#He thought he traded AWAY the person closest to him for his own befit

[completeoveranalysis]

[9]

I was writing tags on the previous post and they got too big SO LET’S GO BACK TO THIS BRIEFLY. 

I think it’s fun that Syaoran is the one that asks if Clow Reed tried to resurrect Yuuko deliberately, knowing it was wrong. Since Syaoran is the one who was trying to save Sakura from the same fate from the beginning of the manga. 

It’s not quite on the same level but it’s a very interesting link in framing - a bit of a connection between Syaoran and Clow Reed, his ancestor. Both of them trying to save their special person from the brink of death, and what those wishes led to.

But also! The layer to it that’s like… Clow Reed didn’t mean to alter the universe, he just had a thought he couldn’t control. And that resonates with this Syaoran specifically since he ALSO had thoughts he couldn’t control - the clone programming was always pushing him towards the feathers beyond his ability to control it, to the point that it continued alone in his body even after his soul disappeared. Syaoran and Clow Reed BOTH had something uncontrollable within them that reacted to their emotions of grief and loss and caused great suffering in the universe - Clow Reed accidentally breaks the world, and Syaoran’s clone programming goes on killing sprees to retrieve the feathers. 

It’s a unique link between the two that is MIRRORED by Lava Lamp but comes out differently for him. Clow Reed and Syaoran didn’t INTEND for those consequences. Lava Lamp ends up in the same situation as both of them, hit with a sudden grief of someone they care about on the brink of death and tries desperately to save her - except he actually does consciously make the choice to trade the negative consequences to turn back time. Even if, you know, under duress.

Though in saying that, Lava Lamp has a fun parallel to each of them on his own as well. On one side side of the triangle Lava Lamp and Clow Reed’s wish (one intentional, one not) both resulted in someone being frozen in time. On the other side he has a different parallel to Syaoran’s wish at the START of Tsubasa, to save Sakura but pay a terrible price, where they both Chose that choice out of grief in the moment (though Clow did not).  

So it’s like a funky little Venn diagram of the horrible haunting cause and effect between intentional and unintentional choices, all focussed around these people in the same family.

[wanderingdragoon]

Answering These Myself~!

Ask a question, any question! Because I have nothing better to do than to answer your questions. … No, really. I don’t. D:

1: What does their bedroom look like?

Aric’s room tends to be pretty sparse, not because of being clean, but simply because he likes to travel lightly. His few items are more or less strewn in a pile, his lance nearby.

2: Do they have any daily rituals?

Aric tends to wrap his lance daily, unwrapping it late at night before bed, to check for damage. He leaves the binding for the morning, so he can check for any damage or change in the material.

3: Do they exercise, and if so, what do they do? How often?

He’s pretty lazy, but he does prefer to walk on his own, so he’s constantly keeping fit with his wandering between the city states of Eorzea. 

4: What would they do if they needed to make dinner but the kitchen was busy?

Aric would either complain loudly that he’s hungry, whining until he was fed or was allowed to make himself a meal. That, or he’d try to come back later if he knew the person wouldn’t budge or feed him. 

5: Cleanliness habits (personal, workspace, etc.)

While he doesn’t own many things, he can still be pretty disorganized and messy with what he does carry on him. Removing his tabard prior to sleeping or bathing tends to be a trail of discarded articles of clothing leading to the bed or bath.

6: Eating habits and sample daily menu

Aric will eat literally anything, and it can get him into trouble. He’ll sample nearly any form of cuisine, and if he’s out in the fields and he becomes hungry, he’ll either hunt, fish or even try to eat a fiend or two. This can cause trouble for his party members, as he will generally offer them some of whatever he’s just caught.

7: Favorite way to waste time and feelings surrounding wasting time

Aric is a procrastinator, he has next to no motivation to actually do much of anything and enjoys to take things easy. Whether watching the skies, taking a nap, eating or merely walking around, he’ll actively avoid doing much of anything productive. The Scions often wonder and worry about how much actual work he could get done if he put the amount of energy into doing his work that he does into avoiding his responsibilities and assignments.

8: Favorite indulgence and feelings surrounding indulging

Aric loves to simply relax, watch the skies, the clouds and the coming and going of people within the settlements he drifts through. To him, merely taking time out of the day to rest and relax is the point for his freedom and seeks to do so whenever possible.

9: Makeup?

The scar over his left eye is false, drawn on with waterproof makeup. He tends to wash it away each time he bathes and recreates it nearly perfectly each time. He’ll swap sides, add new ones and even fake facial hair as needed to further his disguises.

10: Neuroses? Do they recognize them as such?

He used to have a fear of the skies, like most Ishgardian children. For the first few years on the run, he had issues with maladaptive coping and responses to stressful situations, but he has gotten better. He can still panic when he’s exposed to situations like when he was afraid he’d die for nothing, akin to his childhood in Dragoon training back in Ishgard.

11: Intellectual pursuits?

Aric is pretty lazy when it comes to many things, and while he is literate and formally schooled, he has no desire to grow that knowledge much. He however picks up tacit information of trade routes, trouble spots and other street wise experiences during his travels.

12: Favorite book genre?

If he can avoid reading, he will. If he can select a photo book of the sky, he will.

13: Sexual Orientation? And, regardless of own orientation, thoughts on sexual orientation in general?

Mostly heterosexual, but he has a few men in his life whom he does share romantic feelings for. Overall, whatever someone chooses to do, so long as it doesn’t hurt anyone else, is celebrated by him.

14: Physical abnormalities? (Both visible and not, including injuries/disabilities, long-term illnesses, food-intolerances, etc.)

Aric’s false scar on his face is part of his disguise, as is the eyepatch he wears. He has some burn scars and stab wounds from encounters with the Dravians during his time growing up in Ishgard.

15: Biggest and smallest short term goal?

To stay a step ahead of his family’s hunters looking for him to bring him back to the Holy See for his crimes against Ishgard

16: Biggest and smallest long term goal?

To keep wandering the land, seeing the world for how it truly is, far from the war in Ishgard. 

17: Preferred mode of dress and rituals surrounding dress

Aric regularly wears a red tabard over a mail hauberk, white jodhpurs tucked into high boots and long gloves over his mail sleeves. He prefers something light and easy to move in, but armored enough to keep him safe. 

18: Favorite beverage?

Aric prefers to stay away from anything alcoholic, but he enjoys juices made from fruits or vegetables, anything sweet. 

19: What do they think about before falling asleep at night?

Often, if it’s about the information he’s learned of the day. Ideally, he feels safe enough to sleep without worrying over being caught by the Inquisitors. 

20: Childhood illnesses? Any interesting stories behind them?

Aric suffered from agoraphobia and casadastraphobia, fear of open spaces and being taken into the sky, learned from his family and elder brothers during his time preparing to fight in the Dragonsong War. His eldest brother used to condition his younger siblings by diving upon them at random intervals, and then leaping back into the sky to simulate an attack by dragons to see how they’d react.

21: Turn-ons? Turn-offs?

Aric dislikes domineering, controlling or manipulative behavior when it’s in earnest. He doesn’t mind the occasional bratty or spoiled antics, but a genuine desire to control and own him or his choices makes him instantly defensive and resistant. He enjoys when others respect his desire to self determine, and respects those who choose for themselves and follow their own paths. Kindness and warmth, respect and understanding are attributes he enjoys. 

22: Given a blank piece of paper, a pencil, and nothing to do, what would happen?

He’d probably fold up the paper into the shape of a bird and toss it to watch it fly. The pencil would be possibly tossed at one of his party members or pocketed for later use.

23: How organized are they? How does this organization/disorganization manifest in their everyday life?

Aric is rather laid back, disliking the obligation for order and rigidity he was raised to abide to in Ishgard. He tends to arrive late, if he shows at all, with a lazy, unbelievable excuse. If he has a mess, he’ll shrug and make a half joking comment about it, then ignore it.

24: Is there one subject of study that they excel at? Or do they even care about intellectual pursuits at all?

Aric is formally trained as a Dragoon and Lancer for the Dragonsong War, and learned the necessities and tenents of this position, along with the teachings of the Holy See. Most of his information he currently uses he gathered during his travels, such as learning of trade routes, changes in weather, predicting how a group of people will react, for example if a bar brawl will break out and how to calm the situation, exacerbate it for his needs or escape without a sound. One skill he prides himself on is the prediction of weather based on his knowledge of the skies.

25: How do they see themselves 5 years from today?

He honestly sees himself either continuing wandering Eorzea, looking for odd jobs to feed him for the day, or helping out passerbys with any random event they may need.

26: Do they have any plans for the future? Any contingency plans if things don’t workout?

Aric just wants to be left to his own devices, permitted to go where he chooses, when he chooses, with little restricting his travels. He’ll go where the wind takes him.

27: What is their biggest regret?

His biggest regrets come from his time in Ishgard/Coerthas. He regrets how he and his friends were put in the line against the Dravanian Hordes to fight and die, without knowing much of the world beyond the Dragonsong War and what the Holy See decided for him. He regrets taking so long for choosing to run away and that he couldn’t bring any of his training legion with him prior to their deaths.

28: Who do they see as their best friend? Their worst enemy?

Rotatu Neotatu, the Lalafell Scholar he met in his travels is quite easily his closest of friends and confidant. There are few he trusts more than the Lalafell Scholar.

His worst enemy has to be the Holy See of Ishgard, the nobles and the Inquisitors sent after him during his escape from his homeland.

29: Reaction to sudden extrapersonal disaster (eg The house is on fire! What do they do?)

Depending on circumstances, he may not even get involved. If the situation doesn’t involve him or threaten him, he’ll opt to simply not get involved and walk away. However, he does not have much patience or forgiveness for those who oppress the freedoms of others, such as slavers or those who abuse their authority. He may get involved, but hide his actions behind ‘accidental’ interference. 

30: Reaction to sudden intrapersonal disaster (eg close family member suddenly dies)

Aric has been pretty desensitized by his experiences in Ishgard, and tends to smile through troubles and emotional trauma. He has learned to put on an act and avoid such emotional responses, at least overtly and in public. He tends to feel remorse if it was his fault, but he tries to be optimistic. 

31: Most prized possession?

When he fled the Holy See, he stole his family’s magical relics; a signet ring befitting his position of noble descent, however tangential, which can unlock the true power of the item he stole, the family heirloom lance. He is very protective of the item, and is rather dedicated to its upkeep.

32: Thoughts on material possessions in general?

Aric travels lightly, never with too much to his name outside of the clothing on his back, a small amount of gil, and his family heirlooms. He tends to donate or sell whatever he finds along the way to secure funds for lodging, repairs or food.

33: Concept of home and family?

Aric had a very strained relationship with his family prior to his desertion, their religious fervor and fanatical devotion to their roles as Dragoons in service to Ishgard, to kill the Horde or die in glorious combat left him feeling resentful of his role in their lives as just another expendable soldier. While he is certain family and home are important, he never truly had either, so he feels as if he doesn’t need either. 

34: Thoughts on privacy? (Are they a private person, or are they prone to ‘TMI’?)

Aric is deceptively private. While extroverted, candid and readily engaging with even strangers, nothing he ever offers or speaks of are wholly genuine of his true self. He offers stories, grandiose and mundane, anecdotes and more, but it always seems to be just a story or an act. With a smile and a wave, he dismisses many attempts to genuinely bond with others, instead managing to turn the tables, spin the conversation or distract the curious away without ever doing so overtly.

35: What activities do they enjoy, but consider to be a waste of time?

He enjoys helping others with their troubles, but politely and optimistically chastises them for worrying about such small things, instead telling them to relax and enjoy life as a whole. 

36: What makes them feel guilty?

He has turned and abandoned more than his fair share of people when he feels the Inquisition are near. He knows they trusted him, or expected him to be there for a while longer, but he slips away and focuses on running from his pursuers.

37: Are they more analytical or more emotional in their decision-making?

Aric is a mixture of the pair. While he avoids cold, hard logic, he tends to cite following the heart, but understanding that emotions do cloud the mind. He strives to argue that there needs to be a balance, otherwise any decision is doomed to be a disaster.

38: What recharges them when they’re feeling drained?

Sitting down and gazing at the skies above tend to make him feel relaxed, rejuvenated and raise his spirits. 

39: Would you say that they have a superiority-complex? Inferiority-complex? Neither?

Aric may act slightly arrogant, but it’s a facade he puts on to avoid scrutiny from others and to relax his mind and that of his group. He tends to feel a bit inadequate at times, questioning his place and role with groups such as the Scions of the Seventh Dawn or the Grand Companies. He doesn’t understand why any of the more higher ranked members of these groups even bother with someone like him, leading to doubts over whether or not he is capable of doing much to help anyone. 

40: How misanthropic are they?

After running from Ishgard, he was rather despondent and cynical from the loss of his training legion, his betrayal of his family and the Holy See. He distrusted nearly everyone he came into contact with for sometime until he learned how to move past it. He’s grown and healed, but he dislikes the powerful elite, who often tramples over the rights and freedoms of the normal citizens. He prefers to stick to wandering the trade routes over the hustle and bustle of the large cities.

41: Hobbies?

People watching, cloud watching, sky watching, singing and whistling to himself.

42: How far did they get in formal education? What are their views on formal education vs self-education?

As a former member of the nobility, Aric was privileged in his upbringing, having access to a formal education. As it was geared towards the desires and needs of the theocracy of the Holy See, his role in the Dragonsong War, he found that it had little application usage in other areas of Eorzea, and quickly began to learn all he could to survive in the world now as a wanderer.

43: Religion?

Aric is an apostate of the Ishgard Orthodox Church, the Holy See of Ishgard and has been dubbed a heretic by the Inquisition, despite not joining the Dravanian Horde. He has no desire to correct their declarations and maintains a large amount of disdain for the Church and the Holy See’s trappings and teachings.

44: Superstitions or views on the occult?

While he knows of the superstitions of the Holy See, among some other cultures, Aric sees such things are pretty much nonsense. However, he does hold grave respects for the weapons of the fallen, and often tries to bring them to rest with the fallen or to their families.

45: Do they express their thoughts through words or deeds?

Aric is a mixture of both, opting to elaborate and exaggerate with grandiose tales and retellings of anecdotes, or pledges, while also being quite confident in his abilities, however, he tends to play off these actions as accidental or unintentional.

46: If they were to fall in love, who (or what) is their ideal?

Despite his lack of commitment, Aric is relatively monogamous, and he’d prefer some loyalty to be returned in kind. Idealistically, it will be involving someone who he can be both aspects of his self with, someone he can trust to protect him, choose to be with over other bonds, as he will be giving equally of himself. Love is a partnership, one of mutual respect, trust and vision, and he’ll look for a partner who can understand him, and one he can understand in kind.

47: How do they express love?

Aric is very vocal and prominent, he’ll lavish praise, grandiose and mundane, upon his lover. He’ll go out of his way to find trinkets and gifts for them, and fabricate a tale concerning how he fought a horde of rabid behemoths at the market for such a prize. No task is too dangerous, no journey too far to bring glory and riches to his love, even if it’s all an elaborate story or outright lie on how he acquired the gift. 

Beyond his childish antics, he is a trusting lover. He tends to put their needs beyond anything else, even his personal freedoms and safety, so a moment of betrayal, whether purposeful or due to conflicting loyalties is taken heavily.

48: If this person were to get into a fist fight, what is their fighting style like?

Outside of normal combat, a lot of his actions are made to look accidental or unintentional to hide his trained skill as a knight of Ishgard. In hand to hand combat, he would stay smiling, a joke on his lips, and use his foot to trip up his opponent, or ‘accidentally’ strike them with his limbs while trying to run away or while pretending to fall.

49: Is this person afraid of dying? Why or why not?

Aric has a fear of death, but more so, his fear is over dying for a pointless cause because an authority dictated that he do so. He ran away from Ishgard because not wishing to die a pointless death in an unending war, due to the Archbishop and his family’s orders. When exposed to the Scions of the Seventh Dawn and the political troubles of the Grand Companies and Eorzea’s cities, he has similar fears and concerns over how readily he is thrown into conflict by those in power.

[reylofanfictionanthology]

THE REYLO FANFICTION ANTHOLOGY ST. VALENTINE’S DAY LOVE FEST

This year, to celebrate St. Valentine’s Day, we wanted to show the Reylo Writing Community a little bit of love by hosting a Reylo Fanfiction St. Valentine’s Day Love Fest.

We will accept recommendations for this project until the end of February.  You can find details about how to submit a recommendation to the project here.

LOVE FEST LIST #6/?

REYLO COMMUNITY RECOMMENDATIONS

Trying Something New by Vivien

Summary: “I can do this, I can do this, I can do this,” Rey thought to herself as she tugged her bag over her shoulder. She wanted to do this. She’d pored over holonet sites in preparation. The mere idea of Ben’s request made her wet. And terrified. Just a little terrified.

Recommendation by @leofgyth​: “It's a very sweet story about Rey just beginning to learn how to dom Ben. I love dom!Rey and sub!Ben and this story is a really nice, fluffy version of that dynamic.”

One by Arwen_Evenstar

Summary: The path of the Force is never clear or decided. One moment right, the next moment wrong. And both of them must ride it through, until the end.

Recommendation by @tmwillson3​: “This fic is the first in a series of 9 interconnected post-TLJ one-shots. This fic introduces the reader to the author's signature style that slowly weaves everything in that you could ever want in a fic. It's a slow-burn with a fantastic payoff as Kylo/Ben and Rey both go through realistic struggles, with Leia brought in masterfully along with some beautiful descriptions of and usage of the Force, showing how the dark and the light both reside in the couple.”

The Temporary Husband (A overboard/reylo fan fic) by Hellyjellybean

Summary: Single mom Rey is down on her luck, and just when she thinks things can't get any worse, Ben Solo proves her theory wrong, and provides her with one last humiliating blow. Licking her wounds, Rey picks herself back up but Ben finds himself in a bad way. Injured and without any knowledge of who he is, Rey may be the only person able to provide Ben with the information he so sorely needs, but perhaps there is a way Rey could use Ben's situation to teach him a lesson and get back at him once and for all.

Recommendation by @obsessivescientist​: “Her writing is funny and intelligent and both characters, Rey and Ben are snarky and cute.”

Let's Dance Slowly Forever by MissCoppelia

Summary: Ben Solo doesn't usually find himself at karaoke bars. He left the opera world behind for a music licensing gig, and he hasn't done much of anything since his parents died. But one night he gets dragged to one by Phasma and Hux, and something inside him starts to change.

Recommendation by @aionimica​: “I love the uniqueness of this fic - I love the characters and how well they fit with each other, not to mention imagining Ben Solo and Rey singing is just perfect and I need more if it in my life and i want more people to enjoy it too.”

RFFA WRITERS SELF RECOMMENDATIONS

Hiraeth by Melusine11

Summary: Hiraeth - a homesickness for a home to which you cannot return, a home which maybe never was; the nostalgia, the yearning, the grief for lost places of your past. Rey had never put any stock in anything beyond what she could see and touch, and then she had stowed away on a stolen ship […] it was there, on that ship, that she learned that anything was possible. She had seen a ship consumed by a kraken, could still hear the panicked screams of its crew as they echoed across the waves…she had traded trinkets with mermaids…she had seen the green flash on several occasions and been close enough to touch St. Elmo’s Fire while in the crows’ nest a time or two. She had never heard of someone coming back from the dead.

“It's my child and I love it is my knee-jerk reaction answer, but...it's got pirates, it's got a freakin kraken that guards an underwater city of the dead, it's got Kylo who really messed up (but lbr, when hasn't he) and he's trying to do the right thing, and Rey who isn't here for his bullshit, plus she's got a sword and she's not afraid to use it. Sword-fights, and brothels and high seas hi-jinks and angst and naked cuddling to survive and mermaids and mystical objects and Han gambles with Captain Morgan. It's historical fantasy and I've been having the best time writing it, so come check it out!”

The Repatriationists by leoba

Summary: Rey has become involved with an underground group that returns cultural objects to their peoples of origin. She pulls in Ben Solo, her on again / off again lover, to help with their latest job.

“The story is about repatriation - returning cultural objects to the people who made them - which is a hot topic in my field right now. So this story was a way for me to write about it in a really positive way. It's almost-but-not-exactly a heist story. It also has hot scenes between Rey and Ben (including a sex scene in the tree on Ahch-To, which should *really* be more of a thing) and a characterization of Finn that I adore and want everyone else to see too.”

Starpoint Woods Power Station by tmwillson3

Summary: After being talked into applying for a job by Han Solo, Rey finds herself working at a nuclear power plant. There, she meets the man of her dreams - because who isn't attracted to arrogant sticklers for rules who are good with their tools and carry around a jar of bright green lube? This is the nuclear power plant AU you never expected. A silly, slightly informative, and humorous look at working in the nuclear industry, as well as all the pop culture references possible.

“I love this story because it is a unique modern AU for Reylo since it takes place where I work, at a nuclear power plant. I based this story on my experiences working at a plant, and I spent a lot of time to make sure all characters were placed properly and given some odd quirk as befitting a feel-good romcom. I think that everyone who's looking for some fluff and lots of silliness will find that here, especially if you like pop culture references. It's also a brief introduction to nuclear power and what goes on at a plant, but without getting super technical so that the reader can learn something new while laughing.”

To Hold by aionimica

Summary: “I had a bad dream.” For god’s sake, she sounded like a child, waking up in the middle of the night, unable to soothe herself back to sleep. But Ben was there, Ben was there and he didn’t care -- hadn’t ever cared. And so he asked the question Rey both wanted and desperately hoped he wouldn’t. “Do you want to talk about it?” ----------- Rey can’t sleep. Ben never sleeps. So some nights, they just talk.

“This was one of the closest fics I’ve written to my own heart and my own mind. I love how it shows an uncommon side of intimacy and a hope for a future between these two characters. It’s close and personal and oh so dear to me.”

[vvakarians]

Closure

An ending to a relationship in my D&D Campaign and the end of a relationship in my friend group. Under the cut.

Never had Bell needed to set foot in Blackthorn Prison, a veritable fortress to keep the most hated of the dead behind impenetrable walls. It’s exactly what every single one of the prisoners deserved. A cold, hard view to keep them company while the rest of eternity passed them by without even a second glance. This was their torture. Somewhere in the back of Bell’s mind he wished that it was harsher; he wished that the temperature could be felt to a sharper degree, the hardness of the walls and the absence of light dialed up to an intolerable level. At the very least it was a comfort that this is where Davorin had ended up. It was perhaps less than what he deserved but it was something. Ielia had written to him that the paladin would be put into more fitting conditions soon, Bell was just impatient. Rightfully so.

His prosthetic landed with a crack against the stone and he silently winced at the sound. Normally it wouldn’t have been much of an issue but the circumstances under which he had gotten it was...complicated in this situation. It harbored memories that Bell would have rather left under lock and key. While he strode past long dead criminals and evil spirits, Bell tried to shove down all thoughts of that night. Those moments did him no good to remember, not now. New pain fueled him and he wanted to wait for Davorin’s sniveling face to rear up before he let him have it with the old.

Thankfully, the hiss of some half rotted creature drew him from his stupor and he snarled at it, slamming down his heel on the hand that had lashed out from the bars. There was a whimper and an angry screech in reply as it shrank back into it’s cell, two golden eyes peering at him from the darkness. Nothing but pity and a quiet annoyance roiled in Bellamy’s gut for the thing, it had brought this on itself. A waste of skin now, perhaps that’s what would become of Davorin. He had been so prideful, so vain; that was fitting of such a man. As he walked away, Bellamy found himself wishing Ielia would enact that punishment. Or something equally as damning and painful. Something that befit a selfish traitor.

Confidence surged through Bell as he rounded the corner and spotted a familiar silhouette slumped over on the bench in a cell. Stripped of his plate armor, weapons, and shield, Davorin looked insignificant. Even the horrific burn scars where his tattoos had been seemed like a small thing compared to what he had been before. Dressed in just a plain undershirt and his trousers, he looked fittingly pathetic.  It was refreshing to Bellamy as he remembered that he towered over this man both literally and figuratively.  The man didn’t even raise himself until Bell was inches from the door to his cell, no doubt the familiar clack of his prosthetic telling who his company was before he saw the face. An icy pit of anger welled up inside of Bell as he watched Davorin slowly look up, sadness creeping over the once handsome features of the paladin.

“Bell--”

“It’s Lord Kaldwin to you. My first name is reserved for people who actually care”, Bell spat back before Davorin could even finish his sentence, gaining a shocked expression from the other man.

“Really? Already writing me off, just like that?”

“Don’t see why not, seeing as you made the snap decision to just fucking leave like you did. Real nice touch by the way, leaving your shit for me and your daughters to pick up. Or did you forget that you had a family?”

Those grey blue eyes Bell had found comfort in once narrowed at him, full of frustration and a hint of malice now. He hadn’t taken care of himself even in death, the other man noted that his beard had gotten scragglier and there were deep lines where there hadn’t been in life. Maybe, just maybe, his isolation was getting the better of him.

“Why are you here?”, Davorin mumbled, his voice streaked with pain.

“Closure. Ielia told me I was free to come ask all the questions I wanted. Seeing as I was the person closest to you, I think that’s a free trade off don’t you?”

“Then ask. Don’t dance around me with your bullshit”

The smallest pang of guilt pierced through Bell’s mask of confidence but he swallowed it expertly, keeping his head high.

“Fine. What happened? We both know that you shouldn’t be here unless you died, Davorin”

There was a derisive chuckle and Bell watched while the paladin pulled away his undershirt slightly, revealing his broad chest. Where there should be a smooth --albeit hairy-- expanse of muscle on the left side, there was a giant, gaping hole. The edges were still torn, still healing over. It would take centuries for that to completely close., if it ever did.

“Shar took what she wanted. Watched her crumple it into dust before I faded away if you want to really know, it was quite painful”

Bell scoffed, feeling his anger return in waves, “A fitting end, don’t you think? You did metaphorically rip out a few people’s hearts. Mine included”

Uncomfortable silence filled the wing as Davorin leaned back and settled in, watching Bell stand there for a moment. Panic gripped him slightly while he waited for an answer, a comment, anything. This was a little more than unnerving. The other man’s voice nearly gave him a start as it echoed amongst the stone walls, quiet and almost too sad to bear.

“I thought you said you’d never hate me”

Those simple words were enough to enrage Bell and he surged forward to slam into the bars of Davorin’s cell, his cane clattering to the floor with a tremendous sound. His knuckles gripped the metal with white knuckles while he fought back the urge to spit curses in every language he knew. Instead, he decided on the quiet, terrifying anger.

“You broke that trust years before I uttered those words, Davorin! It was one thing to not remember you had a daughter, or that you were practically married to an evil deity of secrets! Amnesia is a bitch and I realize that. What you failed to let me know was that you let that deity fuck with my memories! Memories, by the way, that were of you attempting to kill me! This was before you had any inclination of becoming a revenant, you settled into the security that I wouldn’t remember any of that! It’s not even you attempting to kill me that takes the cake, it’s the fact you would lie to me like that!”

Shock and terror filled the human’s features and he scrambled to get up, to walk forward and meet Bellamy at the door. But the other man took a step backwards shakily, letting go of the bars right as Davorin’s fingers brushed against his. Rage was boiling within the aasimar and he was about to throw inflict wounds onto a dead man just for the hell of it.

“Bell, I didn’t know about that when I found you again! Look at me and tell me that you think I would do that now”

A scoff escaped Bellamy as he shook his head in disbelief, tears welling up at the corners of his eyes, “It doesn’t matter if you wouldn’t do that now. Our trust is broken. I can’t even tell you if I know you wouldn’t anyway, it doesn’t erase the fact you did it once. That was enough to ruin everything. And it’s only part of the problem”

“What on earth have I done besides that?”

For a moment the words caught in Bellamy’s throat, the pain choking him and leaving him without air. His fists clenched at his sides painfully, nails digging into the meat of his palms. He couldn’t just walk away, he couldn’t. With hot tears running down his cheeks, leaving molten trails of gold on his skin he let his voice ring out in the prison.

“You broke your promise that you wouldn’t leave again”

Davorin’s eyes blew wide with a surge of sorrow, a shattered sound filling his sound as he let his hands fall away from the bars. The blue in his gaze was completely whisked away into grey while he sat back down onto his bench and let his face fall into his large hands. There was nothing but pure hatred and numbness at Bell’s fingertips as he scooped up his cane, leaning on it heavily while he waited for something. Anything. It felt as if years passed by as he stood there, wiping away shining tears that stained his skin. This time he did start when Davorin’s thick Imenian accent reached his ears.

“I’m sorry, Bellamy. I had no intention of harming you, nor Rosette and Nadya”

“I don’t want your apology, Davorin. It’s impossible to swallow when you did harm us. You left a six year old girl wondering why her father left her behind, and a woman looking for comfort wondering why she keeps losing people. Your brother thinks it’s his fault that you turned out like this, and Divines know what the hell Anya thinks! We haven’t even found her yet. The part for me was that...I had no warning. I had to go through so many stages of grief in a handful of seconds”, a bitter laugh echoed along the halls as Bell took a breath, “Even worse than that was I had planned on proposing to you after we destroyed my father. I think I can definitively say that I dodged a pretty large fucking bullet there. The man I fell in love with wasn’t ever real. The Davorin Sokolov I know wouldn’t have done any of that, but perhaps I had fabricated him”

Another bout of silence fell upon the two, and Bell had finally gathered the courage to turn around, to just leave. Until the other man spoke again, softly this time, almost incoherent through his tears.

“I love you, Bell”

With a shock, even to himself, Bellamy smiled at Davorin through his own tears and laughed without any of the bitterness from before.

“We both made mistakes, it seems. Proved fatal for you”

“What..what are you going to do now?”

Bellamy cleared his throat and adjusted his grip on the head of the cane, his leg had started to ache. But he could still walk away.

“Why would I tell you?”

[shmosnet2]

10 Offbeat Facts About The Macy's Thanksgiving Parade

10 Offbeat Facts About The Macy's Thanksgiving Parade

Nothing says the beginning of the holiday season like the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Not only does the event have all the delightful hallmarks of the American holiday season, it is one national tradition that can be trusted. But an event beginning in the 1920s doesn’t get this far without a bit of intrigue and a couple of secrets. Add some spicy conversation to your Thanksgiving morning this year by impressing your family with a few fun facts about this American holiday icon. See Also: 10 Unsolved Thanksgiving Mysteries 10 The balloons were introduced to make it less terrifying

When Macy’s first got the idea for the parade in 1924, employees participated along with animals from the famous Central Park Zoo. Originally donkeys, elephants, goats, and camels walked the route. Seems innocent enough, right? It might have been, except in 1925 and 1926, the organizers decided to up the ante, adding lions, tigers, and bears. You guessed it – oh my! Children along the route were so scared that Macy’s decided to trade in live animals for large rubber puppets, eventually evolving into large balloons. The move proved to be the right one, as the larger than life helium-filled animals are now recognized worldwide as a Macy’s trademark.[1] 9 The parade chased one American tradition into obscurity and birthed another

Ever heard of Ragamuffin Day? Started after Abraham Lincoln’s Presidential Declaration in 1863 making the last Thursday in November Thanksgiving Day, this adorable tradition involved children “dressing down” as hoodlums and begging for treats on the street. Eventually, the participants earned the name “Ragamuffins,” and the holiday became widely known. The occasion gained particular popularity in New York City and over time more costumes were added to the act of walking the streets asking “Anything for Thanksgiving?” The rise in popularity of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade along with the onset of the Great Depression brought Ragamuffin Day to a slow halt. By the early 1950s, however, the tradition had morphed into what we call Trick or Treating. Thanks, Macy’s![2] 8 Extreme balloon chasing, anyone?

The first decade of the parade included a tradition that turned the occasion into a weekend-long event as the animal balloons were released into the air to soar above the city and beyond. Expensive to produce, if found, the balloons could be returned to Macy’s for a cash prize. This incentive also led to the demise of the tradition, when aviator Annette Gipson ruined it for everyone in 1928 by flying her plane into one of the balloons to retrieve it. As the balloon got wrapped around its left wing, the plane began a tailspin, horrifying onlookers. Luckily, Gipson’s instructor took over, but not without the passenger door flying open and nearly forcing her out of the plane. Macy’s decided to put an end to the flying animal balloons from then on.[3] 7 The balloon animals might be cute, but they can also be dangerous

The famous larger-than-life balloons might seem harmless, but they have a dark side. Over the years they have been responsible for multiple injuries of spectators, including children. Most life-threatening was the Cat in the Hat that graced the 1997 route. Along the way it collided with a lamppost, the top of which struck an unsuspecting woman in the head, knocking her unconscious. A month-long coma followed, resulting in brain damage and permanent injury of the 34-year old mother. That’s not the end of the terror. Another incident involved Sonic the Hedgehog’s less-than auspicious debut to the parade in 1993 when he also crashed into a lamppost, leaving two spectators with semi-serious injuries. Oh, and 2005’s M&Ms balloon also failed to stay away from lampposts along the route, knocking into one of them and injuring two sisters. While Macy’s took responsibility for each incident, one has to wonder what the real threat is; the balloons, or the city’s lampposts.[4] 6The balloons are also at risk of violence While they have since tried to keep it under wraps, in the 1997 parade and at the height of his popularity, Barney the Dinosaur’s inflatable version was the victim of an attack. When unprecedented winds made things difficult for the balloon handlers, all were ordered to pause and allow the purple dinosaur to deflate. While waiting for this to occur, however, the Barney balloon hit a light pole and incurred a massive gash in his side, seeing him rapidly approaching the street. The New York City Police, however, didn’t think it was happening quickly enough and, scared for the safety of the balloon handlers, jumped on top of the rubber likeness of everyone’s favorite t-rex and started stabbing it (yes, you read that right). To prevent traumatizing children watching from home, NBC aired a recording of the Barney balloon from a previous parade on the televised broadcast. However, the scene made its way to YouTube in 2003, delighting some and disturbing others as it went viral. Barney sustained another gory injury in the 2005 parade when a tree tore his left leg before he even made it out the gate. The purple friend persevered, however, walking the route with the gash for the world to see. What a trooper. 5 The balloons helped defeat the Nazis

The only times that the parade has been canceled since its inception were the 1942, 1943, and 1944 parades, canceled due to America’s involvement in World War Two. It wasn’t that Macy’s thought it inappropriate to hold such a festive event while soldiers were overseas fighting a lengthy and gruesome war, it was because the military was experiencing severe rubber and helium shortages and regulations against overuse extended even to the famous parade. With no way around it, the event was canceled. Macy’s managed to stay in the spotlight, however, donating the balloons to the armed forces in a City Hall ceremony. We’re talking 650 pounds of rubber and who knows how much helium, not too shabby. Pictured is the 1937 Nazi parade in Long Island . . . yup: Long Island—that really happened.[5] 4 Speaking of helium, the parade keeps the industry afloat

While it may seem cute and cozy from the sidelines and TV screens, the parade is no small neighborhood holiday event. The Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade is currently second to only the United States government itself as the largest consumer of helium worldwide. For now, though, it looks like this consumption isn’t a concern and won’t lead to any shortages, even with the gas needed increasingly for technology.[6] 3Do you have a license for that balloon?

Each of the parade’s inflated balloons has its own “pilot” — the person walking backward in front of the balloon and its group of carriers. The position isn’t just one that employees volunteer for if needed. Rather, anyone selected to perform the duty undergoes special training through Macy’s. Additionally, they must learn to walk backward for 2.5 miles. Training takes place twice a year involving both classroom curriculum and track instruction. And yes, it’s all for the prestige; the crew at the parade work on a volunteer basis, doing it for fun, or to cross off a bucket list item. Even though each of the 15-plus balloons requires 50-100 handlers, jobs are hard to come by. If you don’t work for Macy’s you must be sponsored by a Macy’s employee, which is harder than it sounds, as many volunteers hold onto their positions year after year, with the same gusto as they hold onto their inflatable friends. If you do end up finding a sponsor, you will only be granted a position if you pass the physical requirements for the job. With each balloon handler navigating the route with a 300-500 pound pull, handlers are required to be over 18, weigh at least 120 pounds, be free of heart issues, and bear strapping knees and backs.[7] 2 Felix the Cat gets burned

Does Felix the Cat being the first balloon animal to ride in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade sound familiar? That’s because the actual first cartoon characters licensed, The Katzenjammer Kids, aren’t exactly household names anymore (nor does “Katzenjammer Kids” roll off the tongue as easily). Felix did appear in the parade, but only as a rubber blow-up puppet of sorts. In truth, Felix joined the parade as a helium-filled balloon in 1932. The naughty cat was, however, the first cartoon character in the parade to get into mischief befitting of a feline. The famous cat apparently has a thing for electric lines and playing with fire. The first mishap took place in 1929 when the above-mentioned blow-up puppet got away from its small group of handlers and went straight for the closest electric line, catching fire and going up in flames (also leaving his kitten son, being pulled as a separate blow-up doll, fatherless). The feline showed its pyromaniac tendencies again in 1931 following the onset of the short-lived tradition of setting the balloons out into the wild at the end of the parade. This time, a solo pilot in the air, Clarence D. Chamberlin, tried to claim Felix for his own via lasso (yes, an actual lasso). Alas, the spunky cat broke free, and again headed straight for the electric lines, bursting into immediate flames. Macy’s wouldn’t give up, however, and the releasing of the balloons would last another three years before they decided it might have too many public safety risks associated with it (ya think?).[8] 1 They want you to believe in Santa

Santa Claus has brought the parade to a close for each year of its run, except for 1933, when organizers decided to mix it up by having him mark the beginning of the parade. Seems like a good gig for a Santa-method actor, right? Well maybe, if absolute secrecy about the role is something you can agree to. When the parade was first televised (interestingly, those enjoying the parade at home did so via radio for the first two decades of its existence) in 1948, Macy’s scored Charles Howard, founder of the Santa School (yes, you heard that right) in Albion, Michigan, to play the part. He donned the red suit in the parade until 1965, being hired by Macy’s to work as Santa in their New York City store as well. When Howard retired in 1965, however, the company decided to go back to the traditional stance on Santa — there’s just one, and there he is, on the float! Actors playing Jolly old St. Nick have been anonymous ever since. In a national event featuring only the most famous cartoon characters and celebrities, that’s one impressive feat.[9] About The Author: Janice is a freelance writer and proofreader living in Denver, Colorado. She is a history enthusiast who also loves books, travel, old stuff, and a good list. You can follow her adventures on Instagram and on Twitter.

https://ift.tt/2DQh4mD . Foreign Articles December 06, 2019 at 12:03PM