form' Comeback Special Series | Hongjoong | Seonghwa | Yunho | Yeosang | San | Mingi | Wooyoung | Jongho |

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Your hands trembled as you worked to remove the layers of clothing that adorned his highness. Cursing under your breath, you struggled to suppress the trembling, but the intensity of his gaze only added to the challenge.

It was the first time you were tasked with undressing the prince, the first time you'd ever been this close to him.

Previously, your responsibilities revolved around tasks that kept you at a safe distance, such as tidying his chambers or caring for his gardens – all performed in his absence.

So, can anyone really blame you for shaking like a leaf right now?

Sure, the prince was not exactly someone you were unfamiliar with. He was only the Crown Prince Choi San of Wonderland, the most sought-after bachelor across all realms. Despite being of marriageable age for several years, he remained elusive in choosing a bride, leaving the entire kingdom in suspense and speculation.

Like countless other girls in the palace and throughout the country, you have imagined what it would be like to capture the crown prince's heart. In the quiet corners of your mind, you often allowed yourself to daydream about being the one he would choose as his consort.

It was a shared fantasy among the palace staff and citizens alike, fueled by the allure of the prince's unparalleled charm.

However, reality would quickly shatter those dreams every time.

Or so you thought.

Earlier that day, you nearly dropped an expensive vase when the palace messenger delivered the startling news. The prince himself had requested your presence to prepare him for his bath tonight. The words hung in the air, causing your heart to skip a beat. It seemed like an absurd jest, a cruel prank orchestrated by the fates.

The other maids in the vicinity exchanged puzzled glances, mirroring your own disbelief.

Why would Prince San single you out for such an intimate task? There was a fixed group of maids responsible for attending to his bedtime rituals, a routine they'd executed diligently for as long as anyone could remember.

Tonight, however, the prince had dismissed them all, demanding only your presence.

The shock reverberated through your being.

All this time, you'd believed yourself to be a mere speck in the grand tapestry of the palace, convinced that the prince probably didn't even know you existed. Yet, here you were, faced with an inexplicable summons that defied all reason.

Unbeknownst to you, Prince San had noticed you from the very beginning, weaving himself into the fabric of your everyday life. In quiet moments of solitude, he observed you with an attentive gaze, drawn to the kindness that radiated from your every action. Your grace and compassion set you apart, creating a magnetic pull that transcended the boundaries of nobility.

He's had his sights set on you for quite some time now, patiently waiting for the right moment to make his move. To him, you were unlike anyone he had ever encountered – pure, innocent, and delicate, akin to a beautiful flower.

Despite the societal pressures urging him to consider matches with noble backgrounds, the prince had been quietly searching for loopholes that would allow him to break free from tradition.

All he wanted was you.

Now here you were, right in front of him.

The air in the prince's chamber felt charged with a peculiar tension as you carefully worked on removing the final layer of his clothing. Each article brought you closer to an intimacy that seemed surreal, given the disparity in your stations.

When the last garment slipped away, revealing the bare expanse of the prince's skin, you hesitated, your fingers hovering momentarily above him. It was an intimate act that felt like a crossing of boundaries, leaving you momentarily paralysed by the realisation of the closeness.

Noticing your nervous demeanour, Prince San reached out with a gentle touch. His warm hand enveloped yours, steadying the tremors that ran through your fingers. A soft gasp escaped your lips, and you froze, feeling the warmth of his touch travel through your entire being. Blinking rapidly, you tried to compose yourself, but the intensity of his gaze held you captive.

Shaken, you took a steadying breath, grateful for the grounding touch of his hand. The prince, still holding onto your trembling hands, offered a gentle smile that melted away the tension.

"Do I scare you?" He asked, his tone soft and caring. Overwhelmed, you shook your head, words momentarily escaping you, "N-no, my prince. Of course not!" You stammered, your voice betraying a blend of awe and nervousness.

With your hands still cradled in his, he sensed your vulnerability. His eyes, filled with understanding, bore into yours as he tilted your head upward, guiding you to meet his gaze.

"Are you sure?" He inquired, a soft smile playing on his lips. You nodded, feeling your heart pound at the proximity.

Curling a loose strand of hair behind your ear, he spoke in a hushed tone, "Don't be afraid. I'll never hurt you. You're my chosen one." The weight of his declaration hung in the air, and your mind struggled to comprehend the gravity of those words.

Were you hearing him correctly?

The prince's chosen one – a title that held promises of a future you'd only dared to dream about.

"M-me? But your highness—"

Before you could say more, he closed the distance between you, bridging the gap with a soft, lingering kiss. The world seemed to stand still as your whole being surrendered to the intimacy of the moment. The taste of the unforeseen, the forbidden, lingered on your lips, leaving you breathless and bewildered.

Fluttering your eyes shut, you kissed him back. Perhaps the dreams of being his princess might not be such a distant mirage after all.

Surprise! Hope this was decent lmao.

I'm not exactly back from my hiatus yet, just felt inspired while admiring the recent concept photos. Had this drafted immediately and thought I'd just put it out.

Tag list: @aurasblue @marievllr-abg @itsvxlentine @minghaoslatina

All Rights Reserved © edenesth // DO NOT REPOST, TRANSLATE, PLAGIARISE OR REPURPOSE.

[abbysimsfun]

Sims In Bloom: Generation 2 Pt. 85 (Searching for Rafa Bonilla)

cw: mentions underage trafficking, drug smuggling

Conrad looked for Rafa Bonilla between his regular cases at the precinct, following clues and booking suspects to keep his captain satisfied. A few months into his search he finally located one of Rafa's known associates, according to police reports.

He called Heather, tapping his fingers against the desk. "Hey, you've reached Heather's phone. It's either the middle of the night or I'm with a patient, so leave a message and I'll call you back."

"Hey, it's me. I was hoping to talk to you, but I've got to work a little late tonight. I'll make it up to you. I'm sorry. I love you."

He drove outside Brindleton Bay to greet the man who thought he had everyone fooled with his chess mentorship program. It would be less than thirty minutes before his students - mostly children - started showing up for their scheduled lesson in the park, so Conrad knew he had to work fast. He shuddered as he got closer to him, and not just because it was freezing outside.

"Jimmy Stefano," he said, dropping his voice an octave to sound serious.

"Not lately," mused the man with a laugh. "Who's asking?" He turned to face the voice who knew his old identity. "You? They said you were a cop now. No surprise they never let you work our cases."

Conrad knew they had no time for small talk and he whipped out his cuffs. "You're under arrest for aiding and abetting a known fugitive."

"You can't be serious! Who?"

"Rafael Bonilla."

Jimmy's face went white, but he stopped resisting. As Conrad cuffed him, he asked, "Are you taking me in to help San Myshuno PD, or did she call you?"

Conrad scoffed. "She who?"

Jimmy laughed. "She told both of us sweet nothings, old friend. You were just dumb enough to believe them."

"Shut up and get in the cruiser."

Back at the station, Jimmy looked around the interrogation room in his orange jumpsuit once Conrad booked him. "Aren't you going to need the cameras on to record your attempt at my confession?"

"I want you to speak freely, Stefano. Tell me everything you know."

Jimmy eyed him suspiciously. "You're not working with San Myshuno PD at all, are you."

"I didn't stage an elaborate arrest just to scare you. I still plan to file a report after you and I catch up. Just talk."

"She really did get to you. Are you trying to let her ruin your life again?"

"Where the hell is Rafa?"

"I don't know. I haven't seen him in two years, when the last job we did together went bad. I assumed his sister told him to run since the charges he's facing are so serious."

"She doesn't know where he is."

"I'm sure she told you that. Did she tell you she was done with Los Tigres, too?"

Conrad flinched, and Jimmy raised an eyebrow.

"I'm happy with my chess students, but I can't get out now. When you walked, I should've joined you, but I didn't have your father's connections at the police station to keep me out of jail."

"I wasn't even there that night, but you gave them my name."

"Yeah, I did, because you walked before you even got started. Los Tigres only let you live because you became a cop and they didn't need the heat. I don't know what she told you, but if you think Ximena's turned over a new leaf and is done smuggling for the cartel, you're an idiot. She just uses new aliases these days."

Conrad breathed in through his nose. "If I turn the cameras on, will you avoid mentioning our history while you tell me what Ximena's still doing with the cartel?"

"What's in it for me, Sargent?"

"If it comes to it and you're telling the truth, I only want Ximena. As long as Los Tigres doesn't get caught up in anything at the Brindleton docks, I've got no reason to open up a window to the past. You should think about moving on, too. Turn that chess mentorship program into more than just a front."

Jimmy rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Some of us are lifers, you know."

Conrad hit record while Jimmy told him everything he knew about Ximena's past - how she escaped being trafficked in her teens by offering to run drugs for Los Tigres de Selva, working her way up to running an entire operation moving drugs from Selvadorada to San Myshuno, through Britechester, and back again. Her associates called her The Chameleon because of how often she changed her hair.

She'd been arrested but never did hard time, with those who worked under her often taking the fall, instead - like Jimmy Stefano. Twice. Ximena kept herself just clean enough to avoid prison, and dragged her brother into the same life. "Rafa and I used to pose as Simlandian military to run product for his sister, but he never got caught for that," Jimmy said.

"When was the last time you worked for her?"

"Four months ago."

Conrad led him through several questions, showing copies of Ximena's old police reports. When they'd finished, he released Jimmy Stefano. It didn't satisfy him to send a known smuggler back to the streets, but he'd gained some incriminating evidence against Ximena, at the very least. He was beginning to think he might need it, eventually.

He headed home in darkness, and his mind raced with possibilities. Could Ximena's activities have led directly to her brother's disappearance? Who were her enemies these days?

He tried to call her, against his better judgment, but she didn't pick up her phone. He hung up before the voicemail kicked in.

When he walked in the door, he found six-year-old Ash on the floor, working on a castle diorama for extra credit at school. He knelt down to help him without even changing out of his work clothes. "Can you help me with the small pieces? Mommy won't let me use better scissors, but my kid scissors barely cut anything!"

He grinned. Grateful for the distraction, Conrad pulled out an instruction booklet tucked under the edge of the box. "Of course. What did you need me to cut?"

"Just these windows," he said. "They're too small. And can you measure to make sure my towers are big enough? I want the biggest towers of the whole class! Like the Spire Tower!"

"Tallest towers, can do. Hey, did you want to use this lump of clay for anything?" (Finally, the clay comes out at a sensible moment!!)

"Yeah! Moat mud! And we could use real water!"

"Your mom won't be very happy if we make real mud in the house, buddy."

Heather walked into the room then, kneeling down next to them to play with Gord. "Please don't make real mud. Why don't you use the clay to mould a base for the castle?"

"Good idea, Mommy! Can we have pancakes for dinner tomorrow night? I've been thinking about pancakes all day!"

"I can make you pancakes for dinner, but your mom and I won't be here to eat them with you," said Conrad. "Tomorrow night, I'm taking your mom on a date."

"What's a date?"

"It's when people who like each other hang out," Heather said.

Ash's eyes grew wide. "Is there kissing?"

Conrad grinned. "There might be. What do you know about kissing?"

He paused. "Nothing, I guess. Scotti Holiday says it's like eating faces, but why would people who like each other eat their faces?"

Heather laughed. "Don't worry, Conrad's not going to eat my face. Are you almost finished with your diorama for the night? It's getting late and you should get to bed soon."

"Just a little while longer, Mommy. Please! I'm not tired and I'm almost done!"

When he and Conrad had finished, they displayed the excellent diorama on a kitchen countertop until Ash could take it to school in the morning. Before he went to bed, Conrad went upstairs to check on his sleeping baby girl.

Intuitive to his human's growing stress level, no matter how well he hid it from everyone else, Gord followed him. ->

<- Previous Chapter | Gen 2 Start | Gen 1 Summary | Gen 1 Start

[thecapricunt1616]

NURSE!!! NURSE!!! SHE BROKE OUT OF HER CAGE TO POST MORE- Dad!Carmy brainrot for you all 😉🫶

— so I Imagine him getting a call in the middle of the night, you’re heavily pregnant with your third. His Apple Watch thankfully woke him (you’d be worried for him to get a call so late). He gets up without waking you going into the living room and answering to hear your teen daughters watery voice at the end of the line and she’s all “Daddy promise you won’t be mad at me” (more below)

He’s immediately grabbing his keys, putting on his shoes and brown plaid coat that he’s had longer than she’d been alive, or then he’d even been knowing you for that matter - his heart thumping in his chest and throat tightening. “Sweetheart why aren’t you home right now?! are you safe? Tell me wha’s wrong- what happened- I won’t be upset honey” he assured her, his stomach clenching at the thought of her hurt.

“P-paisley wanted me to go t’this party with her and - and the police came daddy and she left me there alone- and I got arrested. Come get me I don’t wanna die in hereeee” she sobbed dramatically. He sighed gratefully, starting the car.

“You aren’t going to die princess. Give me 20 minutes mm? And we can talk ‘bout y’punishment w’mommy t’morrow” he said and she huffs

“You’re gonna snitch on me T’mommy?! Daddy you’re being so unfair! “ she whined

He chuckled a bit, “I’m bein’ very fair. I love you babygirl I’ll s’ya soon” he said and hung up. He knew if he’d have woken you, you would have freaked out and panicked at the thought of your little girl drunk and scared and alone. Considering how far along you were currently the stress could most definitely cause early labor and he did not want to deal with that tonight.

He’d make it to the police station fast bc ofc when he was picking a home for his family it would be super close to one for safety reasons and when he walked in and saw his baby sitting in a holding cell with other adults being held on misdemeanor charges, his heart would break.

She would be curled into herself on the bench, knees flush to her chest hugging herself, cheeks tear stained, big blue doe-like eyes puffy and red with thick tears that were still falling. He wanted to pick her up like she was 2 again - even though the top of her head hit his shoulder now, and cradle her like the baby he couldn’t help but see any time he looked at her.

“Oh princess” he said softly and she looks up, quickly standing up and she couldn’t help but burst in to sobs as relief washed over her when she finally saw her dad, who had never let her down from the day she was born - he was always there for her, as were you, but Carmy was always softer on the kids then you were because his dad never showed any of his siblings softness, so he wanted to be sure the kids always trusted him in that way

“Daddy you came! I’m so scared please please I’ll never do it again please get me out of here dad I’m so sorry I’m so so sorry daddy” she broke down and he felt tears pushing at the back of his eyes he could only swallow back because they were in public.

“You- hey-“ he snaps his fingers and the cop standing outside the holding cell door finally acknowledges him “I’m her fuckin father- let ‘er out. Now.” He said annoyed with the man’s lack of attention for his own job.

“She’s unable to be released until her fine is paid” he said and shrugged “it’s the law”

Carmen dug the stupid reciept paper he’d shoved in his pocket that he’d paid the front clerk when he got here, pushing it to his chest “open the fucking door, jagoff. Shes 16 the fuck is wrong with you she’s a baby” he said angrier, voice getting louder.

“Sir I’m gonna need you to calm down.” He said and Carmen rolled his eyes, 2 words he hated hearing even more than anything when put together.

“Look at the fucking paper. And let my daughter go” he snapped, holding his baby’s hand through the bars gently and rubbing a soothing thumb over her knuckles, she was shaking like a leaf.

“Mmm” the man grumbled, opening up the door and she rushed into Carmen’s arms. He kisses the top of her head tenderly, wrapping her in a tight bear hug.

“Y’never allowed t’scare me like that again angel girl” he mumbled into her hair, breathing in her scent that he could pick out even in his sleep as his baby girl.

“I’m sorry daddy I’m so so sorry” she mumbled over and over, tears soaking his shirt. He hushed her how he did when she was just a baby and rubbed her back soothingly.

“S’okay babygirl I think y’learned y’lesson mm? Y’think you wanna go out drinkin again before y’21?” He teased lightly and she sniffled, shaking her head lightly. He didn’t care that she was getting snot all over him, or that she was staining one of his near $80 white shirts with her mascara and eyeliner she’d gotten with a Ulta gift card ‘Santa’ had gotten her, since Carmen couldn’t bare the fact his baby girl was growing up.

“No- no daddy I promise. I promise I’ll never do it ever again. Please don’t tell mommy” she pleads and looks up at him with big watery eyes. He carefully thumbed away the large rings of black under her eyes and cups her face tenderly.

“Sweetheart I am not in control of what mommy does. You know this, and I can’t lie to mommy. Are you asking me t’lie t’mommy? M’already riskin’ my spot in bed by not waking her up t’tell her ‘bout this” He asked sternly, she knew that lies were a big boundary in your family - they just hurt people unless they were ‘happy lies’ aka surprises like gifts or sweet things, but withholding information from each other in fear of making someone upset was a big no no in your house.

She huffed annoyed, lip quivering and she nuzzled back into his chest “unfair. Mommy is gonna ground me forever” she whined.

“Mm - maybe she should ground you. What the hell is this outfit? She’s not gonna be happy ‘bout this, y’gonna get sick” he tells her. She was in nothing but a tank top dress, flimsy nylons, and a half cardigan. He wraps his jacket around her shoulders as they walk out to the car, of course he couldn’t care less about freezing his ass off because his baby needed to be warm even if it was a short walk to his SUV.

“It’s cute dad and m’not gonna get sick! All the girls were wearing dresses like this!” She snapped sassily as she buckled in.

“Mm cute - sure pumpkin. What were you even doin’ - what party was worth the rage of y’mother? Especially when you know she’s been in a mood lately” he asked. A mood was what he called it, you were really just overly hormonal and sore and giving birth within the next 14 days, so everything was ticking you off

“Hally Hawkins party dad. Only the coolest senior at school!! If I was the only one who wasn’t there how was I supposed to ever find a date to the winter ball next month?!” She huffed, crossing her arms

“Date?!” His eyes widen “since when did we say you could date?!” He asked quickly “you aren’t dating you- you can’t date until you’re married!” He said seriously to which she just giggled

“How am I supposed to get married if I don’t date daddy! I’m 16 now! I’m getting my license soon! I should be able to hold hands with a boy I like-“

“Hold hands?!” He exclaims “who the hell is holdin’ y’hand? No- no. No! I’m the only man that holds y’hand and it’s to help you across the street” he grips the steering wheel tighter “y’too little” he said and she whines

“Daddy I’m not little! I’m 16! You promised to stop calling me little” she pushes his hand away at a stoplight when he goes to fix the strap of her dress out of habit “daaaad!!!” She whines and he huffs

“Quit all the whinin’! Y’little as long as y’live w’me and that means that y’not dating and y’not holding hands” he pulls into your driveway, turning the lights off before as to not wake you. “And quiet comin inside- if you wake y’sister mommy is gonna be upset she’s been havin’ a hard time sleepin’ “ he opened her door, taking her purse and helping her out of the car.

“Is this mommy’s?” He holds up the purse and she takes it from him, holding it to her chest defensively.

“She never wears it anymore what- are you gonna snitch?! If you do I’ll tell her about you eating all her ice cream” she teased and headed to the door

He gasped, “you wouldn’t dare- you’d sell out y’own father?! After he just went and picked y’ass up outta the slammer. Maybe I shoulda let you stay there eh’? A night in jail may teach you some manners missy” he jokes as he unlocks the door, not seeing the kitchen light on.

“Where were you!” You were stood at the end of the hallway, fluffy robe and slippers on, hand over your bump as you stood there while nervously pacing. Carmy and your Daughter give eachother the we’ve been caught look before Carmy looks at you, as you narrow your eyes at your daughters arm adorning a very familiar looking black bag.

“Is that- red lipstick…and my purse?!”

[princessbrunette]

you’d never been in trouble in your life.

scolded, sure. told off for staring? almost daily. but only now had you ended up in the sheriffs office, wound up in more trouble than intended all for being curious. you’d been wandering around the obx, off in your own world— your favourite lonesome activity. the pogues had been off on some mission that pope hadn’t allowed you on, so naturally you found your own fun, frolicking through the forest to find cool looking mushrooms and plants. you didn’t mean to end up on a kooks property. you also didn’t mean to set off their alarms.

you play with the lone leaf you had shoved into your pocket before the owner of the land had called the cops on you and had you taken in. you were fine, you had got in the police car yourself and didn’t resist in the slightest— but you were a little afraid. the leaf you’d plucked from the ground brings you comfort as you sit on the cold office seat swinging your legs. then, you hear the commotion before you see it.

pope had been called upon your request to collect you, and bounding in wildly by his side was jj, yanking his red cap off his head to cuss the place down.

“control your dog, heyward.” the female officer sneers as they arrive in the main area where you were in holding. pope locks eyes with you and bounds over, wide eyed.

“what happened here?” he stresses, brow creased in exasperation. you blink, looking around with a shrug still twiddling with the stem of the plant you’d plucked.

“all you gotta do is sign her out. dont need any commotion. owner of the land said he wouldn’t press charges for tresspassin’ with your written word that you’d stay off his property.” shoupe rolls his shoulders, clearly over the whole ordeal too. you could tell deep down he thought it was ridiculous, but he was dedicated to putting on a front and doing his job.

“she got arrested for walking on some grass? shoupe, you know that’s not right.” pope steps forward in emphasis, and immediately two officers stand beside the man in charge protectively, causing pope to sigh and slow his movements.

“the owners recently had a break in. stole about five thousand worth in jewellery, and a couple hundred in cash. when they caught her snoopin’ around on the land they suspected she could maybe have been the burglar.”

jj’s eyes practically bulge out of his head, ducking his head in disbelief. “her?” he deadpans, arriving at your side to grasp your shoulders. “this lil’ girl. you think she was responsible for a damn heist? y’all must have lost your minds i swear to—” the blonde raises his voice and pope shakes his head dejectedly, holding up his hand.

“jj, chill.”

he scoffs, taking a lap— leaving you with your boyfriend and the sheriff.

“now no one’s pointin’ fingers here. i don’t believe this young lady is capable of such a crime either. but they called it in, and i had to check it out. she’s all good to go.” shoupe stares the two of you down, and you shuffle towards pope, watching him as he lets out another disgruntled sigh, crossing his thick arm over himself to itch his opposing shoulder which made his bicep bulge, attracting your wide eyes again for a moment.

“yeah.” is all he says, hastily signing away the papers, keeping his glare on the officer. “this is some bullshit and you know it. we good to go?” he asks seriously and shoupe silently nods, allowing the boy to guide you away from the station — maybank already taken off to the car.

outside, heyward stops infront of you and you blink up at him with knitted brows, unsure if he was mad at you.

“did they hurt you in there?” his voice is gravelly, more serious than you’re used to. it takes you a moment to shake your head.

“uh-uh. i got in the police car by myself.” you note and his own brows furrow, placing two coarse hands on your arms.

“you need to be careful when i’m not around. okay? i know you like to explore, right it’s your thing — but just… you need to watch out for these cops. you saw what they did to john b a while back, what they accused him off. they are dirty. do you hear what im saying?” his voice is gentle, but his expression is urgent— not letting go of you. it’s only then you let the tears pool in your eyes, not quite understanding the severity of what could have possibly happened until then.

“i’m sorry.” your lip wobbles and his hands rise to cup your cheeks instead, thumb pressing to your bottom lip as if to stop it from shaking.

“don’t be. it’s those asshole cops who should be sorry. look, there’s nothing to be scared of sweetheart. i’m here. jj would’a burned that place to the ground if they laid a hand on you. but… i just don’t want you to get into trouble and wind up like me. yeah?”

you nod, and he pulls you to his chest, your hands clutching onto the loose muscle tank he wore as he holds you. “i’m sensing you need some food. do i sense correctly?” you hear the smile in his voice, and everything feels okay again.

“mhm.”

“cool. cars this way, let’s get you some fries, bambie.”

[haggishlyhagging]

[Note: Long but extremely instructive quote about a group of indigenous women who fought back against European colonization and lost.]

The [Igbo] women's war began in 1929 in a place called Oloko. The British had recently introduced a system of taxing men and had decided that in order to assess the taxable wealth of all the people, it would be necessary to count women, children, and domestic animals. When Okugo, the chief of Oloko, attempted, under instructions from the local British officer, to count the goats and sheep belonging to Nwanyeruwa, an important woman in the village, she yelled, "Was your mother counted?" at which point they seized each other by the throat. A meeting of women was called, where it was decided to send a palm leaf, the symbol of trouble and a call for help, to all the women in the area. Women poured into Okugo's compound from around the countryside and proceeded to "sit" upon him. To "sit" upon a man is a pidgin English term referring to the punishment inflicted by women on any man who has broken their laws. It has the same meaning as "spoiling" a person's property. The crowd mobbed the chief, damaged his house, demanded his cap of office, and forced the district officer to arrest him and charge him with assault. "The women," said this officer with some embellishment, "numbering over ten thousand, were shouting and yelling round the office in a frenzy. They demanded his cap of office, which I threw to them, and it met the same fate as a fox's carcase thrown to a pack of hounds. The station between the office and the prison ... resembled Epsom Downs on Derby Day."

Despite assurances from chiefs and administrative officers that women were being counted for purposes other than taxation, the trouble spread to Aba, an important trading center. There some 10,000 women, calling themselves "the trees which bear fruit" and "scantily clothed, girdled with green leaves, carrying sticks," converged upon the town. They attacked and looted the European trading stores and the bank, broke into the prison, and released prisoners. After 2 days of rioting, troops arrived and dispersed the crowds without serious casualties.

In another part of Igbo land crowds of women gathered, bedecked in the symbols of war. "Dressed in sackcloth, their faces smeared with charcoal, sticks wreathed with young palms in their hands, while their heads were bound with young ferns," they burned the Native Court and sacked and looted the European store and other property. They declared that the district officer "was born of a woman, and as they were women they were going to see him." When the women mobbed police and military troops, 18 were killed and 19 wounded. In another incident, elsewhere, 32 women were killed and 31 wounded after a mob of women made threatening and obscene gestures against the troops, calling them sons of pigs, and striking at the district officer with their sticks.

The trouble that broke out in early December was under control by the twentieth day of that month. Igbo men did not participate in the rioting. With a few exceptions, they acted as passive but consenting parties to the behavior of their wives. Children were nowhere in evidence during the riots. The rioting was carried out solely by adult women, who sent round the palm leaves to rally their comrades and beat the drums to convey the message of war, just as the drums are sounded to announce a council meeting. Unwilling women were forced to join. One woman, whose daughter-in-law was killed during the rioting, testified as follows:

We met a crowd of women heading to Utu-Etim-Ekpo. The women stopped us. There were plenty too much women, a very large crowd. They were coming along the road and beating their laps and lifting their heads towards the sky and waving their sticks. All had sticks; big sticks. I was afraid of them. They took away my basket and forced me to join them . . . "You are a woman, you must join us." They looked quite different from any other crowd of women I have ever seen. They had nkpatat (wild fern) round their heads. There were no children with them. As they had no children with them that also made me afraid. I do not know where any of the women came from. I was very much afraid of them and did not look at their faces.

The riots were a testimony to the vigor and solidarity of Igbo women. Although the threat of taxation was the immediate cause, they were really fighting to preserve "the spirit of womanhood." Speaking to the subsequent Commission of Inquiry, the women said, "We are not so happy as we were before . . . Our grievance is that the land is changed — we are all dying." Taking these words literally, the British did not understand their meaning. In fact, the women were right — their way was dying, their spirit and ties to the land were slowly being crushed by the new ways brought by the Europeans. The power of the women's councils had been eroded by the institution of a Native Court system composed solely of Igbo men. During the riots these courts were sacked and burned in 16 Native Administration centers. When giving evidence, the women "uttered a flood of criticism against the corruption and injustice of the chiefs and courts." The commission promised that the Native Courts would be reorganized to reflect more faithfully the Igbo system of justice, and that women would sit as judges.

In 1934 this promise had not been fulfilled. The women's councils had lost more power because the government forbade the women to "war," which had been their major means of enforcing their rulings. In rising to defend what they called the "women's world," Igbo women lost the women's war. Believing themselves to be inviolable, the women were shocked at the carnage leveled against them. Despite their assertions of being prepared to die, they firmly believed that the soldiers would not fire on women, that they had no bullets, and that women were never killed in war. As rioters, they compared themselves to vultures, which in Ibibio (a neighboring tribe) means the "messengers of God." One woman said to the commission:

I was surprised to see the soldiers fire as we were women we call ourselves vultures as we did not think soldiers would fire at us. Vultures go to market and eat food there and nobody molests them nobody will kill vultures even in the market, even if it kills fowls. We only fling sticks at them if they take our chop and so we thought soldiers will not harm us what we may do.

European education, Christianity, and the desire for European goods also contributed to the end of the "women's world." A fitting epilogue is delivered by Sylvia Leith-Ross, a concerned British woman, who wonders how long it will be before education can "give the girls something as important, as satisfying, as pervasive, as the land gave to their mothers." And so a new sex-role plan is imposed by the conquerors on the conquered.

-Peggy Reeves Sanday, Female Power and Male Dominance: On the Origins of Sexual Inequality

[lostcauses-noregrets]

Lostcauses Fic: 2023 Wrap Up

I thought I hadn't written very much this year, but I didn't do too badly and I also posted my 100th Eruri fic! Enormous thanks to everyone who has read, commented, recced and made the Eruri fandom such a creative and joyful space. Happy New Year to you all! ♡

Taller

Anon asked: Do you have any headcanons for that one time Levi wished he was taller?

Just Like It Always Is 

"The man sat motionless for a few moments, dark hair falling forward, obscuring his face, slender hands hovering over the keyboard. Erwin held his breath, then he laid his hands on the keys and a soft chord blossomed, warm like a breath of wind on summer’s day."

Erwin is entranced by a strangely familiar man playing the piano in a railway station.

No Regrets

Written in response to the devastating shot of Levi in the Final episode trailer. I thought I was prepared for the emotional damage. I was wrong.

Orbital 

"Levi leafed through the newspaper as he waited in line at the bus stop. The front page was dominated by a large photograph of three men in military uniform, the headline blaring “The Best of the Bravest”. Beneath, in swaggering prose, the story read, “Paradis Space Program has selected its first astronauts from over 100 prospective candidates from all branches of the military, aviation and naval forces. Following a rigorous testing and selection process, Commander Nile Dok, Commander Erwin Smith and Lieutenant Commander Mike Zacharias have achieved the highest honour of being chosen as Scout Project astronauts. One of these brave men will be the first Eldian to orbit the earth in a manned space capsule…”

A space exploration period piece featuring Erwin as a pioneering astronaut and Levi as his CAPCOM.

The Tale of Erwin and Levi  - The Song of Parting

With profuse apologies to Beren Erchamion and J.R.R. Tolkien. This is a shameless rip off of Beren's Song of Parting from The Lay of Leithian.

That And So Much More

"They toil together through all weather; clearing the ground, preparing the soil, digging the pits, planting the precious saplings, nurturing their fragile hope for a better world."

A side story of sorts to The Permanence of the Young Men, inspired by the release of the cover of volume 35.

Buenos Aires Hora Cero 

"Erwin had never considered himself to be a sentimental man but something about the tango stirred a melancholy buried deep in his soul; romantic sorrow tinged with bitter regret, yearning for fleeting intimacy, nostalgia for a love he had never known."

Erwin finds himself alone in Buenos Aires seeking solace from a broken heart. My collaboration with @seitsen-sarvi for the Paradise Zine.

A Good Man 

"Turning to the centre pages of The Eldian Herald, Falco finds a double page spread titled “Heroes of the Eldian Nation: Commander Erwin Smith, 13th Commander of the Survey Corps.” At the head of the page is an imposing picture of a handsome grim-faced man mounted astride a rearing white horse, holding his sword aloft as if poised in mid charge. The caption beneath reads: “Dedicate your Hearts! Erwin Smith, the last great commander of the Survey Corps”. Curiosity piqued, Falco sits down to read."

Intrigued by an article he reads in a newspaper, Falco questions Levi about what the 13th Commander of the Survey Corps was really like.

[country-lee215]

Jailed With A Baby

/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

“There ya go,” Rosco said, setting Rose Duke down in the middle of his desk, keeping the 10-month-old as far enough away from the edges as he could. “Just sit right there while I run and grab the paperwork for your daddies.”

“Rosco, you better not be thinkin’ you’re gonna leave her sittin’ on that desk,” Bo warned, jumping up from where he was sitting in the corner jail cell and joining Luke against the bars. “If you walk away with her sittin’ there-,”

The Hazzard County head sheriff spun to face the cell, pointing to them with a scowl. “Hush! You’re a prisoner! Now you’ve had your phone call, so sit down and just hush!”

“Dadadada,” Rosie babbled, reaching out for her fathers.

“I know, baby,” Luke sighed as he wrapped his fingers around the cell bars. “Your mama’s gonna wring our necks for this.”

“Rose,” Rosco said, bending over so he could straighten the collar of the little yellow dress she was wearing. Daisy had bought it for her a few weeks ago, she could never stop herself from buying cute things for Rosie as much as the boys and Y/N insisted that she had more than enough toys and clothes. “You sit right there. Don’t move.”

“Rosco,” Bo growled.

“I said hush, convict!”

“Calm down,” Luke advised, pressing a hand to his cousin’s shoulder without ever pulling his eyes away from Rosie. “Yellin’ ain’t gonna get us outta here any faster.”

Rosco took a hesitant step away from the desk, watching Rose to see if she’d go anywhere. When she didn’t move, only continuing to babble and giggle to herself, Rosco took the last few steps to the filing cabinet and began leafing through the papers inside.

“Stay right there, baby,” Luke said. Rose looked over and smiled, giving a small wave.

“Here!” Rosco grinned, pulling a file from the cabinet and giggling to himself. “I love it, I love it, I love it.”

Rose kicked her feet, tired and annoyed that no one was paying any attention to her. “Dadadada!” she cried as she banged her heels against Rosco’s desk.

“Oh, hush now,” Rosco said softly, much kinder than he had said to Bo only a moment ago. “There’s no need to cry.”

She reached for his hat, humming to herself as she clenched her fingers repeatedly.

Rosco smiled and pulled the black cowboy hat from his head and set it on the desk in front of Rose. “You like my hat?”

She giggled and kicked her feet again, her small palms beating on the top of the hat. Rosco chuckled and moved to place it on her head. It was far too big and fell down over her face but she pushed it back up, her bright blue eyes, the same color as her daddies’, shining out from underneath.

“Ain’t you just the cutest thing?” Rosco cooed, tickling her stomach. “Just as pretty as your Mama.”

Bo scoffed as he continued to talk to Rosie, drawing laugh after laugh from her. The blonde pushed away from the bars and stalked back to the corner where he had been sitting. “You’ve got no right to keep us here and you know it, Rosco. We ain’t done nothin’ wrong today.”

“Don’t you lie to me, Bo Duke,” Rosco said, the angry look returning to his face as he turned away from Rose. “Don’t act like you boys weren’t haulin’ shine today when you were runnin’ around.”

“Shine?” Luke echoed incredulously. “That’s what you arrested us for? Rosco, Bo and I haven’t run shine in forever. You really think we’d be runnin’ shine? Especially when we got Rosie with us?”

Rosco bristled. He knew the charge was nonsense, the Duke boys were completely innocent. But Boss’ orders were Boss’ orders and Rosco couldn’t help the fact that he loved seeing the Duke boys behind the bars of the jail cells at the station.

“We’ll just have to check your trunk, now won’t we?” he asked. “I know you Dukes always got shine tucked into your trunk.”

Bo groaned. “The only thing we got in the trunk is diapers and groceries. Y/N sent us shoppin’ while she was at work today.”

Rosie let out a loud wail and pushed the hat off her head, her bottom lip pushed out in a pout. She was used to having all the attention of everyone in the room. Y/N blamed Bo and Luke for that, the boys were always showering her with attention and she was getting a little too spoiled.

Boss Hogg poked his head out of his office, frowning around a cigar. “Who’s causin’ all that noise?”

Rosco laughed lightly. “Boss, I got the Duke boys. I got ‘em, I got ‘em.”

“You got ‘em, hmm?” Boss said, pulling his cigar from his mouth as he wandered over to the cell. He grinned when he saw the unhappy looks on Bo and Luke’s faces. “You got ‘em.”

“And!” Rosco added, gesturing excitedly to Rose. “I got Rose too.”

Boss hummed thoughtfully and moved back to stand at Rosco’s desk. He stared at Rose, his eyes locked on hers.

“Baba,” she murmured seriously, hands fisting in the material of her dress.

“She looks like her mama,” Boss mused.

Rosco nodded. “Spittin’ image, ain’t she?”

Luke let out a long sigh and let his forehead thunk against the bars. Y/N was really going to kill them.

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

Rosco had to step away to file the paperwork he’d filled out for the Duke boys so he’d set Rose down on the floor by Bo and Luke’s incessant requests, leaving Flash behind to keep an eye on the baby. She sat on the floor by his desk, Flash sound asleep next to her as the young Duke ran her hands over Flash’s ears.

“Rosie,” Bo murmured, crouching down in the cell and reaching out through the bars. “C’mere, sweetheart, over this way.”

“Dada?”

“Yeah,” Bo said. “Come this way. Come get daddy.”

Rosie giggled and started to slowly crawl towards the cell. Flash opened one of her eyes and watched her go reproachfully.

“There ya go, baby,” Luke praised, squatting down beside his cousin.

“Dada,” Rosie giggled. “Dadas.”

Once she got close enough, Bo helped Rose up, assisting her as she pulled herself up on the bars. Luke adjusted her dress, straightening over her shoulders and flattening out the bottom.

“I’m sorry, baby,” Bo mumbled, pressing a kiss to her head. “You shouldn’t have to be here.”

Rosie only smiled, oblivious to what was going on. She reached up to his face, her fingers tugging at his hair. “Dada!”

“You hungry, sweetheart?” Luke asked, running a thumb over her cheek. “Want something to eat?”

Bo thought for a second. “Do we have a bottle for her in the General?”

“No,” he sighed. “They’re at home. I didn’t bring one, figured we’d be home by now.”

“Rose?” Rosco’s voice called as he wandered back towards his desk. “Where you’d get off to? Uncle Boss is lookin’ for ya!”

Bo frowned. “She ain’t his niece Rosco, he sure ain’t her uncle.”

Rosco sent him an annoyed look and scooped up Rose. She complained, whining as Rosco pulled her away from Bo and Luke and set her on his hip.

“Dada,” she cried, squirming in Rosco’s arms. “Dadadada!”

“It’s alright,” Bo tried, stretching as far as he could through the bars to try and grasp her hand. Rosco stepped further away and Bo’s fingers only managed to ghost over Rose’s.

She began to cry then, a loud wail that quickly turned to sobs. Rosco looked caught off-guard by her sudden meltdown. He tried to calm her, murmuring that it was okay, but it only made things worse. Her sobs built to a scream and Bo and Luke shared a look.

“Diaper change?”

“Diaper change.”

Rosco turned, alarmed. “What do you mean diaper change?”

“A diaper change?” Boss echoed. He’d stepped out of his office, apparently really looking for Rosie like Rosco had said.

“Just give us Rose,” Luke said. “And the bag out of the trunk of the General Lee, we’ve got diapers there.”

“Oh, and while you’re in the trunk,” Bo added, smirking at Rosco who was still holding a screaming Rose. “You can check for that moonshine we don’t have.”

“You can’t have her!” Boss argued. “That baby is evidence!”

“That baby is my daughter!”

“Boss,” Rosco said softly as Rose continued to cry. “Maybe we should give them the baby, she’s awfully upset and I bet they can calm her down, daddies can always calm their babies down.”

“No!” Boss insisted. “She’s evidence! Ya cain’t just give the evidence over to the convicts!”

“But, Boss-,”

Rose let out another loud wail and tipped in Rosco’s arms, leaning towards the jail cell. “Dada! Dada!”

“Just hand her over,” Luke offered. “We’ll change the diaper and get her to stop cryin’, just gotta give her to us.”

Boss shook his head, giving a small huff. “Rosco!”

“Yes, Boss?”

“Change her diaper. And make it quick, I’m tired of listenin’ to her cry.”

“But, Boss,” he said, shifting Rose in his arms. “I, uh, I don’t know how to change a diaper.”

Boss looked at him for a minute, eyebrows furrowed. “You don’t?”

“No,” Rosco said with a little shake of his head. “Sorry, Boss.”

“Hmmph,” the shorter man said. He looked at the Duke boys before turning back to Rosco.

The bells over the front door to the police station chimed merrily as the door was pushed open, drawing everyone’s attention to the front. Enos stepped inside, a wide smile on his face.

“Howdy, y’all! I’m all done for the day, Boss,” he said. His smile faded as he took in the sight in front of him. “Bo and Luke? What are you two doin’ here? Why’s Rose cryin’?”

“Enos, do you know how to change a diaper?” Rosco asked. Rose kicked and flailed in his arms, letting out another loud screech when Rosco didn’t set her down.

“Change a diaper?” Enos said. “I don’t know, I mean I’ve done it before if that’s what you’re askin’. My cousin’s baby, I had to help her one day.”

“That’s perfect, Enos, that really is,” Rosco said. He set Rosie back down on the desk, which elicited another round of complaints from Bo and Luke when he stepped away and walked over to Enos. “Now I need you to go out to the General Lee and get a bag from the trunk, it’s got diapers in it.”

“What’s goin’ on?” Enos asked.

“Don’t matter!” Rosco said, setting a hand on Enos’ shoulder. “I’m your superior officer and as your superior officer, you gotta do what I tell you! So get out to the General and get the bag from the trunk.

Enos bit his tongue, eyes flitting from Rosie, still crying, to Boss, looking at Rosie uncomfortably, to Bo and Luke, both wearing exasperated expressions. He gave a small nod. “Yes, Sheriff.”

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

“Don’t do that!” was the first thing Y/N heard when she pushed through the doors of the Hazzard County Police Department.

Bo and Luke were sitting in the corner jail cell, pressed up against the bars as they barked instructions at Rosco, Boss, and Enos. The three were gathered around the desk by the cell, Rose laying on the desk. She was crying half-heartedly and kicking her legs, much to Boss, Rosco, and Enos’ displeasure.

“You can’t do that!” Luke said.

Bo groaned, rolling his eyes as Rosco knocked a file off the desk. “Just fold it over, it’ll stay that way.”

“Thought you said you knew how to change a diaper,” Boss grumbled, bending to pick up the spilled papers and slam them back on the desk.

Rosie squirmed, arching her back unhappily. She went to scream again but her eyes fell on Y/N standing by the front of the station and she let out a little whimper instead. “MAMA!”

Immediately, everyone’s eyes moved to the front door. Bo and Luke’s faces lit up. The other’s expression fell, eyes going wide.

“Uh-oh,” Boss said softly.

Y/N let out a long sigh before slowly walking up to the desk. “Out of the way.”

Rosco and Enos were quick to move, not eager to try and stay between Y/N and her daughter. Boss tried his best at giving her an innocent smile but she shook her head and he quickly side-stepped.

“Poor baby,” she muttered. “What did they do to you?”

“Mama,” Rosie cried. “Mama.”

Y/N brushed the tears from her cheeks and proceeded to change Rose’s diaper, hands moving quickly to fasten the diaper and tug her dress back down, all while murmuring to her baby.

“There you go,” she cooed, picking up her baby and hugging her tightly. Y/N swayed back and forth with Rose in her arms for a moment before pressing a kiss to her forehead. “It’s alright now.”

“Y/N-,” Boss started.

“Let the boys out.”

Rosco made a small noise. “Y/N, you know we can’t just-,”

“We all know they’re innocent,” she said evenly, shifting Rosie to her hip. “There’s no shine in the trunk so you’ve got nothin’ to keep them in there for. Let them out.”

“Yes ma’am,” Enos said. He pulled his keys from his pocket and unlocked the jail cell, pulling the door back so Bo and Luke could walk out.

Bo grinned and bent to press a kiss to Y/N’s cheek. “Have I mentioned I love you today, darlin?”

“Don’t you darlin’ me,” she warned as Luke moved to stand on her other side. “Of all the days you could’ve been arrested, you waited until I was workin’ and you had Rose?”

“It wasn’t our choice,” Luke pointed out softly. He set his hand on her hip, hoping the affection would make her a little less mad at them. “We told them we didn’t have any shine in the trunk.”

Y/N huffed but knew Luke had a point. “I know, but that doesn’t mean I like my baby, or my boys, being in the jail all day.”

“We know,” Bo said, mimicking his cousin’s movements and pressing his to her other hip, letting his thumb brush back and forth over Rose’s side.

“I don’t want you boys gettin’ arrested for anythin’ else while you have Rose,” she said, looking between them seriously.

“Yes, darlin’,” they said together.

“And I mean it.”

“Yes, darlin’.”

Y/N nodded, satisfied with their response. “Here,” she said, squeezing Rose once more before passing her to Luke. “Hold her for me.”

“Anything you say, darlin’.”

Boss, Rosco, and Enos had been smart, quietly avoiding Y/N’s wrath as she talked to the Dukes. But when she turned back to them, they froze under her angry glare.

“Enos.”

“Yes, ma’am?”

“You’re not to blame for this, are you?”

“No, ma’am.”

Y/N nodded. “Thought so. You can leave.”

“Thank you, ma’am.”

She hummed as he passed by, pausing to tip his hat to the family. “Have a nice evenin’, y’all,” Enos murmured.

“Thanks,” Luke said. Rosie babbled happily in his arms as she toyed with the collar of his button-down.

“I’ll say hi to Daisy for you,” Bo said kindly, giving him a small smile.

Enos smiled back before slipping outside, leaving Y/N with Rosco and Boss.

“Now,” Y/N said pleasantly. “We all know Bo and Luke were innocent today, there’s no shine in the trunk and there hasn’t been for a long time.”

Boss nodded begrudgingly. Rosco nodded as well.

“So you should’ve known better than to arrest them when they had Rosie too,” Y/N went on. “Shouldn’t you have?”

“Yes ma’am.”

“You won’t be arresting them again when they’ve got Rosie, will you?”

“No, ma’am.”

Y/N smiled. “Perfect.”

Bo chuckled to himself, smoothing a hand over Rosie’s back before pressing a kiss to her head.

“Mama,” Rosie said. “Dadas.” She turned in Luke’s arm, reaching out for Bo and the blonde was quick to pull her in and set her on his hip.

“Darlin?” Luke asked. “Did you wanna go home? Rosie’s probably hungry, we didn’t bring any bottles for her today. We figured we’d be home by the time she was hungry.”

Y/N turned to look at him. “You’re tellin’ me she hasn’t eaten since this morning?”

Bo and Luke gave her a sheepish look.

With a tired sigh, Y/N plucked Rosie from the boys and headed for the door. She’d done everything she came for, it was time to go home and feed the baby.

“See you at home,” Y/N said as she pushed out the door.

“So,” Luke said casually. “Are you gonna make dinner?”

Bo gave a small shrug. “Figured I’d give Rosie a bath, let you fix dinner.”

“That’ll work. Y/N’ll love it.”

Bo nodded. “Alright then. Let’s go home.”

[weiying-lanzhan-fics]

Thicker Than Water by athena_crikey

Enjoyed the world building in this story. Loved the complexities of LZ and WY’s relationship. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Quotes:

Wei Ying is looking around the interior, clean from last weekend’s vacuum. “Nice car. I kind of pictured you driving a Porsche, or an Audi maybe. You know. Something sleek and sexy.”

Lan Zhan glances at him, and he grins. “I don’t know. You just give off that mysterious hot dude aura. Like James Bond, but you know. Hopefully less misogynistic.”

His car is, in fact, a Honda Fit. He had been considering a Leaf, but his battle to get his Strata to install charging stations in his building has been an uphill one.

“This has good mileage and a user-friendly eco-mode,” he says, fairly sure Wei Ying is not being serious but unable to reply in kind.

“Wow Lan Zhan, you really sell it. I’ll put Honda on my list for future me’s vehicle choices.”

————

Lan Zhan draws in a breath, slow, so deep his chest aches with it. He can feel his heart pressed tight within him, the feeling uncomfortable, distressing. But he can’t just keep sitting here and letting Wei Ying carry the conversation. The conversation he initiated, and now finds himself unable even to lead.

“You and I are very different,” he says, slowly. For once, Wei Ying doesn’t interject. “You are very different from anyone else in my life. I have been. Dazzled. By you. I thought that perhaps, despite our differences, despite my doubts, we could be… something.”

“And now you don’t?” asks Wei Ying, quietly. Lan Zhan turns to look at him. He’s sitting stiffly, his eyes wide, worried. For the first time he looks vulnerable – more than he did luring out a yao, more than he did walking into a house with a violent spectre.

“How could we, when I cannot even find the words to tell you what I want?”

Wei Ying leans forward, reaches out and hooks his long fingers over Lan Zhan’s. “I thought that was a pretty clear message just now. You’re right – we are different. Maybe too different – I don’t know. But I want to find out. I want – I want the way you look at me, like I’m the only person you’re thinking of.”

Lan Zhan swallows dryly, his throat tight. With fear, with desperation, but also for the first time with an ounce of hope. “You are. Since we first met, I have not been able to stop thinking about you. Each time I see you, it just makes me want to see you again.”

M, 68k

Summary:

The Lans were one of the founding families of the Vancouver Guild; part of their legacy is to maintain their place in it for the benefit of all. Cultivation is important, essential, serious.

In the distance, something squeaks.

A disaster, is Lan Zhan’s first impression as the bike squeals to a halt on the far side of Song Lan’s car. The man riding it – and he’s tall, and lanky, and sure-footed – hops off and locks it to the car’s back door. The back door of a police vehicle. He pulls his helmet off to reveal long, sweat-soaked hair with a shaggy undercut, bright grey eyes, and a smile that launches like an arrow straight through Lan Zhan’s chest.

No, he thinks, watching this trainwreck of a man shimmy between the narrow space dividing Song Lan’s back bumper and the next car’s hood like he’s doing some kind of dance step. Absolutely not.

[techmomma]

you know, I got an electric car and forgot to put my thoughts about it down here! so you know what, I'm gonna do just that.

So for the record, I have a 2012 Nissan Leaf. this is like a first or second gen pure electric car, so keep that in mind. newer electric cars are gonna have way better stats than mine will. mostly. (looking at you, tesla)

so, overall?

I genuinely love it. It's like the best car experience I've ever had. runs great, nothing's wrong with the car itself.

and yet I may still need to trade it in for a different car. which makes me very sad.

the reason?

there's no infrastructure for it. "but steph," you say, "maybe there isn't now, but it's supposed to be coming over the course of the next ten years."

yeah I thought so too. and yet, in the past eight months since I got my car, there are fewer electric charging stations. not more. maybe it's just my area, the south puget sound.

I'm going to go into more about owning an electric car under the read more. it's not too complicated, but it's definitely different than an internal combustion car, so there's a lot to take in.

so the biggest thing about owning an electric car is money's no longer really any issue. I can charge an entire tank, which can get me to work and a little farther (my car is an OLD electric car, newer ones can go much farther) for like, $2.50 at a fast charging station. plug into the wall? $0. pennies. my work lets me plug into a wall outlet so I essentially spend a big fat $0 on travel to work.

that part's fucking awesome. genuinely don't mind the short range for me because of that.

the thing about electric cars is you are replacing money with time. charging. takes. time. the newest, fastest cars, in ideal weather and temperature, still take about 20-30 minutes to go from an empty tank to full.

There's different levels of charging. It's basically slow, fast, and fastest.

Depending on the outlet strength and your battery capacity and weather outside, slow charging ("trickle charging") will take between 6-20 hours. Costs the least, takes the most time, but obviously if you're parking it and letting it charge over night, not a problem.

Medium charging will take between 2 and 6 hours, again depending on outlet strength, battery capacity, and weather outside.

Fastest charging ("supercharging," whatever) will take 30 minutes to 2 hours. Fastest time, but costs the most.

But again that's like. $2.50. The most I've ever been charged for a full tank was like... $6? Because it was a $2.50 flat hookup fee, and then the total charging time cost about $3.50, so all together $6. Again, for a full tank, that can charge while I'm working and be ready to go by the time I need to go home.

Now the other thing to keep in mind is weather WILL affect how fast your car charges, AND how fast it drains the charge. the colder the weather, the slower it will charge, and the faster it will drain. and this isn't like a "so small you can barely notice it" amount, it NOTICEABLY affects my mileage. this last winter, once the temps get under 40 degrees, I can lose like a quarter of a tank, and took about 3 times as long to charge at even the fastest charging station. keep in mind that this may be because my car is 11 years old, but just like with any electronics, weather and temperature will affect your car.

and the more things you have running, such as say wipers, or heat to keep your ass from freezing, those will also drain the battery faster/

aka absolutely do not get an older electric car if you live in a place that routinely snows or gets around freezing. maybe a newer one, but not an older one.

here is the kicker though:

I really would not mind all of this. it's a little bit more extra effort, but for the reward? god yeah it's awesome. combined with an absolutely wonderful driving experience (zero noise, SO smooth, great handling), there'd be no reason that I'd be considering trading in.

HERE is why:

you cannot CHARGE at every charging station. you can only charge at charging stations that have your specific charging plug.

so sure, there could be twenty charging stations within a mile of you. but if none of them have the right plug, then all twenty of them are useless to you.

if you do not have a tesla, and all of the stations in your city are only tesla stations, then you have no charging stations.

now at first, it's easy to think "well I just need enough to get to my destination."

no, my friend. you need at least enough to get to your destination, and then get to a charging station. whether that's a wall outlet (you wanna wait there for 7-20 hours?) or a fast charging station.

because what happens if you run out of juice on the road? you can't walk to a gas station, buy a can of gas, and walk back to get yourself on the road again. there are portable chargers you can get to keep like an extra can of gas, but can you afford a $3300 portable charger?

did you also know that some electric cars cannot be put in Neutral if they have no charge at all? meaning that you have to have enough charge for the tow-truck ride to a charger, or else the they have to bring a special tow truck called a wrecker? which will cost more?

"but steph," you say, "some of them have solar panels! isn't that enough to recharge it?" yes, technically. my car has a solar panel. it would probably take about 24 hours to recharge it... about a 1/12 of the tank, so not really enough to even start my car again. it's enough to compensate for the ambient loss of charge while my car sits idle, but nothing else.

another thing to keep in mind with charging stations is most will have enough for about 4 cars to charge at the same time, max. in the entire puget sound, I have not seen a station that can charge more than 4, maybe 5 vehicles at once.

most of these, yes, do have two chargers! if a station has 4 charging... terminals, I guess you could call them, and they each have 2 plugs, then in theory, you should be able to charge 8 cars at once, right?

no, because at a vast majority of stations, you can only use one of those charging plugs at a time. if someone is using the other plug, you cannot charge your car at the same terminal, and have to find a different one.

so here comes the other infrastructure problem: a lot of the stations that have multiple kinds of charging plugs (remember how you have to find a station that has your kind of plug?) will share a terminal with another plug.

this wouldn't be a problem, except most of the time, it'll be a majority of one type of plug, and then like a single plug of a different kind.

so let's say you have a non-tesla. at this one station, there's 4 terminals. each has 2 plugs. 7 of those are tesla plugs, and 1 is a non-tesla, and that's the one you can use.

there's only 1 car, using 1 terminal. all the rest of the stations are free. they have a tesla, and they can use any station.

unfortunately, they got there when no one else was around, didn't think about it, and are using the stall that has the single plug you can use. despite them having a tesla and being able to use any of the stalls, they're using the one you need. maybe when they got there, all the rest were taken, who knows.

either way, you have to wait until they're done to charge your car.

remember back to the fact that it can take 30 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the temp?

you can ask them to please move.

assuming they're waiting in their car. most people, since it takes 30 minutes to 2 hours, will leave their car to go do some shopping or whatever. so if you didn't see them and have no idea what they look like, then good fucking luck trying to find them to ask them to move.

so now you have to wait for them to go back to their car once it's done charging. they're going to come back when it's done charging, right?

in theory, yes. most stations (most!) will accrue charges if your car is done and you're leaving it there still plugged in.

not everyone gives a damn about those charges though!

so say someone doesn't care, and leaves their car there for 6 hours. in the space that has a single charger that you can use. they're not even using their car, and you can't charge yours for 6 hours.

obviously, no one is going to wait six hours to START charging their car. so you go to find a different charging station.

I hope you can find another one within range, because you run out of charge.

yeaahhhh, remember the whole "there are now FEWER charging stations than there were when I first got my car"?

the piece de resistance?

not every charging station is in working order. sometimes they are broken or out of order when you get there.

there are apps to help you find ones that work, and work for your type of plug. one of the most popular is PlugShare. even with this, stations are not always updated, and sometimes stations just don't exist when there's supposed to be one. or it happens to be broken that day, and no one's been there that day to leave a comment that it's broken.

in addition, I have found stations that SAY they're superchargers, but in reality, they charge sometimes slower than a wall outlet. because the fun part is stations can say they charge UP TO so many kilowatts. but on average, it's only a fraction of that. so you're paying about $2.50 for what should be about $.30. ain't that fun and not at all sleazy and frustrating when you don't have enough charge to get to a different station, so you know you're going to be there for several hours when you thought you were only going to be there for a half-hour?

now, again, my car is 11 years old. the type of charging plug it has, ChadeMo, is being phased out. the newer charging plug types are CCS and tesla plugs. so that is absolutely a factor.

but I have also seen the same things being said with CCS and tesla plugs. fewer stations, even for the ones that work.

and... isn't that a problem too? if my type of plug can be phased out and become obsolete, then what will happen to the other plugs? who's to say that these newer plugs won't be phased out either?

there are... questionable adapters being made for charging plugs. it's not as easy as switching adapters for your computer though, and you're look at about $200 for an adapter, and for several thousand for a chademo adapter, which is still being tested.

You wanna carry around an adapter that you have to remember to take with you, every time your charge your car (and take it back with you, when you're done charging) that cost you a couple grand?

and so, to bring everything back around:

I love my car. best car experience I've ever had. it costs me so little to use my car, especially considering there's things I don't have to do anymore--like I don't have to worry about oil changes!

but because of mostly external factors? I am losing usability of my car. within an 8 month period, I went from like 5 or 6 stations I could charge my car at, to about... 2, within a 16 mile radius. 16 miles.

if there were just those 6 stations, like there were when I bought my car 8 months ago, this wouldn't really even be a problem. and I'm in a decent area for charging stations!

in the entirety of the Seattle area, there was a SINGLE charging station, that I could use. I had to leave the city before I could get to another one, miles outside of it.

my car is perfectly fine. it doesn't even have 100k miles on it yet, and could probably go another 100k before I have any problems. but I am, in all likelihood, probably going to have to find someplace to trade it in.

Because there's no infrastructure for it, and what infrastructure IS there seems to be getting actively worse.

So all in all, to finish things up.

How is driving an electric car? Is it worth it?

I love my car. Driving electric cars kicks ass. They're smooth and quiet and like, a dream for someone who likes quiet. When usable, they're cheap, you can do a lot with them, and newer electric cars will have much more range and versatility than mine!

But... does your area have the infrastructure for electric cars? Does it have the infrastructure for your car specifically?

And will it continue to have that infrastructure in the future?

And unfortunately, the only way you're going to know that is finding someone who's already been driving electric in your area, and has been driving a car similar to the one you want.

there's no real way, currently, to predict how feasible it will be for you without first or second-hand experience. you cannot predict it on paper. so unless you've got money to blow, it's going to be a very risky investment. but I suspect if you're reading this, you're not going to be one of those people who has money to blow.

for now? if you're really adamant on electric, go with a hybrid for now. I absolutely do not think, certainly for my area (which is pretty urban and honestly pretty great for electric cars. yeah, all things considered) the infrastructure is there for it. And if you don't live in a major urban area, you almost DEFINITELY do not have the infrastructure for purely electric vehicle.

I really hope all of this has been helpful for you! Feel free to ask questions, I am more than happy to offer my opinion!

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this story from EcoWatch:

Sunrun, a solar company, and Baltimore Gas and Electric Company (BGE), the largest utility provider in Maryland, have launched a pilot program for a bidirectional power plant fueled by solar energy and EV technology.

The pilot, which involves three households, allows users to draw energy from a Ford F-150 Lightning electric truck when paired with the Ford Charge Station Pro and Home Integration System sold by Sunrun. This setup lets the household utilize energy from the EV during peak energy demand, Smart Energy International reported.

The pilot program is the first vehicle-to-home power plant in the U.S. and was funded with grants from the U.S. Department of Energy.

“This program is a significant proof of concept — no other market player has done this — and the goal is to expand these programs all around the country,” Sunrun CEO Mary Powell said in a press release. “This exciting partnership lays the foundation for the power grid of the future where electric vehicle owners can contribute to grid resiliency and utility price stability for everyone. The summer heat can be especially stressful on our power grid, which is why proving the use of stored energy in electric vehicles for capacity is so important.”

The process works by sending energy from the EV batteries to the homes, allowing the vehicle batteries to operate as energy storage. This can complement solar energy sources as well as reduce demand on Maryland’s power grids during peak times. The bidirectional power provided through the charging station can power homes for up to 10 days in the event of an outage, Sunrun said.

For the pilot program, the trucks share energy from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays from June 1 to September 30. The pilot is offering an estimated $800 to participants.

Currently, there are only a limited number of EV models that offer the bidirectional charging feature, including the Nissan Leaf, the 2024 Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6 models from Hyundai, Kia’s EV6, EV9 and Niro EV, and the Ford F-150 Lightning, Cars.com reported.

More vehicles are expected to introduce bidirectional charging in the coming years, including all GM and Tesla EV models, CNET reported.

Sunrun and BGE are planning to expand the program after monitoring the pilot and will offer incentives for F-150 Lightning owners to join, helping increase grid resilience. The program could also help contribute toward Maryland’s goal to reach net-zero emissions by 2045 and achieve 100% clean electricity by 2035.

[dojapat]

Kirara Rising Chapter 12

Kin and I were the only students in our grade. The two of us kept a respectful distance. We never knew how to approach each other because we were so different. But we were also similar enough to want to know what secrets the other hid. The school enabled our alienation because I was a future legislator and he was an expendable grunt.

I used to ask my lower classman and staff who went on missions with him ‘Who is Kinji Hakari?’

‘He’s a wildcard,’ Panda said.

‘Mustard leaf,” Inumaki said.

‘A really cool guy! I wanna be more like him,’ Yuta said

‘An arrogant pig headed ass, but I can’t diss his work ethic,’ Maki said

‘He gives me gray hairs,’ Ijichi said

‘Ask him yourself, dummy!,’ Gojo said

Despite him being rough around the edges, the only adult in charge that saw us for who we are was Satoru Gojo, who insisted that I go on a dangerous mission with Kin despite my standing.

There we were on that very mission. I sat broken and battered on the battlefield and Kin while falling from a shattered mural was opening his domain in order to fight a newly emerged special grade curse.

“KIN!”

“KIRARA!”

We screamed out to each other as Kin’s barrier shattered Usoai’s hellish domain.

“I’LL RIP YOUR ORGANS OUT OF YOUR BODY, YOU CHEATER!,” Usoai screamed from their neck mouth. It fell on deaf ears as Kin jumped over the curse’s head landing right in front of me.

He knelt down to cradle me. “I’m so sorry I couldn’t come sooner.”

“Why… did… you save… me…” I muttered through thick breaths.

He brushed a stray hair behind my ear and rested his hand on my face. “Cuz, I love you.”

I pulled myself into his shoulder and sobbed doing my best to hold back tears, “I’m so sorry Kin. I take it all back. I love you. I want you. I want to be me with you.”

Kin pulled me away from his shoulder to look me in the eyes.

“Then let’s waste this fucker!”

A wide smile stretched across my face and a competitive fire lit in my eyes.

“Right!”

“I’LL CHOKE YOU! I’LL GOUGE OUT YOUR ORGANS.”

Usoai appeared behind Kin. They were frantically waving their fingers that they had transformed into ornate cake knives.

“AND I’LL SLIT THAT BITCHES THROAT!”

Hakari reared his fist back and sent the curse rolling back with a single strike. With that strike he released two marble sized green spheres from thin air. The spheres circled a disoriented Usoai before becoming green doors that levitated closely to their sides.

I took a minute to examine Kin’s domain. It was a normal subway station but it had a strange quality. Like it was in a dream or…

“I need to catch her before she gets on that train!,” said Yuki Yamaguchi, the bland protagonist from a mediocre romance manga.

“You’ve got to be kidding me…,” the sheer absurdity of Kin’s domain distracted me from my pain.

“Richi, 2, 2, 5…,” Hakari said, striking a flamboyant pose with one hand on his hip, the other one pointing at Usoai.

Hakari pounced at his opponent. Before Hakari made impact Usoai’s eye was hastily sucked into their neck mouth, revealing the still born face.

“BY THE POWER VESTED IN M…” Hakari gave them no chance to finish. The curse was pelted in a barrage of blows courtesy of Hakari.

“You know for someone who can apparently manipulate binding vows, you’re pretty damn sluggish!,” Hakari said between strikes. Hakari landed his hardest hit directly on the area where Usoai was missing a mouth.

They went flying, crash landing next to the unassuming manga character trying to catch a train.

Usoai rested their pained body on the ticket checker they crashed next to.

“I love you…,” Usoai said staggered.

“To DEATH!”

They lifted their head to reveal Hakari had cracked their skull in a deep gash resembling a wide, crooked smile and their eye was conspicuously missing.

“Eyugh…,” Kin groaned, not realizing how much danger he was in.

A mouth grew on Kin’s neck identical to the one Usoai summoned on their own body earlier in the fight.

“Oooohhhh, shit,” Kin nonchalantly groaned.

I shouted from my soul, “KIN!”

His neck mouth opened revealing Usoai’s missing eye. The eye turned over and the still born spoke its curse,

“BY THE POWER VESTED IN ME,” it shouted in Kin’s voice, “I KINJI HAKARI, OF MY OWN VOLITION, WILL WATCH KIRARA HOSHI DIE OR ALLOW MYSELF TO TAKE A LETHAL HIT!”

“How the hell is that a bonding vow?,” Kin said again, not responding to the seriousness of the situation.

Usoai didn’t give him time to contemplate. The curse sped past Kin directly toward me.

‘Damn it, I don’t have time to…’ I thought as Usoai sped towards me. They readied their knife hands and aimed them for my throat yet again.

Just as before, before their knives could reach me, Kin used his superior speed to intercept the hit. The five knives pierced the center of his chest all at once.

I had no chance to grieve. I pushed my cursed energy to the limit and smacked Usoai while grabbing Kin’s limp body.

Usoai shrugged off my attack but before they could strike a second attack, two gold subway doors shut on his arm, severing it from their body.

“Kin!,” I frantically shouted, “Just hold on a little longer! We’ll have Ijichi get Gojo and…”

“Hold on, babe…,” Kin said, coughing out blood.

“I’m feeling the fever…”

A loud jingle echoed through the domain.

The uninteresting manga character, Yuki Yamaguchi gave a starry gaze to his bland love interest, Yume Asagiri.

“I missed… the last train,” Yume had said lovingly.

“JACKPOT!,” Kin shouted, accidentally spraying spit in my face.

Usoai went for a strike with his remaining hand, “I’VE HAD ENOUGH OF YOUR NONSENSE!,” Usoai shrieked.

Like the horns of cherubs, a song rang out from the pores of Kin’s body. His domain dissipated revealing the demolished chapel.

It was the theme of Private Pure Love Train that lasted four minutes and eleven seconds, and for that time Kin had infinite cursed energy.

His wounds closed as his body surged with power. Despite not knowing how to use reverse cursed technique, having infinite cursed energy meant Kin’s body used it automatically.

For the next four minutes and eleven seconds, Kinji Hakari was effectively immortal.

“WHAT THE HELL!?,” Usoai screeched. “I can’t go through with this! It’s not you it’s me,” the curse sobbed as it tried to crawl away.

“By the power vested in me,

I can be fast enough to escape Kinji Hakari and then I’ll never move again!,” the stillborn head proclaimed.

While in their panicked crawl Usoai noticed a suspicious mark on their arm. It was a simple purple star and the word ‘Imai.’

“I can make binding vows too, you scumbag,” I said determinedly.

Hakari proudly revealed a similar star that had the word ‘Acrux’ tastelessly plastered to the right of his abs, near his crotch.

I formed a binding vow of my own, permanently affecting my technique. I sacrificed my technique's ability to cause my target to float and move on its own so that now I could use my technique on several targets at once that could attract each other in a sequence, and the sequence drew Usoai to Hakari.

I roared my new technique name,

“Maximum Output!

Love Rendezvous!”

Usoai had no choice. The only options Usoai had were to stop or rush straight to Kin.

“Are you married to Lady Luck?,” Usoai whimpered.

“Lady Luck? Who needs her?,” Kin chuckled. “I already have the best lady in the world.” Kin said, winding up the coup de grace.

The whole world turned white for a fraction of a second. I could only see Kin and Usoai in the newly blank canvas that was the world. A shock of black energy surrounded Kin’s fist.

It finally happened. I finally let the tears fall from my eyes.

“KIN!,” I shouted as his fist made contact with the curse. The jolt of black energy spread throughout Usoai’s body and released from their back.

“BLACK FLASH!,” Kin roared.

The exorcism of the curse known as Usoai concluded with their body erupting into thousands of wet chunks that quickly burned away in small ash clouds.

After seeing the curse died I let tears over take me. I mourned the fact my father would never understand this joy. I mourned my wasted years of being someone I wasn’t. I mourned the victims of the curse.

Kin had thawed my heart. I couldn’t even see him coming to sit in front of me beyond the decade and a half’s worth of held back tears. Kin held me in a tender embrace. I felt his tears fall on my shoulder.

He tenderly whispered in my ear, “Let’s go home.”

[rune-writes]

When Rain Falls

Fandom: Final Fantasy VII

Word Count: 2053

Rating: G

Pairing: Zack/Aerith

Summary: Zack is on the run, stuck in a forest just outside Nibelheim. As he took refuge in a cave while waiting for the rain to let up, he is reminded of a conversation he once had with Aerith.

Note: written for @zerith-week. Day 5 prompt: Yearning / alt prompt: The Rain Falls

Read on AO3.

~*~*~*~*~

Rain fell. It pittered and pattered against stone and wood and every leaf and blade of grass the forest had to offer. Zack blinked open his eyes. 

His head was fuzzy, an ache pounding slowly from inside his skull. Bile rose up his throat and he threw it up, heaving and gasping, blinking back tears and rain and squinting against the dark. Dusk had settled. He didn’t quite remember how he got there. They’d been running out of Nibelheim—well, he’d been dragging Cloud out of Nibelheim—doing his best to dispatch the troops stationed around the uncanny normal-looking village (because he was quite sure he’d seen it burn just the other night) when a shot pierced his ears. He’d staggered, saw blood dripping from a graze in his arm, then the man who’d shot it standing just behind the water tower. He shuffled back when Zack found him. In one swift movement, he’d grabbed a discarded knife and threw it across the air. It’d hit the man on his shoulder. Zack hadn’t waited to see what had become of him—he shouldn’t have died—but their commotion should have alerted the remaining troops, and somehow between then and now, Zack had managed to find refuge in this forest unscathed.

He noticed a bloodied bandage around his arm. At least he’d done a somewhat proper treatment before passing out. Now he looked around for his charge and found Cloud still propped against a jutting rock exactly where he’d left him some hours ago. The man hadn’t moved, not even an inch. His chest rose in steady rhythms and his half-lidded mako blue eyes stared silently at the ground. Zack wanted to think that his friend was only dozing, but he knew better. There was almost no going back from mako poisoning. He’d seen too many candidates fail the SOLDIER test, fell from the list and were discarded just like that. 

“Don’t worry, Cloud,” he said, pushing himself to his feet. He nudged Cloud’s head with a knuckle and, receiving no response, pulled him to his feet and propped him against his shoulder. “We’ll get you home and find you a doctor.”

They were still in the Nibel area so they had to be careful with their movements. Kunsel had informed him via mail that a battalion was coming for a couple escaped experiment subjects. No doubt he’d meant them. Avoiding it wouldn’t be hard, Zack thought. It was the Turks that worried him. They were sure to be deployed and he was certain they would find him. Hiding in a dark forest might delay them but it would certainly not stop them. He had to find a hiding place. 

Think, Zack! 

The forest hadn’t looked so eerie when he first got there, but now he couldn’t help the chills running down his spine. It wasn’t ghosts he was afraid of. He didn’t believe in ghosts, though he wouldn’t mind seeing one or two at the moment. If Angeal were there, he might have an idea where to go and what to do. No; it wasn't ghosts he feared, but men. The shadows were thick the farther he went. Anyone could be hiding anywhere without his notice, despite his heightened SOLDIER sense not picking up another presence. When lightning flashed and turned the forest white, the shadows seemed to lengthen, prompting Zack to stop dead in his tracks. Half his mind was ready to reach for his buster sword while the other half was confident he hadn’t heard footsteps. But what good were footsteps if Shinra had deployed their assassins. Those men left no sound as they executed their duties. Zack’s hand was almost at his sword hilt when the light vanished and the shadows along with it. His PHS beeped just as thunder cracked the sky and split his ears.

Curse Kunsel and his timing. Zack’s heart was still racing when he opened the new message and read:

WHERE ARE YOU?

Zack could almost hear Kunsel’s scream. But if Kunsel didn’t know his whereabouts, Zack doubted Shinra’s Intelligence knew about it. A small relief, though short-lived for sure. Zack still couldn’t feel another presence in the forest. He decided to trust his senses and stashed his PHS back in his pocket, then dragged the comatose Cloud farther into the forest.  

A small cave nestled on top of a rocky upsloping looked like a haven after what seemed like hours of walking. It was more a hollow than a cave, with stone walls on both sides and a ceiling made of dirt. Roots and twigs protruded from its surface. But it was dry and seemed to be big enough for the two of them. Zack set Cloud down, tried his best to wring water from his uniform. If only he had a blanket or could start a fire. Cloud wasn’t shivering at the least, but the cold would get him. Zack was starting to shiver and he had bested colder climates before just in his SOLDIER garb. 

“Hey, Cloud,” he called softly. Cloud didn’t respond, as he knew Cloud wouldn’t. Zack sighed. There was nothing to do but wait until morning. 

Rain poured outside so hard, Zack almost thought the sky was pelting rocks. And maybe they were, in a sense. He leaned against the rough stone wall after wringing water from his own uniform and looked outside. Aerith once said she didn’t like the rain. It reminded her of things she’d rather forget. He’d asked what it was, but Aerith had only smiled and asked him to sell flowers with her. 

What was she doing now, he wondered. How was she holding up? The wish she’d penned on a piece of paper so he wouldn’t forget was still tucked away in his pocket. He reached for it now and found it damp. The writing had become somewhat illegible, but maybe that was because of the lack of light. Zack’s lips pulled into a wry smile. 

I’ll come visit, he’d said. I’ll see you, he’d promised. And now he was stuck out here in the middle of a storm thick in enemy territory, hanging onto the little hope that Aerith was still waiting for him in Midgar. 

***

“Hey, Zack,” Aerith said. “What’s it like outside?”

They were sitting on one of the pews, doing nothing but gaze at the rain pouring from the break in the roof. It had been that way for a while now. He should probably be getting back. His PHS had been notifying new incoming mails for the past fifteen minutes. But he and Aerith were sharing the baked potatoes her mother had asked her to take. One more bite, he kept telling himself, but his hand grabbed one potato after another until there was only one left in the container. He wouldn’t have any reasons to prolong his stay after this.

Zack bit into his last not-quite-hot-anymore potato. “Well…” He pondered, deliberately slowing his munching. The sky seemed to light up briefly beyond the roof, followed by distant rumbling that didn’t quite reach them. Beside him, Aerith noticeably stiffened before she relaxed once the thunder passed. He decided to go with a teasing answer. “It’s raining outside.”

Aerith’s features twisted into a dumbfounded look for a few heartbeats before she whipped her hand and slapped his arm. “That’s not what I meant!” she exclaimed with a laugh. Zack laughed with her. “I mean what it’s like when it’s not raining. You go around a lot of places, right?”

“Right.” He kept on munching, slowly, savoring every bite. 

Aerith didn’t take her eyes off him. “Well?”

“Well…” He leaned back and gazed at the plates barely visible through the sheet of water. His PHS beeped again. Another message: a mission or two to keep monsters out or bring something back. Other times, he would be sent to the most obscure locations in the Planet to obtain some rare materials needed for some highly-advanced technology development. Quelling rebellions was still his job too whenever the company deemed it necessary. 

As he recalled his past missions, his mind conjured pictures of vast green plains and sprawling hills, snow-capped mountains and deep red canyons. He told her of the westernmost continent called Wutai he had the chance to visit the previous year with its pink cherry blossom trees and huge pagoda castles. He told her of the small isolated islands off the main continents where springs of blue and green water shot up to the sky like sparkling crystals. 

“They sound beautiful,” Aerith said. 

They really were. Zack remembered how the sight of it had taken his breath away that he had forgotten what he had been sent to do. He looked at Aerith. “I’ll take you there someday,” he promised. 

Aerith’s smile was wistful, as though she didn’t quite believe him but appreciated the thought. Zack was about to say that he really would take her there somewhere, maybe once they’d made some money from their flower selling to afford traveling abroad, when lightning flashed once more. This time, the thunder cracked the sky so loud, and Aerith screamed next to him. 

“Why are you so afraid of thunder?” Zack asked.

“I’m not,” Aerith replied bravely, though her voice shook ever so slightly. “It’s just the loud sound they make. It’s the rain I don't like.” 

“Why?”

Aerith glanced at him. She didn’t say anything. But when she looked away, Zack noticed the way her brows drew back just like when she talked about the sky. He wondered if the two were connected. 

In the end, she didn’t answer, and he finished his last potato. He needed to head back. Someone was calling his PHS now: it was his superior. He told her just that. Aerith looked crestfallen, but she smiled and waved at him. 

“Be careful,” she said. “I’d lend you an umbrella if I’d brought one.”

“Don't worry about it. SOLDIERs are made of sturdier stuff. No storm would get us down.”

“Don't go crawling to me with a heavy flu then.”

Zack chuckled. He made to leave. Aerith turned around on her bench to watch him go. “Careful of the ghosts, Zack! It’s gotten dark out.”

That made him laugh. 

***

Birdsong raised Zack from his sleep, followed by a sharp pain shooting up his neck and back. He’d fallen asleep in a weird position, it seemed: his neck crooked and his back slouched. Sunlight slanted in through the cave mouth, blinding his eyes for a second. Zack groaned, stretching his arms and muscles and trying to free them from their cramps. 

Cloud was still in his unmoving state. It unnerved him somewhat. Zack crawled over to him, his voice coming out in a croak as he called Cloud’s name. He reached out a hand, and sure enough, Cloud’s face felt hot. 

Still in a half-groggy state, Zack fumbled for his pockets. He remembered snatching a potion or two from the mansion. He didn’t know whether they’d gone past their expiration date, but it was better than nothing. It’d at least keep the fever at bay until Zack could find a village and a doctor. 

It was hard moving around. His clothes were stiff, his skin was sticky. His damp hair hung in clumps. He needed a bath. Cloud needed a drink. There should be a lake somewhere nearby. He was reaching to grab Cloud's arm when he noticed a piece of stiff paper on the ground:

Aerith’s wish, still lying where his hand had been. He picked it up. Her writing had indeed become illegible, but he could still make out some words: like to, time, you. 

I'd like to spend more time with you. 

It was light out. Ghosts didn’t exist. Zack had figured Aerith had only been trying to scare him when she’d warned him of the ghosts, because she had been grinning too afterwards, but now he wondered if she had been telling half-truths. Had ghosts appeared before her on dark rainy days? Perhaps ghosts of people she’d loved or people she’d lost conjured purely out of her desperation to see them. Last night, Zack wouldn’t have minded if Angeal had visited him if it meant he could find a safe road. Now, staring at Aerith’s slanted handwriting, he couldn’t help wishing Aerith would magically materialize in front of him.

~ END ~

[liviavanrouge]

Hope Protectors pt 2 of Lands Hope

Livia: *Walks outside then perks up* Huh?

Azul: *Looks back at her* Liv!

Livia: *Runs over, looking up at the building shocked* WHERE'S THE STONE!? WHAT HAPPENED!??

Crowley: After the whole fiasco with Koi it seems the magic that was inside the stone turned into this building

Crowley: Your names are on the door too

Azul: *Steps closer, squinting finding his name engraved on a leaf with the others*

Livia: Is this ours?

Crowley: It seems so

Epel: We can LIVE in here!?

Crowley: Why don't you all go in

Livia: *Opens the door, flying inside*

Kalim: *Walks in, his eyes sparkling*

Azul: How amazing

Epel: Woah!!

Ortho: *Looks around amazed* Wowie!!

Livia: *Hovers in the air, beating his wings*

???: Welcome Hope Protectors!!

Livia: *Flinches, when a large woman with green hair suddenly appeared in the middle of the room*

???: I am Minerva the God of Hope and Faith, and you all helped me when you defeated Koi

Minerva: Cheka will lead his own Hope Protectors one day as he is the main reason why you managed to defeat Koi, his parents have been informed and as of right now you are the current protectors

Minerva: A shame that there are only five of you, usually six would be part of the group, however we have to make exceptions

Minerva: *Smiles warmly* Welcome to your new home on the campus, Hope Tower

Livia: Oh it's a home mixed with a lighthouse!

Minerva: Half of my soul resides at the top, come and speak to me whenever you need

Minerva: *Fades away, leaving behind butterflies*

Livia: *Flies to the second floor and gasps* GUYS!! Come up here!!

Azul: *Hurries up the stairs with the others behind him*

Kalim: *Beams looking at a bed for him, designed the way he liked it* WOAH!!

Azul: *Touches his bed surprised then looks at the pool of water next to it*

Livia: *Lands on her bed which was elevated six feet off the ground*

Ortho: *Touches his charging station smiling* Seems like everything was prepared for us

Epel: *Flops down onto his bed* So comfy...

Livia: So what now?

Azul: *Grins* You guys wanna cook something?

Livia: *Laughs and nods, flying away* YEAH!

Kalim: *Runs downstairs, Ortho behind him*

Epel: *Slides down the rail laughing*

Azul: *Walks down after them*

Livia: *Climbs onto a little perch for her, her chest puffed out*

Kalim: *Grabs pizza supplies* PIZZA TONIGHT!!

Epel: Yeah!

???: What are you all doing?

Vil: *Looks around surprised* What is this place?

Jamil: Kalim...

Verti: *Glances around surprised*

Lilia: Hm, nice interior design...

Citro: Ortho?

Livia: *Flies off her perch, grinning* Welcome to Hope Tower!

Vil: Hope Tower?

Kalim: After the problem with Koi the stone turned into this building just for us to reside in!!

Ortho: We're Hope Protectors!

Vil: *Frowns* You five reside in here now?

Epel: Yeah, our beds are on the floor above and this is our main room and kitchen!

Jamil: Kalim can't stay here!

Kalim: *Laughs* I'll be fine Jamil, I'm with Livia and Azul and their food is delicious!

Kalim: I've eaten their food for a long while now, it's safe, delicious and they always make silly faces with some of the ingredients!

Jamil: *Sighs* Kalim, what about dorm leader duties?

Crowley: Things will still be normal, they'll attend classes and all that, this building is just their place to meet and reside if they so wish

Epel: I'm staying!

Ortho: Me too, I am as well!

Livia: *Laughs* I'll stay as well then

Kalim: Yay!

Azul: I'm staying here as well, can't leave Livia and Kalim unsupervised

Vil: *Sighs* Fine! Very well but Epel on Friday and weekends you return to the dorm!

Epel: That's a good bargain, alright!

Jamil: Same with you, Kalim

Kalim: Alright! I will!!

Livia: *Looks at Lilia, flicking her tail*

Lilia: *Chuckles* You can stay wherever you want Livia, you can stay here or in Diasomnia, I won't force you to leave here

Livia: *Beams, fluttering her wings* Thanks!

Lilia: *Chuckles and nods* I'll tell the others about your whereabouts

Citro: The same applies to you Ortho

Ortho: *Beams and nods*

Verti: You stay safe, Azul

Azul: *Pats his younger brother's head* I'll stay safe don't worry

Livia: *Flies around the building and lands beside Epel*

Vil: Don't you dare eat too much junk food, I will be sending you a diet schedule to follow

Livia: I'll make sure he follows it!

Epel: You traitor!

Vil: *Smirks* Thank you, Livy, I know I can always depend on you

Livia: I learn beauty from the best! Of course I gotta give in return!

Vil: Then all of you have fun

Livia: *Waves as they left*

Livia: *Flies away, watching her friends make pizza for dinner*

Epel: *Laughs as Kalim nearly dropped the pizza dough*

Azul: *Floats the finished pizza with his magic, putting it in the oven* Careful Kalim!

Ortho: *Laughs, sprinkling cheese on the pizza*

Kalim: *Grabs Livias hands, the two starting to dance around the room*

Livia: So keep your hopes up high! Hey, we're doing all right!

Azul: *Nods along to Livias song, smiling at her*

Epel: *Laughs as Ortho joined Livia and Kalims dancing*

Livia: ALL hope is gonna be okay!

Epel: *Claps laughing with the others*

Livia: *Flies over and lands on a stool* Thank you, thank you! Thank you my people~

Kalim: *Sits beside her, spinning on his stool laughing*

Azul: *Brings the finished pizza out chuckling*

Ortho: Yum!

Livia: Let's dig in guys!

~~~~

Minerva: *Smiles watching through her orb*

Minerva: *Looks away, lifting her head skyward humming Chekas song*

@queen-of-twisted @yukii0nna @zexal-club @teddymochi

[ionlycareaboutyou]

this weekend was so eventful. i showed dead poets society to two irl friends who made fun of it the entire time while i sat there shaking like a leaf pretending not to be emotionally affected by it, and then the next day i went on a date with someone i met on tinder who was so so so kind and i think extremely into me and we held hands in an art museum and shared a very charged hug at the train station. not sure what the vibes are but there are certainly vibes

[waltwhitmansbeard]

my fair lady: drabble #12

ok so this takes place actually between chapters 28 and 29 but i wanted y'all to read 29 before this. i'm trying to fix some of what i think i broke early in mfl. as always, read these first and check out @romeoandjulietyouwish's medieval au!

When Keyleth has disappeared from view, Korrin throws himself into the Seat of the Ashari, running a tired hand over his face. This has been, without a doubt, one of the longest days of his life, and the day is not yet over. He had been woken in the dead of night by the castle's warning bells, only to be told that his daughter, his light, his life, had been attacked and was nowhere to be found. He nearly tore every hair from his head in worry until Captain Vex'ahlia informed him of Keyleth's successful escape from danger. He thought nothing could shake him to his core more than the sight of her unconscious body being carried in by Grog, more than the shallow in and out of her breath, so weak, so tenuous—until she, as is her wont, defied all of his expectations, charging before him to announce that she, of all things, married a guard.

In his head, he can only hear his daughter's voice echoing in his mind: I asked him to marry me! How could this be possible? How could his little girl, who just yesterday was toddling around the throne room and proudly showing off her latest favorite leaf, be old enough to be a married woman? Where have these years gone? When did she stop being the precocious child who tugged at his knee for another story before bed? Did he blink? Was he so consumed with the fate of his nation that he took his eyes off of her, looked away just long enough for her to become this person, tall and strong and beautiful and independent?

He hears shuffling from the entrance to the throne room, and he looks up to see his advisors hovering awkwardly. "Your Majesty?" Lord Zorian asks, hesitant.

Korrin knows that his priorities have not changed, not in the short term. Gaben Finefirn still assaulted his daughter last night, and he is still on the lam today. Locating that cockroach of a mage and stringing him up in the middle of Zephrah is the only thing that matters.

And yet. He cannot focus, cannot think of anything but this blow Keyleth has delivered to him. He needs to talk to someone, needs to determine what he thinks, what he wants to do next—oh. He knows where he needs to go.

He shoves himself from the throne, and as he marches toward his advisors, he barks out, "Continue the search for Finefirn. Ensure that Lady Allura is working on the arcane wards, and consult with Captain Vex'ahlia on the tracking efforts." Without breaking his stride, he leaves the throne room and his baffled advisors behind.

Grog, from his usual post just outside the room, looks bewildered by Korrin's sudden appearance. "Your Majesty?"

Korrin doesn't stop. "I need to go somewhere. Stay here, Grog."

Behind him, he can hear Grog grumble in confusion. He walks quickly through the castle, and each guard who, concerned to see him unaccompanied, attempts to stop him gets waved away wordlessly. Where Korrin is going, he does not need guards.

He pushes out of the castle and onto the south lawns. As he crosses them, he is aware that there are dozens of eyes on him, guards within and without that track his every move and scan the grounds for any threat that might be coming his way, but Korrin is hardly unused to being watched. He has had eyes on him since birth, a sovereign in the making, though he, like his daughter, feels comfortable only in the rare moments when he is truly, mercifully alone.

Vilya was different. Vilya loved to be the center of attention, bubbled up like spring water whenever she was surrounded by her various hangers-on at court. It was one of the first things he'd noticed about her; she was so entranced by each and every person she spoke to, regardless of their station or connection, and when he watched her from afar, she always seemed to be having the most important conversation of her life. She delighted in making others laugh, in making them feel as though they were the most intriguing person she'd ever met. She was far more suited to life at court than he'd ever been.

He approaches her tree for the first time in far too long. It is twilight, and the dusty low light casts ominous shadows through the branches of the cherry tree, which he swears judges him for his absence. He begins to pace back and forth in front of the tree, his hands clasped behind his back.

"Did you know?" he accused the wind. "Did you know that she had done this?" The wind hums low, soft. "Of course you did. You always knew what was going on. Everyone told you everything, my love, because you were so easy to talk to." He sighs. "I am sure you knew of this...relationship from the beginning.

"Gods, you must think I am a fool. Nearly a year they've been carrying on and I haven't noticed a thing! You must have been laughing at my ignorance this whole time." He paces a bit more, letting the wind whistle accusatorially through the trees. "You know how ridiculous this is, Vilya. A guard! A spy! A man who made a name for himself slinking through the shadows and cutting down our nation's enemies! I value his hard work, of course I do, but his remuneration is his pay, not our daughter's hand in marriage!"

The tree creaks, and Korrin narrows his eyes up at the branches. "And I am not a hypocrite. My father's objection to your becoming my wife was specious and petty. He believed your family too lowborn, too unconnected to be of value to my political endeavors—which was of course ridiculous for any number of reasons. But I daresay that if you had been, oh, I don't know, a scullery maid down in the kitchens, I would have understood his disapprobation!"

He pauses his pacing, stretches a hand out to rest against the bark of the cherry tree. "Of course, my father's approval mattered little in the end. Some nights I still dream of the day I fell in love with you, Vil. Do you remember? The Renewal Festival when you wore that green frock and led the Zephran children through that dance in the town square? You could have been a scullery maid, and it would not have stopped my heart from being yours."

A single cherry blossom, white and delicate, floats down to land on his shoulder. Korrin picks it up and examines it, his heart suddenly stuck in his throat. "What would you have told her, had she come to you first? Would you have urged her to marry in secret, to tell me of the deed after the fact, to avoid my attempts at stopping it? Would you have put her personal happiness over what is best for our nation?"

He says those words aloud, and realization crashes over him. "Oh, of course. Her extreme reaction to the original peace treaty. She was already in love with him then! Oh, Vilya...I have rather made a mess of things, haven't I?" He leans back against the trunk, lets his head rest on the bark. "I lost so much when illness took you from me, but your wisdom is the thing I miss the most. You saw everything, the threads that connected each and every one of us, saw the tapestry that life made of them. My nose has always been in books and correspondences; I could never see what was right in front of me. And I missed our little girl becoming someone who didn't need her father's guiding hand anymore."

He knows what he has to do, what he already promised Keyleth he would do, without necessarily knowing whether he would keep said promise. He looks up toward the branches once more. "Just tell me this, Vilya: is he good for her?"

There's a stillness to the air, a quiet that, for a moment, worries him. Then, without warning, dozens, hundreds of cherry blossoms rain down, showering him in a blizzard of white. He chuckles low. "Alright, alright. I get it. You don't need to mock me." He pats the tree before pushing off with a sigh. "Alright, I shall let the boy go. Good night, my love." He strides back toward the castle, lighter in his step and in his heart than he was before.

[p-artsypants]

Blurb #15

I'm going to try to share 70 blurbs from my WIPs and unfinished fics to celebrate reaching 70 posted fics! To help with this endeavor, please feel free to send me a word or a fandom you know I write for, and I'll share the blurb. IDK if I'll get 70 prompts, but let's try it! Send as many as you want!

New Paris, the jewel of the stars. A luxury ship with only the finest crew for the most regal of clients. After all, not just any star ship could sail through the heavens. It took a Cracker Jack crew, led by an experienced captain to traverse the vast expanse of ever changing space. A hull ornately detailed with rich blue paint and gold leaf molding. Five ivory star-sails, only the most technologically advanced to propel the ship at hyper speeds. And three engines, bolstered with nuclear power that beat the cosmos into submission.

This was the pride of Andre Bourgeois, the ship’s captain.

This was to be Adrien Agreste and his father’s new home for the next six months.

It was daunting, but rarely was change in life not so.

Adrien stood at the dock of the station, staring up at the massive ship with nervous eyes and a quivering stomach.

“Take one last look at that place,” said his father’s cold tone. “It’s likely you will never see it again.”

‘That place’ being home. The colony on which he was born and raised. A beautiful place, with teeming gardens and mountains of crystals that glittered in the duel sunlight. His mother had loved it here in their quiet villa.

But now he was 21, and the rest of his life was beckoning.

Steps thundered down the ramp leading to the ship, coming from two large men and a tiny woman. One man wore a fine blue and gold suit that matched the ship, and a wide brimmed hat with a feather.

The other followed a few steps behind, wearing just a white shirt and trousers, with a red belt around his waist. He had a mustache and kind eyes.

The woman wore a nice black dress with a white apron.

“Welcome welcome!” Said the first man. “Duke Gabriel of Agreste, and Prince Adrien of Agreste, it’s an honor to have you aboard my vessel. I am Captain Andre Bourgeois. You may call me Captain or Andre, whatever you prefer.”

“Thank you, Captain Bourgeois. My son and I are grateful to you and your crew.” Gabriel then gestured to the woman standing with them. “This is my steward, Nathalie Sancoeur. She will also be joining us.”

“The more the merrier.” Said the captain with a smile. “This is Tom Dupain, our chief cook, and his wife Sabine. They are in charge of hospitality aboard the ship. If there’s anything about your living quarters that does not meet your standards, please speak to them.”

Tom said, “I will be taking your bags to your rooms, and then I will be making one last trip to the market before we set sail. Any allergies I need to be aware of?”

“My son is allergic to feathers, and I can’t eat mollusks.”

“No escargot then? No complaints here.” Tom smiled broadly.

“Please,” began the Sabine. “If you will follow me, I’ll show you to your quarters.”

The group climbed the ramp, and surfaced on the deck, where crew were hard at work preparing for launch.

The captain blew a whistle and shouted, “attention!”

The crew hurriedly fell in line by rank, rushing to their designed spots.

Once they were all accounted for, the Captain spoke again, “I will repeat this again for anyone who wasn’t listening the first seven times I briefed the mission.” He gestured to the guests. “His Royal Highness Prince Adrien, and his father Duke Gabriel of Agreste are our esteemed guests for this voyage. We will be escorting them to the settlement of Agreste for the Prince’s coronation. This will be a six month journey, with seven ports of call. During this voyage, I expect you all to treat our guests with as much honor and dignity that a group of spacedogs can muster. Shenanigans and tomfoolery will not be tolerated. All those who break this rule will be locked in the brig and then escorted off the ship at the next port. Do I make myself clear?”

The crew answered in perfect unison. “Sir, yes sir!”

“Then as you were.”

Just as they had assembled, so they departed back to work.

“They are a good group,” the captain assured. “You just have to keep expectations high.”

“Certainly.” The duke agreed.

“Now, I will make brief introductions to my most essential crew, who you may be interacting with during your stay.”

A stout, red headed man with a smaller hat stood hovering nearby, awaiting orders.

“This is my first mate, Roger Raincomprix. If you can’t find me, please consult him with any concerns.”

“I am specifically in charge of the crew. If someone is out of line with you, Your Majesty, please notify me and I will make sure they meet just punishment.”

“Thank you, sir,” Adrien bobbed his head.

“Second Mate Nino Lahiffe is in charge of Navigation. He’s up on the half deck by the wheel. The auburn woman next to him is his wife, Alya, the cartographer.” He pointed to the couple, who were peering at and discussing a star map.