#Rufus the Left Hand of the Crow

[sociopath-analysis]

Sociopath Traveler (Part 1)

The first Octopath Traveler game released in 2018 provided a lot of sociopaths on its own, enough to make a list in and of itself. The eight travelers have to come across plenty of antagonists, and these ones showed the most antisocial traits.

To see analyses on each of them (when they come out), click here for the main list. (They may not be done when you're reading this.)

[happilychee]

fairy tail dragon slayer headcanons pt. 1

♡ what the first gen and second gen dragon slayers eat is pretty self-explanatory. all of their elements are... somewhat tangible. sting and rogue though? they're still figuring it out. rogue wonders if he can eat someone else's shadow, and sting immediately volunteers himself. "for science!" he says. the result is that sting almost passes out. oops. he insists they try on their friends, much to rogue's displeasure. the results are that sting is the most susceptible, then yukino, rufus, orga, and minerva is the least susceptible to magic drainage. sting insists rogue tries to eat an inanimate object's shadow, and nothing happens to it, so they decide that's the way to go.

♡ when wendy eats air, the oxygen levels thin. she has to be careful or she'll cause her allies and enemies alike to pass out. when sting eats light, the area gets darker and darker. this is great for rogue, who starts eating the shadows, and they manage to balance each other out.

♡ sting insists that different types of light taste differently. his favorite is light from golden hour, right when the sun is dipping below the horizon. moonlight will do in a pinch, but it's so diluted that it takes way more of it to recover sting's magic. he also gets sick if he eats too much moonlight.

♡ pantherlily already has transformation magic and enhanced strength, and carla learns to transform so she can help wendy fight. the other three exceeds feel... a little left out. happy learns how to fly faster and for longer (though he still complains about lucy being heavy). lector goes to porlyusica and wendy to learn some stamina regeneration spells for sting. everyone is surprised when frosch, completely on their own, manages to learn an adorable light spell that creates floating pink bubbles. rogue can consume the shadows from them without worrying about draining frosch's magic, and he spends the entire afternoon crying about it.

♡ dragon slayers are a bit like crows. their way of bonding with someone is through gifting trinkets. natsu will bring lucy, erza, and even gray pretty rocks or seashells that he's found on jobs. wendy picks up a new craft or hobby every week, so the members of fairy tail are constantly recieving handmade accessories from her (gajeel helps during the metalsmithing phase). gajeel does not buy cute things for people. he is like a dad in the fact that, when juvia mentions she wants watermelon, he buys her 20 watermelons. walking math problem fr.

♡ laxus has mixed feelings about his more draconic features and habits. he's never loved his magic because of the way he got it, and the memory of his father basically torturing him as he inserted the lacrima will stay with him forever. he tends to suppress dragon instincts more than anyone else in the group, and they all scold him for it. on a rare occasion, laxus will give in and buy something shiny (like a hairclip) for wendy. she has a little jewelry box for them that she guards fiercely.

♡ cobra considers himself more of a flying snake than a dragon. he once drew a picture that sent everyone into a laughing fit. he prefers to stick with the old oración seis crew, but the guild dragon slayers are always happy to see him when he stops by with crime sorcière.

♡ sting, because of his heightened senses and his affinity for light, prefers nighttime. the day can often be overwhelming, and overexposure to bright settings and lots of people leaves his skin buzzing. he likes to sit in the dim guild hall, leaning against the cool stone wall, as the chatter of the crowd quiets down with the setting sun.

♡ dragon slayers all have the Bite instinct. some exercise a degree of control about it, and others go crazy with it. wendy will very gently nibble on erza or mira's arm when she's in the mood, and sometimes she does it absentmindedly. natsu, on the other hand, is an absolute menace. multiple of erza's armor sets have natsu-shaped bite marks on them. he tends to go after her the most because he knows he won't hurt her with the armor. when natsu's more calmed down, he will chomp on lucy's shoulder. gajaeel copes by eating all of fairy tail's silverware (mira starts buying ceramic spoons), but when levy offers her wrist to him he can't help it.

♡ rogue is another one who doesn't really bite people. he, very rarely, nips at frosch's ears, which causes the exceed to giggle. sting is a Biter like natsu, but with slightly more decorum. he really wants to go at it but will restrain himself because most people aren't willing to be treated like a chew toy. luckily for him, gray and cana aren't most people! because they both wear pretty exposing clothing, gray and cana have no qualms about showing off sting's bite marks on their skin. sting always turns bright red when they tease him about it.

♡ laxus and cobra don't really feel the Bite instinct due to being second gen, but cobra is a little shit and bites people for the fun of it. laxus is completely unbothered when natsu clings to him like a koala and gnaws at him.

[leeus-writing]

Fate

Anon asked: So how do you think Reno & Rufus would meet their non-Turk, non-Shinra employee significant other?

This is

Reno Fate

You travelled back and forth regularly on the train. From Sector 7 to sector 8 top plate to work in a very fancy restaurant for the rich. However, you didn’t mind. The people were interesting, and they tipped well. You’d been saving up for a long time for a place of your own. You were close to your goal.

The only problem you found was. The train was often crowed, and you’d find yourself falling into another person and getting intimate with their armpit. Often, you’d want to shower for a very long time after a long day, not because of the work, but because of the train!

One evening you found yourself on a yet again crowed train. A man was stood next to you, bright red hair, uncommon in Midgar but it was more known in people from the north, and a smart suite. Other than that, detail you hardly really notice what he was doing. Looking at his phone maybe? You didn’t even really notice him get on.

The train rattled and bumped you fell right into this man. He staggered and caught you in his arms, plonking you onto your feet.

“Yo… You, ok?” He asked.

“Yeah… I just… sorry I tripped,” you replied and looked up at the guy.

“Oh…” you muttered caught by his piercing sea green eyes.

A blush creeping onto your cheeks. You looked away.

“Heading to HQ?” he asked.

“Umm… No, I work in sector eight. I… work for a restaurant there,” You replied tucking your hair behind your ear. He chuckled a little but said nothing more for the rest of the tip.

| |

“Y/N Two more guests for table seven!”

You hurried out into the main part of the dining room. There he was the red head from the train. Your breath caught in your throat and the blush lit up your face. He was with another man, who was not looking impressed and seemed to keep his sunglasses on.

“Umm… Table for two? Err do you want to sit in a quiet area that’s a little more…”

The redhead burst out laughing before you could finish your sentence.

“No No… He’s my brother. Well not biologically. Look love, I don’t like men in that way,” he said with a chuckle on his lips.

The other just coughed a little, “I’m… err taken anyway.”

“Wait really?”

“Err… I will be. Once I talk to her anyway.”

You just shuffled from foot to foot, “Well come this way then please.”

You lead them to a table in the middle of the room when the redheaded man took your arm. You froze and looked at him.

“I… meant to ask for your number,” he said softly.

“I don’t even know your name,” you replied a little surprised.

“Reno, just Reno,” he replied with a smile, he spotted your boss scowling, “After your shift then. We’ll eat the place out of stock soon enough.”

The two man somehow managed five courses each. You weren’t really sure why the one named Reno was so intent on getting your number. He winked and smiled whenever he caught your eye which made you blush heavily. You were curious though.

| |

When your shift ended and the restaurant had closed and Reno and his friend left, once they were the last two, and your manager encouraged them out. Reno happened to be waiting for you outside. You stopped and placed your hand to your chest. He smiled and stepped closer handing you a card.

“I get it, some strange man followed you. I’m just interested in ya love. Here’s my number. Call it if you want. By the way. Your manager seems to be a bit of a dick,” He winked and walked away.

You clutched the card to your chest before pulling out your phone and ringing the number. Reno was still in eye shot of you and he stopped pulling his phone from his pocket.

“Hello…”

“My name is Y/N… I’d like to go for a drink,” you said, breathing heavily with the rush of adrenaline.

A short chuckle could be heard before Reno hung up and turned to you.

“Thought you’d never ask.”

| |

@renohasbigtits

@electric-turks

@kittyplier95

[ruthparson]

In Just One Week

The fledgling crow and his mama fight every day now about who is getting food for whom. Baby He did not know that he was being groomed to feed himself. He could tell things were changing, but he just didn’t understand. Baby He will chase his mama down across the grass, or on the flat roof tops with his mouth wide open, a too loud and pitiful cry projects itself into the quiet. His mama, whether from the tree branches or standing in the disheveled grass, opens her beak and screams into his nearly same size face. Grow Up Baby He!

 ~ ~ ~

A lucky girl has some Besties, and I have had a handful of beauties over the course of fifty years. Then, in just one week, things changed. I’ve lost the first of my forever friends. Yes, these friends have many more, very good woman friends who they know and love. But, these are my heart buddies.

Gillian left at three-thirty in the morning of Tuesday, June Twenty-Eighth, in 2022. Meagan, her girl, brought Gillian home on that Monday. She settled Gillian back into her lovely studio of a home, with beautiful light and myriad treasures. Home.

That evening there was a guest for dinner. Gillian slept, I like to think it was in her nest of a little bed under the window with the lace curtains over the  closed venetian style blinds, with all the pillows a girl could ever want to be sure her body can rest. And Gillian does rest. She sleeps now mostly, tiny laughs escape. It appears that any pain she feels is controlled by her disinterest and hospice level medications. Gillian’s friend, and Meagan’s too of course, Mary comes for dinner. Gillian sleeps, Meagan and Mary catch up and reminisce, and have their dinner and wine with the wind chime sounds of silver on ceramic on top of a proper wooden table. Everything feels so very at home, full of love and a life, yes, damnit, very well lived, the sounds of friends laughing their hearts out. The party broke up about midnight. 

Gillian is made comfortable for the night in her own soft bed. Meagan rests on the futon bed, the same bed she must have slept on a million times over the last three, difficult years. The very same comfortable bed that I slept on for a whole week while I found and said goodbye to my dear, dear Gillian. 

So, Meagan falls onto her bed, which is a nice forty-five degree angle from her mom, head to head. It seems right. They could whisper to each other in the night and actually be able to hear each other. This night though, is quiet. About three-thirty in the morning a pee break is required. Meagan checks on her mom before turning out the bathroom light. Gillian’s skin is looking remarkably plump, sort of juicy and she is wearing a lovely little smile on her face. Meagan thinks, how sweet, and watches, and checks again, and finds, to her surprise, she sees that Gillian has gone. Oh Gillian, your death was a beauty, of course. 

 See you honey, wherever we do.

  ~ ~ ~

PS My little old heart lost one of her buddies this week. I call her Gillian, with a hard G, for many reasons, the best being that is who I first met and this girl I love is always that girl I first met. I will, I am certain, and have no doubt, to her horror, call my girl Gilly when I am in a mood. I was in that mood a lot when she came to visit me there, in her own sweet apartment, between the veils. She liked to call me Rufus.

[skyriderwednesday]

Slip Away

As usual, the meeting had begun at three o'clock precisely, and he had reasonably assumed that it would have ended by ten to six. It was now, by his watch, quarter past nine.

--

The Guild Leaders argue, that's what they're supposed to do, but carrying on one argument for six hours straight? That's going a bit too far even for the most patient of men.

(G rated, 1051 words)

Also on AO3

Drumknott fought back a yawn and shuffled the contents of the folder in his lap. It had been long enough in the chamber today that Vetinari had had him sit down and things still showed no sign of ending. As usual, the meeting had begun at three o'clock precisely, and he had reasonably assumed that it would have ended by ten to six. The agenda was short and the motions raised had previously progressed without arguments. It was now, by his watch, quarter past nine. The guild leaders were still arguing about the first motion. He didn't care what it had been anymore, nor what had started the argument to begin with. He was tired, bored, his head hurt, he would have given his right arm for a glass of water... Drumknott glanced at Vetinari beside him. He was sitting back from the table, glasses off, his eyelids three-quarters closed, slowly and methodically rubbing circles into his right temple with his long fingertips, his elbow resting on the arm of the chair. Others may have thought he had fallen asleep, or else stopped paying attention, but Drumknott knew he was both awake and listening to the entire commotion, combing through it for some statement he could take a hold of to steer the 'discussion' in a direction he wanted. But nothing was really being said any longer, certainly nobody was listening. Vetinari had instructed him to stop taking minutes four hours ago, when the argument had first ceased to be productive. The most he could be waiting for now was an appropriate lull in the storm of insults and accusations to get to his feet and silence them all. It didn't appear to be coming. Vetinari lifted his chin as for a brief moment the volume waned, but before he could act someone - Drumknott wasn't bothered to work out who - shouted something else and the cacophony resumed. He rubbed his forehead and sighed, covering his eyes with his hand. Drumknott shifted across his seat a little towards him. "Sir..." he ventured. A whisper now wouldn't have been heard, even by Vetinari's keen ears. Regular speech however caught his attention. "Yes, Drumknott?" he said from behind his hand. "Sir..." He couldn't quite believe what he was about to suggest but he tried to say it with confidence anyway, "Might we just… slip away?" Vetinari turned his head to look at him, as if he might have been expecting him to say many things but not that. "Slip away?" he repeated, a little hoarse. "You mean to say leave?" Rufus dropped his gaze beneath his glasses and lowered his head. "I-I know, sir-- it w-was just a fancy, I--" Vetinari touched his arm. Drumknott looked up. There was a hint of exhausted fondness in his face. "I was going to say that I could not think of a better idea." Oh. Rufus cleared his throat. "I see, sir..."  "The only impediment would be that my cane has slipped beneath the table." "I can retrieve it, sir," Drumknott said. "Splendid. I will hold your folder." "Thank you, sir." Closing the folder and passing it carefully to his lordship, Drumknott lowered himself under the table and found the cane. It had slipped quite far on the old carpet, perhaps further than it should have. He ducked his head to avoid hitting it as he crawled out from beneath the table. "Thank you," Vetinari said, as Drumknott brushed dust off his knees. "I had attempted to retrieve it myself, but as I could not see what I was doing, instead I had kicked it away." Ah. That explained it. Drumknott decided not to comment as he accepted the folder back. A wall had built itself between them and the still occurring argument, like they had slipped into a pocket of rationality shielding them from notice. Not a head turned as Vetinari stood and surveyed the table for one long moment. A slow shake of his head condemned all of it, and he looked back to Drumknott. "Let us go then."

Drumknott tucked the folder into his elbow and followed him quietly to the door. His movements were a little stiff from sitting so long but feeling was already returning as Rufus closed them into the corridor without the door's usual creak, the raised voices fading into a muffled sound like a flock of squabbling crows shut into a box. "I assume we will return upstairs, sir?" "In a moment please." Vetinari leaned against the wall, taking most of the weight off of his bad leg and rubbing his hip. "Sir?" He looked up, his eyes searching his memory for something. Drumknott prepared to make suggestions, opening his mental dictionary. "I have... what would be the phrase?" He shifted his hold on his cane, looking uncomfortable.  "Tingling..." "Pins and needles, sir?" "That would be the one, thank you. I have terrible pins and needles all down my leg," he said, rubbing his hip again. "They're best walked off in the legs, sir." "Yes, I recall..." He came away from the wall, but seemed reluctant to begin walking again. "Might I rely upon you?" Drumknott moved his folder to the other side and closed the usual distance kept between them. "Of course, sir." Vetinari smiled and a few years' worth of discomfort lifted from his face as they proceeded arm in arm at leisurely pace. After a few minutes of comfortable silence, Vetinari leant in closer to him as they reached the entrance hall. "I do not mind confiding that I rather need the lavatory," he murmured. "Understandably, sir." "After which, would you be open to dinner?" Quite frankly, Rufus would have opened to dinner over an hour ago. It seemed an eternity since lunch, and his stomach was beginning to grumble. "I would, sir," he said, trying not to betray this fact. "Very good. Then if you wish, we may retire for the night." They reached the bottom of the stairs. "Should I first arrange to recall the guilds tomorrow, sir?" Drumknott asked. "Oh, I suppose we better had," Vetinari said heavily, sounding if he would rather do anything else. "I expect they will notice that we have left within the next few minutes." "Likely, sir." Rufus glanced up the stairs. "Might you still want assistance?" "Please."

[reno2ndgun]

Being so close that you can feel your lips brush when you whisper 

Reno is almost 60 by the time Valentine leaves him, though not by choice. Life had finally run its course and caught up with Vincent. His health had slowly been deteriorating. It was a bizarre but natural turn of events that Valentine seemed equal parts irritated and relieved with. Valentine had been glad. His last words had been ones of relief as the weight of Hojo’s abuses were finally lifted in the last moments before death; Something he had thought would be denied to him. “Don’t be sad for me Reno. I’m relieved. I’m happy to have an end to my life. It means I won’t be left behind. That when everything is done, I can rest and see you again instead of being left with old clothes, and empty chairs and photos.”  Reno leans in to kiss him goodbye, countenance wrinkled with age. Many crow’s feet and smile lines that Vincent had put there over the years gracing his features.  “Tell Rufus I said hello, That I love him and miss him. Remember that I love you both?” Valentine wheezed with a raspy chuckle, and squeezed Reno’s hand. “I will Reno. I’ll be waiting for you love. “ Reno stayed with him in the hospital until his last breath left him. He was there when the doctors pulled him off of life support, and so were Rude, Tseng, and Elena. This was not just to comfort Reno, but also because Veld had left Valentine behind and all of them found that to be unacceptable regardless of their ties to their old mentor.  Reno wept openly on and off for weeks and eventually moved in with Rude. But he always thought of the whisper fine kisses of morning Valentine used to give him and it helped him remember how to smile.

[holylulusworld]

The wolf and the princess - Part 7 - United again

Summary: A princess and a wolf meet under difficult circumstances. Can they give each other shelter in a cold world?

A/N: prompt/idea by @gypsyjucar​​: Ulf Johnsen (Dean Winchester) is the leader of his land with the help of his brother. On a trip to Dean gets captured by the king's guards, the princess, was just walking along the castle when she hears her father and guards talking about a barbarian in the cells and this is where their journey begins...

Pairing: Viking!Dean /Ulfr or Wolf) x Princess!Reader, Viking!Sam (Frode) x Shield-Maiden!Ruby, Castiel, Garth, Cole Trenton, Ivar (Bobby Singer), Rufus Turner, OFC’s

Warnings: angst, innocent reader, mutual pining, longing, shitty father, language, tension, fluff, bad use of Norse language, gentle Dean/protective Dean, fighting, characters death, mentions of past rape (nothing graphic), betrayal

The wolf and the princess Masterlist

Day 7

Ruby is unstoppable. Her blood boils, as the Valkyries call for the fight. 

While you stay behind with Rufus and Castiel, your Viking along with his brother runs after the shield-maiden.

“I must excuse my son’s behavior, princess. Sam is not fond of outsiders, but he’ll change his mind.” The elder man gives you a soft smile. 

His thick brown hair hangs loosely over his shoulders. The single braid he wears at the back of his head is already grey and you assume he must be older than your father, maybe in his late fifties.

“I am Ivar (Bobby). You can call me Bobby as my mom used to call me. I lived in your country for a while.” The Viking explains as he tries to distract you from what happens not so far away.

“That’s the reason you speak my language so well.” Whispering the words, you flinch as you hear the shield-maiden, this goddess of a woman yell orders in Norse. 

“Don’t worry, my lady. Dean is a strong fighter and has a reason to come back.” You know Ivar means well but your hands start to shake when the whole forest falls silent.

“Bad sign…” Ivar curses before he runs after his sons. “Stay here, no matter what.”

Ruby’s lance pierces the first knight’s chest. Even wearing an armor didn’t protect him from the almost indestructible metal of her lance.

“Shield-maiden!” One of the knights calls for his comrades but he doesn’t get far as Ruby pierces his throat with the lance.

It seems like she performs a dance when she twists and turns to take more enemies down. Her black hair falls into her face when she picks one of the swords the knight dropped up to throw at another enemy.

“Skjaldmær (Shield-maiden)!” Sam’s deep voice booms through the night, but Ruby is forcing her way through the enemies. 

She only has one goal – to defeat all knights and earn her king’s approval. Her whole life she had to fight the prejudices of her fellow Vikings.

Her mother fell victim to a knight’s cruelty during a raid when she was barely fifteen. Everyone believed Ruby is a bad omen, that a child conceived due to rape could never be one of them.

While the shield-maiden hates the knights with burning rage, most of the Vikings believed she would prefer living among the outsiders instead of becoming a Viking.

Only Sam was kind to her since they were children. Now she wants to pay him back, wants to make sure no one will ever doubt her devotion to her king, the Vikings, and the shield-maiden.

“Dean, over there. Three more from left. I’ll take the one to the right!” Sam’s eyes drift toward Ruby, but he knows right now he must concentrate on the approaching enemies not to protect his chosen wife.

“I will take them down, bróðir (brother).” Dean falls back into talking Norse, giving orders the knights do not understand to have an advantage during the fight.

“Minn Gramr (my king),” Ruby warns before she pierces a knight’s back who tried to attack Dean. “We need to retreat sooner or later. We can’t withstand more attackers!”

“Hold the line, shield-maiden!” Sam calls for his love, the one he promised to protect as one of the knights tries to carve Ruby’s arm. 

“Ruby is right, Sam.” Silence falls over the forest as Dean and Sam try to hold back more enemies. “Only Thor can help us if there are more coming.”

“Sam, Dean…” Storming toward his sons Bobby attacks the first knight trying to get deeper into the forest. The experienced fighter may be old, but this doesn’t mean he can’t take an enemy down.

“Ivar…” Yelling orders at his fellow Vikings Dean looks at the path he came from. He can’t let any knight get close to you. “We need to withstand.”

“Dean…” Pointing toward an approaching knight Sam gasp as Garth dashes forward, wielding his sword to chop one of the knights head off.

“Where’s the princess? We need to be fast. It was a trap…” Garth calls out as he jumps off his horse. 

Luckily Garth prefers to not wear armor, this way he easily gets off the horse to attack the next knights.

“Trap?” Dean pants as another enemy tries to attack him but he dodges the attack to pierce the knight’s arm with his sword.

“Cole sent men before the king mobilized his knights. I came here to make sure the princess and you were able to escape. I hand Castiel the keys to free you.” 

Carving an enemy’s face with his dagger Garth nods at Dean who takes down the last knight with his sword. “Cole? How could he have known we would enter the forbidden forest?”

“I don’t know, but can you see the black crow on the knight’s armor? It’s Cole’s insigne. “I can only tell I saw Cole’s men from afar and tried to get here as fast as possible.”

“I hate that man. He tried to touch my àst (love), my princess.” Dean grunts as Garth points toward the horizon. “More men are coming. I am afraid, someone sold us…”

“Someone sold us?” Recalling Garth’s words Dean dashes toward the forest to run to your campfire. His mind races, just like his heart as his fellow Vikings follow him.

“I don’t understand how those knights were able to find us that fast. We barely came here and already got attacked.” Castiel eyes his surroundings warily, grazing his fingers over his sword.

“My friend, I got no clue. Maybe they assumed we would try to find shelter in the forbidden forests. Not everyone fears this place, Castiel.” Nodding the knight keeps an eye on Rufus as he subtle shoves you behind his back.

“You may be right Rufus, my old friend.” Castiel can see Dean approach from afar so he takes a step backward, making sure you stay behind him. “I am just asking myself why they were looking here out of all the places on this island.”

“You were always too smart for your well-being.” 

Time runs out on Rufus, so he tries to take Castiel and you down with him. Prepared for the blow that’s coming Castiel dodges Rufus attack with his sword.

“Princess, run!” Attacking Rufus, the knight protecting you since you were born, Castiel glances at Dean running faster to bring you behind his back. “How could you do this? You protect Y/N since she’s a little girl!”

“I gave my vows to the king to protect him and the kingdom. How will people think about our kingdom hearing the princess ran off with a Viking, a wild man. As much as I love the princess, I love my country, my kingdom more.”

“YOU SWORE TO PROTECT HER!” Furious Castiel dashes toward to bore his sword into Rufus's shoulder. “You are lucky I don’t want to kill anyone in front of my princess.”

“Do it! End me traitor! You swore to protect your kingdom and ran off with those barbarians. I know they are not bad people, but we can’t let anyone believe our king is weak.” Rufus presses his hand to his bleeding shoulder, gritting his teeth as Castiel refuses to let him die for his king.

“I am no traitor, Rufus. I swore to my queen to protect her daughter no matter what. I promised her as she was close to death that no man will ever hurt my princess. I swore on all that’s holy to me to make sure Y/N will marry her Viking, the man who owns her heart.”

“We need to go, Lord Castiel.” Garth rushes toward his master, glaring at Rufus as he passes him by.

“That’s the reason you told me to not do anything against Cole. Disgusting.” Spitting into Rufus's face the young knight can’t believe one of the knights he admired is a traitor.

“I know, Garth. Let’s get ready.” 

While everyone prepares to leave the forbidden forest, you watch Castiel restraint, Rufus, to a tree. “They will come for you…eventually.”

“Can we not let him go?” Taking Dean’s offered hand to mount Sleipnir you nod as his eyes tell you Rufus would run to your father or worse, to Cole to tell him who is with you and where you are heading.

“Minn Gramr (my king),” remembering the knights do not understand her language Ruby nods at her king. “We need to go. The little guy told me there may be others following our path.”

“Dean, Ruby is right. We must leave and use the darkness to escape them. I pray Thor will lead our way and we can reunite with our men.”

“United again, bróðir (brother).” Dean raises his ax, smirking as you wrap your body around him once again. ���For fate and honor.”

“Ulfr (Dean), minn gramr (my king) we need to be fast. If you want to keep this girl, the princess.” Meeting Dean’s eyes Ruby nods. “You have to do the ceremony on our way to the ships. When she’s yours completely, they can’t part you any longer.”

“Ceremony?” Whispering the word, you look up at Dean. “What does she mean, my king?”

“My princess, my love. It means we have to…” Your king, the wild man smirks and you feel the heat creeping into your cheeks. “If you want me, I’ll give you my whole land, my fate.”

“I want you…” Dean slowly leads his horse, deeper into the forest whispering words in his language you do not understand to calm you.

Resting your head against his chest you close your eyes, holding tight onto him - afraid he could disappear when you open your eyes again.

“I want you to search the forest. Kill anyone you find, no matter if he’s Viking or not. Only the princess is precious. I want her unharmed.” 

Cole orders your father's men around as they are busy looking at the knight's Dean and the others defeated hours ago.

“My Lord, fighting wild man in the forbidden forest at night is not something we are used to. Maybe we should try to reach the shore before they do so.” Cole chuckles humorlessly before he backhands the young knight.

“I am your master now. Follow my lead or end up in the dungeon. Your king wants me to bring his daughter back, so I will do so.”

The dark smirk on Cole’s lips let the knight’s shudder but just like Rufus, they swore their loyalty to their kingdom and the king.

“We need to hide in the deeper parts and start the ritual. Once she became your kona (wife) they can’t take her away from you.” Watching Dean holding you in his arms Sam squares his jaw. 

He needs to make sure to keep his brother and you alive. A difficult task while being hunted once again. 

“I know, Sammy. I just wish we had more time to prepare for the wedding. I wanted to give her the world, our fate. I wish we could bring her home and I’ll make her my queen.” 

Pressing you closer to his chest Dean, aware he could lose you when more knights come to attack him, he drives his horse deeper into the dark forest toward an unknown future…

Tags will be added to the reblog

[sterling-starlight]

No Texting During Drama Club

Me: Alright! Week two of Vesuvian pride is all about the modern day AUs, I can do this!

*Eight pages later*

What happened? (Pen pals/online friends meeting in person for the first time. Not quite as adherent to the prompt, but I think it works well enough)

Unknown Sender

3:30 PM.  

“-heard u have a&p with prof valdemar. If you let me copy ur notes, I will owe u pizza for the rest of our lives.

-this is Julian, btw. from the theater club.

-in case u thought this was some, u know, random creep.”

You

3:35 PM

“-Fine. But only because no one deserves to be failed by Valdemar.  

-I’ll drop them off at the dressing room tomorrow. I like pineapple and olive pizza.”

Unknown Sender

3:37 PM

“-pineapple doesn’t belong on pizza, u monster!

-sigh. but I'll let it slide since you’re saving my ass.”

You

3:41 PM

“-Did you really just type out ‘sigh’?”

Unknown Sender

3:43 PM

“-….

-Yes.”

----------------

You

6:30 PM

“-So, hey. Congrats on getting to play Hamlet.”

Julian

6:34 PM

“-not the most original production we’ve done, but a role’s a role. seeing Lucio’s face when he realized he wasn’t the star was worth it.”

You

6:40 PM

“-Remind me who that is.

I’m seriously drawing a blank here.”

Julian

6:43 PM

“-blonde. rich. Insufferable. loud.

-he has that fancy prosthetic arm that somehow makes him better than everyone.”

You

6:50 PM

“-Oooooooooh. Him.

-He doesn’t really come to bother us production people unless he wants to bitch about costuming or the sets. Which is a lot.”

Julian

6:55 PM

“-i think I've heard you chew him out a few times. Ur the girl with the venterran accent, right?”

You

7:01 PM

“-Aye.

-Surprised you could even understand me. Not a lot of people can when I get PO’d.”

Julian

7:10 PM

“-i understood enough to know you called him a prick.  

-my mom and dad took me to venterre once. it was almost as pretty as you.”

You  

7:20

“-Wow.

-That was horrible and you should feel horrible.”

Julian

7:12

“-I have no shame, and never will, my dear.”  

-------------------------------------

Julian

3:00 AM

“-natalia

“-hey, natalia.”

“-tali”

Julian 3:05 AM

“-how did people in the middle ages first think to start using leeches?

“-like, did they stick leeches on themselves and realize that pain and blood loss and disease was the medicine?”

You

3:06 AM

“Jules, it is 3 in the goddamn morning. Go to bed.”

Julian

3:07 AM

“I work the graveyard shift at supermarket.  it’s my lunchtime.”

You

3:08 AM

“-Then fuckin eat your lunch and let normal people sleep before I cram it up your ass.”

Julian

3:10 AM

“- I can think of much more fun things we can do.”

You

3:15 AM

“-Fuck you, I’m going back to sleep.”

-----------------------

Jules

2:30 PM

“-So you really had a pet ram as a kid?”

You

2:31 PM

“-Technically, I still do. I just couldn’t bring him with me.

“-my flat allows large dogs, but won’t allow rams? It’s bullshit.”

Jules

2:32 PM

“-rams aren’t really normal pets tho.”

You

2:33 PM

“-Says the guy who has a pet crow.”

Jules

2:34 PM

“-malak is a raven, number 1.  

-number 2, he is an absolute delight. how dare you say otherwise?

You

2:40

“-Rufus is better.

“-Behold the glory”

Jules

2:50 PM

“-oh, so it’s a pet off then? Fine! May the cutest animal win!”

You

3:00 PM

“-Fine!”

Jules

3:05 PM

“-Have at you!”  

-------------------------------------

When Natalia’s phone rang, she was actually shocked to see Julian’s caller id flash on the screen.   They had never actually... talked on the phone before.  

The worst-case scenarios instantly popped into her head. Was he hurt? Did something happen? What if this was the hospital calling her to say he was in critical condition. Why would he put her as an emergency medical contact without telling her?!

Her phone buzzed again, more insistently, and she pressed the answer button with a trembling finger.  

“Hello?”

“Oh, hi~” The feminine voice from the other line was definitely not Julian, not even at his most dramatic falsetto. And she sounded too chipper to be the bearer of doom and death. Natalia let out a breath she hadn’t been aware she’d been holding. “This is... Tali? Right?”

“It’s Natalia, actually. Who is this?”

“My name is Portia! I’m Ilya’s- oh, sorry. One sec,” Portia put a hand over the speaker, muffling the commotion on her side of the line. There was thumping, shuffling, and her shouting “You have her listed as ‘My Dearest Tali’, Ilya! Come on!”  

A voice that sounded somewhat like Julian’s shouted back something, but Natalia couldn’t hear it clearly.  There was a sound like static or rushing wind, before a door slammed and Portia let out a triumphant laugh. Portia’s voice fully came back on the line. “Sorry. But, yeah. I’m Ilya’s little sister. I would have liked to meet you in person, but my brother is completely hopeless.”  Someone thumped against the door, and Portia lowered the phone again. “You know I’m right!”  She yelled at the door.

Back to normal. “Aaaanyway. He’s been lamenting, and sighing, and wallowing over whether or not he should ask you out. So! You wanna go on a date with him?”  

Natalia opened and closed her mouth a few times, wordless sounds escaping. She was sure her face was burning pink. She could feel the heat spreading from her cheeks to her neck.  “Take your time. I can be in here all day.” Portia said casually. Natalia could almost picture her reclining back casually on whatever it was she was sitting on.  

“Ah- Ah,” Natalia finally managed to choke out. She took in a deep breath, and let it out in a slow whistle.  “...if he really wants tae.” She finally said.  

“Oh, he does. Trust me, I know him better than anyone.” Natalia could hear Portia’s smile through the phone. Distantly, a lock clicked and a door swung open. “She said yes, Ilyushka. You can thank me later.”

“That wasn’t- you’re missing the-!” Julian stammered. He took a breath and lifted the phone to his ear. “Listen, whatever Pasha said, you can just forget it. Really. It’s nothing.”

For a moment, Natalia found herself stunned by the sound of his voice. It wasn’t anything new to her. She had heard it from behind thick velvet curtains and up on catwalks. She had heard him bellow for lost love mournfully, monologue passionately, and condemn his enemies. But those were all characters. Hamlet, and Romeo, and Othello. None of them had been Julian Devorak. Not really.  

“Natalia?” His voice broke her out of her stupor, and sent a shiver down her spine. The way his tongue curled around the syllables of her name, like he had never spoken anything more sacred, sent her heart aflame in the best possible way.  

“Julian.” She spoke his name barely above whisper.  Natalia leaned against her desk for support, head spinning. When had- how did- why didn’t he- she- they-? She took in a breath through her nose, just as Julian heaved a resigned sigh.

“Good night, Tali.”  

“No, wait, Julian! Don’t-!” The dial tone droning in her ear was all she got.  And when she tried calling him, all she got was his voice mail.  

Try again. Voice mail.

Try again. Voice mail.  

You

8:00 PM

“-Julian, you asshole! Pick up your phone!”

*Last Read by Jules at 8:05 PM.  

--------------

Natalia Valeth was not a quitter.

She hadn’t given up when she left her home country to become a pharmacist. She hadn’t lost hope when she didn’t make the cut to be on the acting team. She didn’t back down even as Professor Valdemar verbally tore the first draft of her thesis to shreds. So, when she drove to the community theater the very next weekend, she was a woman on a mission.  

She was hours early for once, but not so early that the doors to the theater weren’t already unlocked. The only person who would wake up at the ass crack of dawn for theater was Julian, and that was exactly what Natalia was betting on.  She threw open the auditorium doors with a resounding bang that echoed resoundingly all throughout the room. Sitting on the edge of the stage was Julian, who looked up at her when she made her entrance. The script he had been looking over listlessly fell from his grip, scattering like leaves in the wind. In such a quiet room, Natalia could hear him curse as if she were right at his side.  She steeled herself and marched down the steps of the auditorium, stopping less than an arm’s length away from were Julian sat on his haunches collecting the papers.  

“We need tae talk. Face tae face this time.”  

“Do we?” Julian finally collected the script and rose to his full height. Despite having a good foot on Natalia, he had never looked smaller gunmetal gray eyes looking everywhere but at her. He turned his back on her to tap the pages crisply against the stage.  

“You bet yer ass we dae! Whit th’ hell urr ye thinking’s? Whit, did ye think ignoring this wid mak’ it go away?”  

“...Maybe a little.”

“Och! Yer impossible!” Natalia threw her hands up with the exclamation. “Did ye think Ah juist said ‘aye’ tae fuck wi’ ye? A’m waantin’ tae gang oan a date wi’ ye! Mibbie even twa! If we feel really crazy, we’ll mak’ it three.”

It might not have been the three magical worlds that would have been most dramatic. If this were a stage production, this would be the part where the lights would dim, and the spotlight would narrow over the two lovers, giving the illusion that they were the only two people in the world.   With the theater as empty as it was, they might as well have been.  

“Do you... Do you mean that?”

Such vulnerability didn't seem like Julian.  Julian could throw out innuendos as easily as breathing. Julian was overly dramatic in everything he did, even when he wasn’t in front of an adoring audience. But it was the Julian who wanted to be a doctor. It was the Julian who looked at all the pandemics of the past, and wondered why so many people had to die.  The Julian who was wound up so tightly like he was bracing himself for ejection like it would come as a physical blow.  

Sarcasm felt like it would just add fuel to the fire, so Natalia opted for compassion instead. When she brushed her hand against Julian’s cheek, he leaned into it like he needed her touch the same way needed air.

“I’m willin tae huv a go at this.” She said gently, like everything would shatter around them if she was too abrasive. “Ye in?”  

“Absolutely.” Julian placed a hand over hers and tilted his head enough to plant a shy, fleeting kiss to her palm.  

Maybe this would end in a romance for the ages. Maybe this would end in tragedy. Whatever happened, it was better than not pursing it at all.  

[sociopath-analysis]

Sociopath Traveler

The world of Octopath Traveler has plenty of sociopathic characters to choose from. And thanks to the poll, I'll be looking into all of the ones I can find. Trust me, there are plenty of them to find.

Either reblog this one to share or any of the profiles found inside or the gallery below (Note: Not all of them will be complete when you see this.)

SPOILERS will be below for the whole franchise, so be careful if you haven't finished the games.

Galleries Part 1 and Part 2 can be reblogged to share as well.

Listed in alphabetical order:

Arcanette

Auguste

Claude, the Progenitor

Galdera, the Fallen

Gideon

Helgenish

Professor Harvey

Lucia

Lyblac

Miguel "Twinspears"

"Mother"

General Mugen Ku

Pardis III

Rufus, the Left Hand of the Crow

Simeon, the Puppet Master

Vanessa Hysel

Werner

[splat-dragon]

Inspired by this post

"Imagine Sadie coming back to the ranch at Beechers hope post rdr to visit the marstons and finding those 3 crosses"

It wasn't uncommon for Sadie to be out of contact for a while, what with her bounty hunting and the unreliability of the postal service. But when one month, then two, passed without receiving a letter from the Marstons, she began to grow concerned. And it had been a long time since her last visit, too long, so she decided it couldn't hurt to visit them and, besides, no one else had heard from them either.

But the ranch was abandoned--no animals in the paddocks, the barn and the house rotting.

And three graves rested beneath a tree.

Sadie hadn't heard from the Marstons in ages.

 That wasn't concerning, on its own. Letters often got lost on their way from Blackwater to South America, especially since the revolution had broken out in Mexico. And she'd been working on a particularly challenging Bounty for the last month and a half—a letter from Tilly was waiting for her when she finally made it back to civilization.

 She'd kept in contact with most of the surviving Van Der Linde's. In her wandering, as she'd hunted bounties through the states before moving south, she'd come across them. Tilly, in Saint Denis. Mary-Beth and the Reverend in New York, Pearson in Rhodes. She didn't talk to Pearson, much, and she'd exchanged a letter or two with Karen before the drink got her, but they'd never been particularly close. But she'd always stayed in contact with the Marstons and with Charles although Charles, up in Canada, was very hard to reach.

 When a month passed, then two, and she didn't receive a letter and her letters went unanswered, a worry began to set into the back of her mind. Of course, they could have been lost, destroyed in a wagon raid in Mexico—mail wagons were popular targets, after all, as they were often full of money and supplies. But all her letters? All their letters? And she'd gotten a letter from Charles by then, two from Tilly and sent one to Mary-Beth.

So she saddled up Ares (she'd lost Hera a few years back, the mare had begun to grow old and unsound and so she'd sold her off to a farm), and began the long, long ride to Beecher's Hope. And it was a long ride--through Venezuela and Colombia, Panama Costa Rica, Nicaragua and the Honduras, up through the war ridden Mexico before, finally, crossing up into West Elizabeth.

 It took her, of course, a very long time. Long enough that she decided to purchase another horse, a gelding she called Mars, so that she could switch between them to keep them fresh and ride more of the day. Ares had begun to struggle to keep the pace she had set; long enough that she'd sent, and received, several more letters from Charles, all the way up in Canada, and the others—

 and none from the Marstons.

 Not for lack of trying on her part. She wrote letter after letter, sent several from every post office she passed. Even requested they be staggered, so that if one were lost, or one's wagon was destroyed, the whole of them wouldn't be lost. And she'd even found a few of them in destroyed wagons, when she'd stopped to dig through the debris for anything useful, stamped into the dirt, paper torn or burned.

She stayed for the night in an awful little town by the name of Tumbleweed that she used to avoid like the plague, would have ridden up to Armadillo but the last time she'd been there it had been ridden with Cholera and she had no way of knowing that the plague was long gone, didn't want to waste time riding up to check only to have to turn around and ride right back, or ride through cougar country at night to reach Beecher's Hope and hope she wasn't shot for coming to the door exhausted and unannounced.

 Mars and Ares were boarded for the night in the stable with a pasture full of horses that all looked painfully familiar, groomed and bedded down, and she almost thought to stay an extra night to let them recover after such a long trip. But such a long time without any correspondence from the Marstons was so abnormal it put a sour taste in her mouth and so she decided that she'd let them have all the rest they needed while she visited—either at the steading or in the Blackwater stables; she didn't want to overstay her welcome but John had all-but insisted that she stay, and stay, and stay even longer last she had visited.

 So she left early the next morning, wanting to ride straight through to Beecher's Hope, not wanting to have to set up a camp for the night, especially not in Hennigan's Stead, infamous for its bursting cougar population.

 She rode passed Armadillo (which, from the looks of it, was apparently well recovered from the Cholera outbreak), around a bustling horse ranch, stayed on edge as she rode through Thieves Landing, knowing hers was a well known face but that was several years past, so she kept her gun hand at the ready, careful to keep her wariness hidden. But she made it through unaccosted, and then was in the rippling grasses of the Great Plains.

It hadn’t changed, much. The same phone lines loomed overhead, and she hadn't missed them. Rabbits fled from her horses' hooves, coyotes yipped off in the distance. But there wasn't a pronghorn to be seen, and no matter how hard she looked, she couldn't spot hide nor hair of the once endless oceans of bison.

 A car rattled towards her, and Mars went wild eyed, crow hopping before digging in his hooves, unable to move far with his reins attached to Ares' bridle. She guided the two of them off the road, cutting towards the Hope, the house that John and Charles had worked to put together (pre-built, how ridiculous was that? Such a civilized concept, and her mouth twitched at the thought of how Dutch would react to such a thing) coming into view. Sadie stopped to let Mars watch the car drive out of sight, so he could learn it wasn't any danger; if she did end up keeping him, he'd have to learn that cars wouldn't hurt him. More and more of her bounties were using cars, she'd found.

Beecher's Hope was quiet.

 No roosters called, no chickens clucked. No cows lowed, no horses nickered. Rufus didn't bark at the sound of her approach. If she didn't know any better, she'd think she was riding through one of those abandoned farms that were so prolific in New Austin. But, no, that was the house that John and Charles had built, that she had convalesced in, and there was the barn, its doors wide open, that Rachel and Hera and Falmouth had been stabled in. The doghouse that John had written to her about building with Jack, and the silo that she'd never seen the purpose of, considering that they couldn't grow anything but rocks on their land.

 The paddock outside of the barn was empty, no horses or cattle grazing, the grass overgrown. The small chicken pen was vacant, the door hanging off its hinges, feed bins overturned. And up there, on the hill, she could just make out a wooden grave-marker that must belong to their daughter. John had written her almost constantly when they'd had her, from the moment Abigail had revealed she was in the family way until, after an abrupt, long period of no communication, a short letter informing Sadie of her death.

She frowned, that worry sprouting from a seed into a plant, roots constricting her chest, as she swung down from Ares' saddle, thumping up the steps of the patio, the wood creaking, rotting and threatening to give way beneath her feet. The plants that Abigail had been growing were long dead in their planters, the furniture overturned and destroyed.

 Sadie knocked, the door creaking open, and she called out "John?" as she poked her head inside, not quite fancying being shot for wandering in. But there was no response, no calls of "Sadie?" "Aunt Sadie!" or even Rufus' barking, so she walked inside, finding the house in desolate condition.

 The walls were covered in cobwebs, and rats scurried into hiding at the sound of her voice, shredding webs and sending spiders flying. She picked up a photograph—one of Arthur and John, John not any older than Jack had been when they'd hunted down Micah, running her finger over the glass and wrinkling her nose when it left a streak an inch deep in the dust.

 She poked through the house, finding a building of rats and moth eaten fabric, dust covered furniture and photographs. Jack's room wasn't as bad, but only just barely.

The simplest answer was that they had moved out, left and moved on. But when had things with John Marston ever been simple? 

 Besides, they wouldn't have left without telling her. Without telling someone. She'd asked everyone—Tilly and Mary-Beth and Charles, had even written to Pearson and the Reverend, and none of them had received a letter since her last.

 So she walked back outside, moved to mount up Aries, intended on poking around Blackwater to see if she could figure out what the hell had happened; after all, a family abruptly up and leaving their ranch would surely cause some sort of gossip. And, if no one there knew, she remembered John mentioning a Bonnie MacFarlane in his letters, and she could ask her.

 Sadie was many things, and determined was definitely one of them. John was one of her friends, and like hell was she going to let him just abandon her like that.

Aries grunted when she reached for his saddle horn to mount up, tired after so much hard riding, and she paused, reaching to grab a treat out of his saddlebag, hoping to encourage him on for that last ride into Blackwater.

If she hadn't, she would have missed it.

 The setting sun cast a light on their daughter's grave-marker, but it didn't look quite right. It caught her attention out of the corner of her eye, something she didn't consciously notice but couldn't ignore, looking away from the horse's spotted hide to look up at the carved wood.

 She'd never met the girl, had only known of her through John's letters. But she had been loved, for what time she had been with them. John had adored her from the moment she was born, had wanted great things for her, and even where she stood, she could see it in the care that had been taken in the carving of the headstone.

 It looked, she realized suddenly, almost like Arthur's, golden light shining through a ring of wood attached to a cross. It had been years since she thought of him ("Look… I can talk about him… It just hurts, is all," she'd heard John say to Abigail, when they'd thought she was asleep, and she agreed with him wholeheartedly), shoved to the back of her mind with Jake and the rest of the Van Der Linde's after putting an end to the Micah business, the parts of her past that she didn't need for bounty hunting. But she decided, then and there, she'd finally pay a visit to his grave—she'd seen it, once, silhouetted by the sun as she rode passed while hunting for Joe and Cleet, but hadn't been able to find the heart to go and pay him her respects.

 So, too, she could take a moment to give the girl her respects. The girl had been born with all the opportunities to have a better life than any of them, the daughter of a pair of ranchers, not outlaws, with an older brother that loved her, and a world that was slowly changing, in which she was seeing women slowly, very slowly, gain more and more freedoms. And then she'd died before she'd had the chance to take advantage of them; she'd been better than any of them, yet she'd died where they had lived.

The troughs at the hitching posts were bone empty, and half rotted besides, so she left their reins looped around their saddle horns instead so they wouldn't trip themselves and gave them both apples to tide them over until they could be stabled, before making her way up the hill, the near silence having her keeping her gun hand at the ready.

 She didn't reach the top of the hill.

 The worry rotted away, the roots clenching tight in her chest, leaving her gasping desperately for air, the world spinning around her. Her eyes burned suspiciously, and she hurt in a way she hadn't since Arthur had died, before him her poor, poor Jake, and as her knees hit the ground she could feel that massive, shoddily stitched wound tear open, bleeding as she found herself unable to look away from the three graves that sat beneath that massive tree that she had dozed beneath so many times before. 

Two sat close together, one looking somewhat older than the other, the wood more aged, a few feet away from the little girl's grave. 'John Marston', the oldest one read, and she couldn't breathe, 

  '1873 - 1911

Loving Husband and Father

Blessed are the

Peacemakers' 

 Abigail had been illiterate, still, she remembered, though she'd had the opportunity to learn for years. So young Jack, only sixteen years old, would have had to carve his pa's epitaph.

 She'd never been able to bury her Jake, and she didn't think she ever could have been able to do such. It had always been one of her biggest regrets, and suddenly she wondered if, had she been able to, she would have been able to.

 And then, within touching distance and much newer, a simpler grave, a square of wood on a cross, 

  'Abigail Marston

1877 - 1914

Always in our hearts'

 Abigail… Abigail was dead, too.

 The people Arthur had given his life to save, gone like that. How? What had happened? For a moment, her mind went to Dutch. Had he come back, gone after John? To get rid of the last of his past, of his original 'family', of his 'sons'? But no, she couldn't see him doing that. He had spared John, back on that mountain, had looked him in the eye and walked away. She didn't know Dutch well, had only known him for a small amount of time when he'd saved her before his decline, but some part of her knew he wouldn't go after John unless John went after him, first.

Sadie didn't want to look at the last grave, sitting further away from the two eldest Marstons but still within spitting distance. Didn't want to see little Jack Marston's grave, didn't want to see that Arthur's sacrifice had been in vain, that almost all of those people she would call family were dead.

 But she had to, had to see with her own two eyes, looked over and fought down a hysterical laugh.

 The grave marker simply read:

  'Uncle' 

 And nothing else.

 It was older, looked about as old as John's.

 Jack… Jack wasn't dead. Uncle lay rotting, six feet below that grave marker, not the little boy she'd watch run after a dog, call her Aunt Sadie, chase crickets and frogs, not the boy she'd watched learn to ride a horse and struggle to herd cattle.

 But he was orphaned.

 Both of his parents were dead, rotting six feet beneath the ground, and he was only nineteen years old. He'd had to bury them, been left alone. Didn't have any family left, his aunts and uncles, none of them blood, dead or scattered to the winds.

 It hurt, it still hurt. John had been the closest thing she'd had to a brother, aside from Arthur, and one of her dearest friends, and she'd liked Abigail a great deal. She'd have to write the others, tell them that they'd lost another member of their family, that John had joined Davey and Mac, Jenny and Sean, Lenny and Hosea and Kieran and Susan and Arthur, though she hadn't known half of them well enough to mourn them, they'd been family in all but blood to those she still remained in contact with, and it was not the sort of news she enjoyed delivering.

 But it was something that needed to be done, and something that needed to be done in person.

She looked over the grave markers again.

 The baby girl.

 John.

 Abigail.

 Uncle.

 Four more people she'd lost.

 But Jack Marston still lived.

 So she stood, brushed off her knees and wiped off her face. Returned to Mars and mounted up, intending on resting for the night in Blackwater before heading out.

 She had a boy to find.

[tinyshe]

Scriptural Stations of the Cross  

The following stations of the cross are based on those celebrated by Pope John Paul II on Good Friday 1991. They are presented here as an alternative to the traditional stations and as a way of reflecting more deeply on the Scriptural accounts of Christ's passion.

The presiding minister may be a priest, deacon, or layperson. This minister prays the opening and closing prayers, leads the acclamation, announces the stations, and says the prayer that concludes each station. One or more readers may read the Scriptural reflections. A period of silence should be observed between the Scripture reading and the prayer. A crossbearer accompanied by two candlebearers may stand in front of each station as it is announced. As the cross- and candlebearers move between the stations, all may sing a verse of the Stabat Mater (At the Cross Her Station Keeping - traditional) or an appropriate antiphon, such as Parce Domine (traditional, various settings) or Crucem Tuam (Berthier, GIA),

Before each station:

Minister: We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you. All: Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

After each station:

All: Lord Jesus, help us walk in your steps.

Opening Prayer:

Minister: God of power and mercy, in love you sent your Son that we might be cleansed of sin and live with you forever. Bless us as we gather to reflect on his suffering and death that we may learn from his example the way we should go. We ask this through that same Christ, our Lord. All: Amen.

First Station: Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane

Reader: Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, "Sit here while I go over there and pray." He took along Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to feel sorrow and distress. Then he said to them, "My soul is sorrowful even to death. Remain here and keep watch with me." He advanced a little and fell prostrate in prayer, saying, "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet, not as I will, but as you will." When he returned to his disciples he found them asleep. He said to Peter, "So you could not keep watch with me for one hour? Watch and pray that you may not undergo the test. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." (Matthew 26:36-41) Minister: Lord, grant us your strength and wisdom, that we may seek to follow your will in all things

Second Station: Jesus, Betrayed by Judas, is Arrested

Reader: Then, while [Jesus] was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived, accompanied by a crowd with swords and clubs, who had come from the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders. His betrayer had arranged a signal with them, saying, "the man I shall kiss is the one; arrest him and lead him away securely." He came and immediately went over to him and said, "Rabbi." And he kissed him. At this they laid hands on him and arrested him. (Mark 14: 43-46) Minister: Lord, grant us the courage of our convictions that our lives may faithfully reflect the good news you bring.

Third Station: Jesus is Condemned by the Sanhedrin

Reader: When day came the council of elders of the people met, both chief priests and scribes, and they brought him before their Sanhedrin. They said, "If you are the Messiah, tell us," but he replied to them, "If I tell you, you will not believe, and if I question, you will not respond. But from this time on the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God." They all asked, "Are you then the Son of God?" He replied to them, "You say that I am." Then they said, "What further need have we for testimony? We have heard it from his own mouth." (Luke 22: 66-71) Minister: Lord, grant us your sense of righteousness that we may never cease to work to bring about the justice of the kingdom that you promised.

Fourth Station: Jesus is Denied by Peter

Reader: Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. One of the maids came over to him and said, "You too were with Jesus the Galilean." But he denied it in front of everyone, saying, "I do not know what you are talking about!" As he went out to the gate, another girl saw him and said to those who were there, "This man was with Jesus the Nazorean." Again he denied it with an oath, "I do not know the man!" A little later the bystanders came over and said to Peter, "Surely you too are one of them; even your speech gives you away." At that he began to curse and to swear, "I do not know the man." And immediately a cock crowed. Then Peter remembered the word that Jesus had spoken: "Before the cock crows you will deny me three times." He went out and began to weep bitterly. (Matthew 26: 69-75) Minister: Lord, grant us the gift of honesty that we may not fear to speak the truth even when difficult.

Fifth Station: Jesus is Judged by Pilate

Reader: The chief priests with the elders and the scribes, that is, the whole Sanhedrin, held a council. They bound Jesus, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate. Pilate questioned him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" He said to him in reply, "You say so." The chief priests accused him of many things. Again Pilate questioned him, "Have you no answer? See how many things they accuse you of." Jesus gave him no further answer, so that Pilate was amazed.... Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released Barrabas... [and] handed [Jesus] over to be crucified. (Mark 15: 1-5, 15) Minister: Lord, grant us discernment that we may see as you see, not as the world sees.

Sixth Station: Jesus is Scourged and Crowned with Thorns

Reader: Then Pilate took Jesus and had him scourged. And the soldiers wove a crown out of thorns and placed it on his head, and clothed him in a purple cloak, and they came to him and said,"Hail, King of the Jews!" And they struck him repeatedly. (John 19: 1-3) Minister: Lord, grant us patience in times of suffering that we may offer our lives as a sacrifice of praise.

Seventh Station: Jesus Bears the Cross

Reader: When the chief priests and the guards saw [Jesus] they cried out, "Crucify him, crucify him!" Pilate said to them, "Take him yourselves and crucify him. I find no guilt in him." ... They cried out, "Take him away, take him away! Crucify him!" Pilate said to them, "Shall I crucify your king?" The chief priests answered, "We have no king but Caesar." Then he handed him over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus, and carrying the cross himself he went out to what is called the Place of the Skull, in Hebrew, Golgotha. (John 19: 6, 15-17) Minister: Lord, grant us strength of purpose that we may faithfully bear our crosses each day.

Eighth Station: Jesus is Helped by Simon the Cyrenian to Carry the Cross

Reader: They pressed into service a passer-by, Simon, a Cyrenian, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross. (Mark 15: 21) Minister: Lord, grant us willing spirits that we may be your instruments on earth.

Ninth Station: Jesus Meets the Women of Jerusalem

Reader: A large crowd of people followed Jesus, including many women who mourned and lamented him. Jesus turned to them and said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep instead for yourselves and for your children, for indeed, the days are coming when people will say, 'Blessed are the barren, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed.' At that time, people will say to the mountains, 'Fall upon us!' and to the hills, 'Cover us!' for if these things are done when the wood is green what will happen when it is dry?" (Luke 23: 27-31) Minister: Lord, grant us gentle spirits that we may comfort those who mourn.

Tenth Station: Jesus is Crucified

Reader: When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him and the criminals there, one on his right, the other on his left. [Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, they know not what they do."] (Luke 23: 33-34) Minister: Lord, grant us merciful hearts that we may bring your reconciliation and forgiveness to all.

Eleventh Station: Jesus Promises His Kingdom to the Good Thief

Reader: Now one of the criminals hanging there reviled Jesus, saying, "Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us." The other, however, rebuking him, said in reply, "Have you no fear of God, for you are subject to the same condemnation? And indeed, we have been condemned justly, for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes, but this man has done nothing criminal." Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." He replied to him, "Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise." (Luke 23: 39-43) Minister: Lord, grant us perseverance that we may never stop seeking you.

Twelfth Station: Jesus Speaks to His Mother and the Disciple

Reader: Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, "Woman, behold, your son." Then he said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother." And from that hour the disciple took her into his home. John 19: 25-27 Minister: Lord, grant us constancy that we may be willing to stand by those in need.

Thirteenth Station: Jesus Dies on the Cross

Reader: It was now about noon and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon because of an eclipse of the sun. Then the veil of the temple was torn down the middle. Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit"; and when he had said this he breathed his last. (Luke 23: 44-46) Minister: Lord, grant us trust in you that when our time on earth in ended our spirits may come to you without delay.

Fourteenth Station: Jesus is Placed in the Tomb

Reader: When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph, who was himself a disciple of Jesus. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus; then Pilate ordered it to be handed over. Taking the body, Joseph wrapped it [in] clean linen and laid it in his new tomb that he had hewn in the rock. Then he rolled a huge stone across the entrance to the tomb and departed. (Matthew 27: 57-60) Minister: Lord, grant us your compassion that we may always provide for those in need.

Closing Prayer:

Minister: Lord Jesus Christ, your passion and death is the sacrifice that unites earth and heaven and reconciles all people to you. May we who have faithfully reflected on these mysteries follow in your steps and so come to share your glory in heaven where you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit one God, for ever and ever. All: Amen.

www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/prayers-and-devotions/stations-of-the-cross/scriptural-stations-of-the-cross.cfm

[dukereviewsxtra]

Duke Reviews Xtra: Dumbo 2019

Hello I'm Andrew Leduc And Welcome To Another Duke Reviews Xtra Where We Continue Our Look At Disney

And Last Sunday On Duke Reviews, I Reviewed Dumbo, So, Since I Looked At The Original On There We Might As Well Do The Remake Here...

Directed By Tim Burton, This Movie Sees A Family That Works At A Failing Travelling Circus That Encounters A Baby Elephant With Extremely Large Ears Who Is Capable Of Flying Which They Use To Help Save The Circus...

But When The Circus Attracts A New Investor (Played By...)

They Soon Discover His New Plans That Conceal Dark Secrets...

Will The Family Stop The Investor And Save Dumbo?

Let's Find Out As We Watch Dumbo...

The Movie Starts In 1919 As The Medici Bros. Circus Packs Up And Gets On Board Their Train, Casey Jr. To Go On Tour To Various Locations...

Stopping In Joplin, The Circus Sets Up As We Meet Milly And Joe Farrier (Played By Finley Hobbins And Nico Parker, Who Is Honestly The Worst Thing In This Movie, I'm Sorry But The Girl Just Cannot Act)...

Whose Mother Died From The Flu While Their Father, Holt Farrier (Played By Colin Farrell) Fought In World War 1 And Is Returning Today..

But Unfortunately He Lost His Left Arm In The War And Is Unable To Do What He Used To Do In The Circus But Asking The Owner, Max Medici (Played By Danny Devito) For A Job...

Wait A Minute! 1st Off Since This Is A Tim Burton Movie, Is Danny Devito Playing The Same Ringmaster Character He Played In Big Fish Or Is This Ringmaster A Different Character? Because I'm Confused...

And Second, Danny Devito And Michael Keaton In The Same Movie? All We Need Is Michelle Pfeiffer To Go...

And We'd Have Ourselves A Batman Returns Reunion!

So, Unable To Give Holt His Old Job Back As He Sold The Horses Holt Uses To Get Money For The Circus And Because Of Holt's Arm, Max Gives Him The Job Of Taking Care Of The Elephants Including One Named Mrs. Jumbo Who Is Pregnant...

The Next Day, Mrs. Jumbo Gives Birth To A Baby Elephant With Abnormally Large Big Ears. Feeling He Got Ripped Off, Max Orders Holt To Get Rid Of The Ears Before The Public Can See Them...

However, The Baby Accidentally Reveals His Ears In His Debut Performance And The Crowd Laughs At Him And Names Him Dumbo While Pelting Him With Peanuts....

Horrified And Enraged At Her Son's Mistreatment, Mrs. Jumbo Races Into The Ring And Causes Extensive Damage, Collapsing The Big Top Which Results In The Death Of An Abusive Handler Named Rufus...

Afterwards We Get The Baby Mine Scene...

Before Max Decides Sell Mrs. Jumbo To Avoid A Public Relations Disaster...

What The Hell, Burton!

How Could You Have This Happen In This Movie! And The Sad Part Is Nobody Does Anything To Prevent It! Not Even Colin Freaking Farrell..

Who In My Opinion Is The Worst Character In This Movie As Ever Since He Got Back He Hasn't Acted Like Much Like A Father To These Kids...

Talking With Dumbo In His Cage, Milly And Joe Comfort Dumbo And Discover That He Can Fly By Flapping His Ears And That Feathers Are The Key To Get Him To Do It...

So, The Next Night, Dumbo Plays The Role Of A Firefighter Who Puts Out A Fire With Water From His Trunk But When The Performance Goes Wrong And Dumbo Is Trapped On A Platform Surrounded By Flames, Milly Risks Her Life To Deliver A Feather To Dumbo To Give Him The Confidence To Fly...

(Start At 1:32, End At 2:27)

Hearing The News About Dumbo, V.A. Vandevere, Owner Of Dreamland Amusement Park Visits The Circus And Proposes A Collaboration With Medici As His Partner And Circus Troupe Employed To Perform At Dreamland...

However, Later Vandevere Demands That Dumbo Should Fly With His Trapeze Artist College Marchant (Played By Eva Green)...

In A Role That For Once Requires No Nudity From Her...

On Dumbo's Back...

Later That Night We Get The Pink Elephants Sequence Of This Movie And While Alot Hate What They Did To It, I Kind Of Like It...

(Start At 0:10)

I Know That Some People Are Going To Say That I'm A Sell Out But Imagine You Were At A Real Circus And You Saw This, I Would Be Astonished By What I'm Seeing...

This Leads Up To Their Debut Performance Which Has A Cleaver Introduction From Michael Buffer Who You May Know From Saying This Most Of His Life..,

(Start At 0:09)

And In This It's..,

(Start At 0:39, End At 0:45)

Anyway, Their Debut Goes Horribly Wrong With Collette Nearly Falling To Her Death (Thanks To Colin Farrell Saving Her After Realizing She Didn't Have A Net Under Her Like She Did In Practice) And Dumbo Barely Hanging On And Trumpeting For Help...

But After He Hears His Mom's Call, Dumbo Finds A Feather And Flies Around The Arena Before Exiting To Go Find His Mom In A Place Called Nightmare Island, Eventually Finding Her, He Is Taken Away From Her By Vandevere And His Men As The Kids And Holt Realize That The Elephant On Nightmare Island Is Mrs. Jumbo...

Telling This To Vandevere, He Feels That Dumbo Is Better Off Alone As That's How He Grew Up, He Orders Jumbo To Be Taken Away And Killed Before He Fires The Other Members Of The Medici Circus Troupe Believing Them To Be Pale Imitations Of The Acts They Have At Dreamland...

As They Go To Say Goodbye To Dumbo, Vandevere Right Hand Man, Sotheby Clears His Conscience By Telling Holt, The Kids, Collette And The Troupe About Vandevere's Intentions To Kill Jumbo...

Wow, This Has Got To Be The Biggest Betrayal To A Character That Michael Keaton Has Played Since Alfred Showed Vicki Vale The Batcave...

So Utilizing Their Various Talents, The Medici Troupe Decides To Break Jumbo Out Of Her Enclosure While Holt And Collette Guide Dumbo To Fly Out Of The Circus With Help From Max When He Realizes What's Going On...

In Attempting To Stop Them, Vandevere Starts That Is Triggered By His Bad Handling Of The Electrical System Which Spreads And Destroys Dreamland...

Taking Dumbo And Jumbo To A Port, Everyone Says Goodbye To Dumbo Before Him And Jumbo Board A Ship Back To Their Native Land...

With Vandevere Arrested For Arson Through Misconduct, The Medici Brothers Circus Is ReEstablished As The Medici Family Circus Which Is Flourishes As Dumbo And Jumbo Reunite With A Herd Of Elephants In The Jungle...

And That Is The Remake Of Dumbo And Despite Everyone Hating This One, I Liked It...

I Admit When This Came Out I Didn't Like The Way It Looked, I Wanted Dumbo And Jumbo To Look More Like Real Elephants Instead Of CG Ones...

I Didn't Like Danny Devito As The Ringmaster In This Because As I Said He Played A Ringmaster In Big Fish And I Thought People Would Get Confused Between That Ringmaster And This One...

I Didn't Like The Fact That They Didn't Have Any Of The Other Songs From The Movie In It And I Didn't Like How It Wasn't More Like The Movie...

But Looking Back At The Original Movie I Realized Not Only That Making It Like The Animated Movie Would Have Been Wrong And That Unlike Snow White Pinocchio And Fantasia That Came Before It And Was Longer, Dumbo Is Shorter Than Those Movies And It Can Be Expanded On And Added To...

I Also Understand Why They Didn't Have Any Other Songs In The Movie Because Having When I See An Elephant Fly And Not Have It Be Sung By The Black Crows (Despite It Being Racist) Would Have Been Wrong...

But I Still Would To Have Heard Pink Elephants On Parade During The Pink Elephants Sequence (Even If They Just Make It A Musical Score) The Same Could Have Been With Casey Jr. At The Very Beginning Of The Movie But I Do Like The Scene Where Danny Devito Sings It...

Also I Would Have Liked It If They Used A Real Elephants In Some Scenes And CG Elephants In Others Instead Of Just Going Full CG...

But Despite Those Complaints And Realizations I Liked The Story For What It Was I Liked Most Of The Cast (Except For Colin Farrell And That One Girl Who Played His Daughter) The Visual Effects Were Amazing And I Just Honestly Enjoyed It So This One I'm Saying See It...

Tune In Next Week As We Look At Bambi 2, Till Then, This Is Duke, Signing Off...

[leah-halliwell92]

Too Much Love Can Kill You

Summary: Soul marks are found through touch and song, one must sing to find their half and touch completes their connection. To reject your mark is to sentence them to death. You have been on tour with Brian, Roger and Rufus for a year and have known them for nearly four. What happens you find out along the way that you are the mark of one Brian May?

Prologue

Chapter 1

“You should tell him,” Rufus said as he stood next to you a little ways away from the actual stage.

“I can’t and you know it,” you said giving him a strained grin.

“Can’t do what?” Roger asked walking up to the young couple.

“Ask uncle Bri out,” Rufus said as if he were talking about the weather.

“Tye!” you yelled punching his shoulder as hard as you could.

“Ow! It’s true and you know it!” The younger blonde said rubbing the spot you hit, “Besides...you need to especially if you want to complete the bond.”

Roger’s eyes blew open as he listened to the conversation.

“Rufus,” You say angrily ready to punch him again. “I can’t and you know why!”

You wrapped your arms around yourself and waited for either Taylor to say something.

Roger looked from his son to the woman who is as much part of their family as Bri and his own are.

“She’s...” he said looking to You before pointing to Brian in awe.

Rufus nodded in the affirmative after.

The trio stood there and faced the stage where Brian fixed the acoustic over his shoulder as he sat on a stool in front of the microphone.

You sigh quietly and longingly as Brian begins to play the chords for “Love of my Life.”

Love of my life, you've hurt me

You've broken my heart

And now you leave me

Love of my life, can't you see?

Bring it back, bring it back

Don't take it away from me

Because you don't know

What it means to me

You’d froze transfixed by his voice and the tender care that is coming through as he sings.

The Taylor men saw how your right hand wrapped your left wrist where your mark is and wondered if you had noticed. They saw the anger from earlier melt and your features soften with each note of the song and pluck of the six string. How you seemed to glow with love admiration and respect.

Love of my life, don't leave me

You've taken my love

(All my love)

You now desert me

The mark at your wrist hummed at each word and you found yourself singing along with him as if in a trance and world all your own.

Roger and Rufus looked on as she harmonized with Brian perfectly not a note out of synch.

“Can you hear that?” Roger asked his son quietly nodding to you.

“I have only heard one other person sing that song with as much feel as she is,” Roger said eyes shining with tears.

Rufus looked at his father curiously.

“Fred,” Roger said quietly as he worked to compose himself.

Rufus nodded in understanding eyes wide and noticed how you caressed your covered mark tenderly as you sang on.

Love of my life, can't you see?

(Please bring it back)

Bring it back, bring it back

Don't take it away from me

Because you don't know

What it means to me

“Do you think he knows?” Rufus asked Roger carefully over your head.

Roger shook his head in shock and quietly said, “He has absolutely no idea. And believe me when I say that he’d have said something if that were the case.”

Rufus nodded and turned his gaze back to the stage where his uncle played on.

Brian for his part looked completely unbothered, normal even. Clear proof that he has no idea of what You mean to him and he to you.

“This is bad isn’t it,” Rufus said sadly gaze still on the stage.

“Yes,” Roger says solemnly and carefully wrapped his left arm around Your waist.

You will remember

When this is blown over

And everything's all by the way

When I grow older

I will be there at your side

To remind you how I still love you

I still love you

Rufus and Roger were both in awe and concerned as your loved filled voice sang on with Brian and changed as the end of the song drew near. Each note grew sad almost desperate as you tenderly ran your thumb over your soul marked wrist. The boys saw the pleading look in your eyes as your gaze remained glued on the curly haired man. Her heart as well as her mark thrummed at the sight of him as his voice encompassed her in its sweet dulcet tones warming her from the inside out.

The boys grew even more concerned as you sang the final verses of the song, pain filled resignation evident in your voice as you sang thickening with tears. And as awestruck as they were at how well you both harmonized and how lovely your singing voice is, they can’t help but feel like they are invading a private, intimate even, moment between lovers.

Back, hurry back

Please, bring it back home to me

Because you don't know

What it means to me

You closed your eyes, in a silent plea, as you finished the song. You pulled your marked wrist to your lips pressing a gentle kiss on her mark taking a selfish moment to dream that this is your song he is singing. Your soul song...and it is to each other that you are singing this to.

Love of my life

Love of my life

The final chords of the guitar thrummed signaling the end of the song. This marked the beginning of her tears as your thrumming heart seemed to stop and your mark grew cold. You kept your eyes closed as you dreamed of him coming to you loving grin on his face as he took hold of you in a love filled embrace before pressing a tender, lingering, kiss on your forehead before pulling you on stage to perform with him.

You pulled your hand away from your wrist, a soft his escaping your lips as your mark burns, bringing you back to reality. You open your eyes applaud Brian as the rest of the crowed was doing and drew a deep breath.

You looked to your right and saw Roger for the first time noticing he’s holding onto you, and you can’t be more grateful to him as you sank into him as your body seemed to fall into itself.

“Can we take a mo...please?” You asked Roger quietly, barely keeping it together.

Rufus went to take you from his father but was stopped by a firm negative head shake from Roger.

“I’ll take her,” he said and gently pulled you closer to him and almost dragging you away from the stage entrance.

In a corner safely tucked away from prying eyes Roger held you as sobs took over your small frame.

“It’s alright love,” Roger said rubbing your back tenderly as he held his own tears back.

You worked double to gather yourself being mindful of your breathing.

“Slow even breaths love...that’s it,” Roger said worry prominent in his voice, “Breath with me if it helps.”

He started taking deep even breaths and you did as you were told grateful to have him there. You breathed together until your shaking stopped and tears had dried.

“He’s your other,” He said gently as he held her close to him.

You nod fisting your hands into his shirt on his back.

“Why not tell him?” He prodded gently.

“Because...” You drew a deep calming breath, “Because he won’t accept this...us...the bond. He will get it into his head that I can’t be his or vice versa because I’m too young and he’s too old,” your voice quivered and long dry tears fell again as your mark burned on your wrist.

Roger kept his breathing in check as her walls crumbled and her pain and fear was revealed.

“That he will only be in the way of my future. Not only as an artist away from the shadow of rock legend and Queen member Brian May but as a scientist in your own right as well,” you stopped and worked on your breathing again.

Roger pulled away from her and reached into his back pocket for an unused hanky. He was careful when dabbing away your tears before whipping away his own.

“And you know it’s true,” you said bottom lip trembling up a storm as you fought your emotions from breaking free fully.

Roger pulled you back into a strong hug nodding sadly, agreeing with your statement.

“I know its a fine line I’m walking Rog,” you say after getting yourself back under control again, “But I rather have him like this and take what I can get from this than not have him at all.”

Roger drew away again and looked you straight in the eye a serious and concerned look in his eye.

“What will you do the day he finds someone else?” he asked.

You gave him a sad grin and say, “Then if he ever finds out about me and the song then I’ll be as right as I can be in this situation...should he find out and I be rejected then I’ll take one out of Harry Potter and greet Death as an old friend. I rather fade than willingly than deal with the onslaught that will be his rejection.”

Roger sighed holding onto the second wave of tears that hit him at the thought of losing you. He’d taken you under his wing from the day Rufus came home with stories of you. As odd as it sounds, you’d become part of the family long before you were introduced to them directly giving you the support you didn’t know you you needed and a niche to call your own with them.

A sad grin appeared under his beard and mustache and pressed a kiss on your forehead, a secret promise. That no matter what happens he’d be by your side until the very end.

(If you wanna be tagged shoot me an ask!!! Thanks for reading don’t forget to like and reblog!!!!)

Tag list: @pansexualqueendarling, @queenattheopera, @brianandthemays, @theborhapboysawakenedmywhatever, @ramibaby, @captain–americanna, @awkwardangelshezza, @avengerraven1023, @danamaleksworld, @pastywhiteperson, @readinghorn, @i-was-born-like-this, @redspecialstardust

[sapphic-sustrai]

RWBY OC Bio: Rusty McGuire.

It’s been a while since I’ve talked about/introduced another RWBY OC, so here’s one that I’ve been working on for the last little while. His name is Rusty McGuire and more info about him will be shared underneath the cut! 

Full Name: Russel Archibald McGuire.

Name Meaning{s}:

Russel; French origin - from a surname which meant "little red one".

Rusty; English origin - from a nickname which was originally given to someone with a rusty, or reddish-brown, hair colour. This started out as a nickname that his Father called him, due to his love of machinery/auto mechanics. Eventually, Rusty started to prefer going by this name instead. 

Archibald; Scottish & English origin - derived from the Germanic elements ercan, “genuine”, and bald, “bold”. 

McGuire; Irish origin - Anglicized form of Irish Mag Uidhir meaning, "son of Odhar". It’s a given name meaning, “pale-colored”.

 Alias: While his first name is Russel, he prefers to go by the name Rusty. He’s been going by that name since he was around 11 or 12 years old. He only uses Russel for documents and such.

Nickname{s}: Russ {mostly used by everyone}, Master Mechanic/The Car Doctor {what most of his customers at his shop call him, due to his excellent reputation as a mechanic}, Rust {mostly used by his Older Brother Reed}, Darling/Darlin’ {used by his Ex-Wife when they were together}, Babe/Handsome {only used by Qrow}, Pa/Papa {only used by his Son}.

Age: Early to Mid 40’s, he’s at least 3-4 years older than the members of Team STRQ.

Gender: Cis Male.

Race: Human.

D.O.B/Star Sign: May 19th/Taurus.

Romantic/Sexual Orientation: Bisexual. 

Handedness: Ambidextrous. 

Complexion: Tanned, he used to be incredibly pale when he was younger.

Height: 6′1 {185cm}. He had a huge growth spurt in high school. 

Weight: 155lbs {70kg}.

Hairstyle/Hair Colour:

He sports a short & curly undercut. His hair colour is ginger, sometimes it looks rust-colored. .

Eye Colour: Brown.

Aura Colour: Rusty Red.

Emblem: A wrench and a screwdriver formed in an X-shape, that is rusty red in colour.

Weapon{s}: Since he isn’t a Huntsman, he doesn’t have a fancy weapon. However, he’s very proficient with handguns and shotguns. He keeps a couple of each at his house and in his trucks. To have a better fighting chance against the Grimm, he uses dust infused ammo. 

Semblance: X-Ray Vision:

The user is able to see through physical objects, at the user’s own discretion. However, they’re only able to use their semblance for a few seconds to a minute at a time. Otherwise the user will develop a splitting headache and their eyes start to feel sore.

Current Affiliation: The Kingdom of Vale, The Island of Patch. 

Previous Affiliation: A college in Vale for electrical engineering, as well as a college in Atlas for auto mechanics & business.

Occupation{s}:

Owner/head mechanic at his own auto shop called Rusty’s Auto Repair, that’s located on Patch. 

Sponsor/volunteer at an addictions & mental health services center on Patch.

He also does odd jobs as a handyman on the side. 

Personality:

Positive Qualities: He’s a very adaptable person, he’s known for being a very down to earth & humble guy, he enjoys helping others, he’s very brave & courageous, he tries to tackle any problem he may be facing head on, he’s very hard working, very dependable, he’s incredibly smart, he graduated from high school & college with honors, is a quick thinker. 

Negative Qualities: He can be stubborn when he wants to be, he does deal with an anxiety disorder, as long as he’s taking his medication & using his coping skills then it’ll be kept under control, he used to deal with an addiction, during this time he was known for being depressed, on edge & became incredibly hostile towards others, he’s been clean for several years now & has since made up for his past mistakes, he does still sometimes feel guilt for how he treated his loved ones back then, while he can be the jealous type, it’s never to the point of possessiveness.

Family/Relationships:

Rufus Arkwright & Flannery/Flan Cassidy {Biological Parents, his Mother is still alive, his Father sadly passed away he was around 28 years old, he got along with both of his parents quite well}. 

Reed Arkwright {Biological Older Brother by 2 years, despite not getting along sometimes, he still loves his older sibling, he also knows that Reed feels the same way}. 

Jelena Budney {Ex-Wife, they were on bad terms for a while due to Rusty’s addiction and it was what tore their relationship/family apart, after getting the help that he needed he has since made amends with her, the two are now back on good terms with each other}.

Roy Budney-McGuire {Biological Son who’s in his early 20′s, because of his addiction there was a period of time where he wasn’t allowed to be around his child, Roy meant the whole world to Rusty, he was one of the few reasons as to why he decided to eventually seek treatment, he eventually makes amends with Roy and is allowed back into his life when he was around 12-13 years old, the two of them are back on good terms with each other}. 

Orville Jernigan {Co-worker/ mechanic at Rusty;s Auto Repair, the two of them have been close friends ever since childhood}.

Qrow Branwen {Close Friend/Eventual Boyfriend, they met sometime after Salem’s defeat when Qrow decided to attend a support group for his addiction, Rusty became his sponsor and the two of them became close. They developed feelings for each other soon afterwards. I’ll explain more about their relationship in a future post. 

Primary Attire:

Leather Jacket {brown, zipped up halfway, sleeves almost reach his wrists}.

Plain T-Shirt {charcoal black, short sleeved, v-neck, tight}.

Leather Belt {mahogany brown, with a gold oval belt buckle}.

Necklace {of a golden crow, with a black leather cord, was a gift from Qrow}.

Leather Bracelets {mahogany brown, there’s 3 of them, wears them on his left wrist.

Sports Watch {black, wears it on his right wrist}.

Denim Jeans {slightly faded, not too baggy, not too tight}.

Carpenter Boots {dark brown, with black laces, usually wears grey socks}.

Facial Hair/Tattoos/Piercings/Scars/Misc:

Has a couple of freckles on the bridge of their nose.

Has a full scruffy beard.

Has a small mole in the left side of his face.

Has slightly noticeable forehead wrinkles.

Has a couple of marks on his arms from his early 20′s.

Has a scar on his chest from having open heart surgery. He currently has a pacemaker.

Has a couple of small scars on his right hand/fingers.

Doesn’t have any piercings.

His tattoos include: A checkered flag on his left shoulder, a winged piston on his right ankle, a mechanic pin up girl on his lower left torso, a red crown on his right wrist in honor of his son Roy, and finally has a flying crow on his right shoulder blade in honor of Qrow.

His Voice Would Be: Liam O’Brien {Current}, Samantha Herek {Young}.

5 Bits of Trivia:

Rusty was born and raised in the industrial district of Vale. His family had a cottage on Patch, which he has fond memories of staying there during the summer. This was what made him decide that he wanted to live on Patch at some point when he got older. His Father worked in a nearby steel mill, while his Mother worked from home running her own dry cleaning service. His Brother Reed currently teaches at Signal Academy and he’s also still an active Huntsman. 

Ever since he was young, Rusty has always had an interest in cars/motor sports. He fondly remembers going to the race track with his Father every other weekend. He’s also been very fond of tinkering with machines/gadgets. He used to help his Father fix things around the house. The first time he ever managed to fix something on his own was when he was 10 years old and it was the family’s toaster. 

He’s very much a steak & potatoes kind of guy, but he also loves bacon double cheeseburgers, spinach dip with Cajun pita chips, buffalo wings  with bleu cheese dip, apples, and chili con carne. He doesn’t have much of a sweet tooth, however he really dislikes tofu, cranberries and walnuts.  

Currently he owns a tow truck, two motorcycles, a four-door truck, and a classic convertible. He has a large four car garage by his home, where he keeps his vehicles. 

He’s really into classic rock, but he also loves old school hip-hop and old country music. He isn’t a big fan of the new stuff. 

That’s all that I have to share for now about Rusty. If anyone has any comments, questions or critique that they want to share, my inbox is always open! If there’s anything that I need to edit or change, I’ll go back and fix it later!

[luucarii]

A Thief’s Proposal - Ch 1

Fandom: Octopath Traveler

Relationships: Primrose Azelhart & Therion

Rating: T

Read on Ao3

Y’all, I broke. My first Octopath fic is both short multi-chapter and is apart of a mini-series I’m doing. God help me.

Takes place before Therion’s Chapter 2 and Primrose’s Chapter 3

“Buy you a drink?”

With a thin smile curling her lips, Primrose chuckled, “you know you never need to ask.”

At the sight of a narrowed look, the bartender nodded and began to fix together two drinks. One for a dancer and one for a thief.

Despite the late hour, the bar was still somewhat lively. Granted in Sunshade, there was rarely a moment when the bar wasn’t lively. Most of the dancers had gone home for the night but the drunken men had gotten their fill of entertainment from Primrose who had decided to do a little performance (for a fee of course, that money would serve great in buying new equipment for the journey ahead). Having just returned to Sunshade from Stillsnow, the group of eight were in the midst of taking a well deserved rest after having dealt with Rufus, one of the three men marked with the crow that Primrose was searching desperately for. While the rest of their allies slumbered away in the nearby inn, Primrose found herself sitting alone in the bar before the typically quiet Therion asked to join her.

“Now, my guess is you have something to ask me you don’t want the others to hear?” Primrose leaned against the table and blinked curiously at the thief sitting across from her, “you wouldn’t have waited so late into the night if you didn’t.”

Therion mused a chuckle, “keen as ever. I have a proposal.”

“This proposal being…?”

“I help you scout out information about the next marked man in Nobelcourt and you…teach me how to dance.”

Primrose brought a hand to her mouth to muffle her laughter and the eye-roll Therion shot her nearly brought her laugh to a cackle. By the time she had calmed down, two drinks had appeared before the two. She took a generous sip and dragged her eyes up to meet Therion.

“This is quite unexpected.”

Therion sighed, adjusting the scarf around his neck, “look, we both have business in Nobelcourt. It’s simpler for both of us if we make the deal.”

Primrose narrowed her eyes and her gaze sharpened, “you know I’m quite capable of getting the information myself, thank you very much. And what’s your sudden interest in dancing?”

The thief took a second to glance at the front door and looked back to Primrose with an irritated huff. He expected it wouldn’t go easy.

“I’m not telling you to teach me your ‘ways of seduction,’ gods no.” He took a small sip of his drink, “you’re just more agile in battle, I want to learn to help myself out.”

“And I wonder the balls you had to grow to ask me.” Primrose giggled, “you know it’s not something you can learn overnight.”

“Make it so it is then, and I’ll double the speed of the info I get for you.” Therion wasn’t used to bargaining like this but he could assure himself, getting the information in less than a day would be no issue.

“I can’t help you if you have no rhythm.” Primrose downed the rest of her drink and licked the remnants off her lips, “that is the most important part of dancing after all.”

“I’m sure I’ll be fine.” Therion outstretched his hand and blinked slowly at the woman in front of him, “do we have a deal?”

Primrose sighed, lips curling into a grin as she shook the thief’s hand, “alright. But you’re underestimating the work I put in.”

“How’s tonight for our first lesson?” Therion rummaged through his pockets and left a bit of money on the table. As he stood, his hands found their way into his pockets and he looked down at Primrose who chuckled lightly to herself, hands forming a bridge under her chin.

“You’re really underestimating my line of work, Therion.”

[hystericalcherries]

Strawberry Fields

A/N: A scene I wrote for a fic a lifetime ago, but never posted. I give you ‘we were raiding my neighbors garden and got caught and, oh shit, is that a pitchfork?! run!!!!’

Lance’s head snaps up, alert. “What?”

“I said that there's some guy over there,” Pidge tells him, pointing. She’s dressed band tshirt and his sister’s overalls, and he can see a thin sheen of sweet on her top lip from where she squats in his neighbors strawberry patch. “I think he's trying to say something- he looks pretty angry and wow, is that a pitchfork? I didn't think people still used those. How twentieth century.”

Rachel meets his gaze from across the patch and, even after light years of distance and an intergalactic war, Lance is happy to know they are on the same page. He feels his cheeks rise in an all encompassing smile, one that is mirrored in the feminine face across from him, and together they shoot to their feet.

“Last one to the car—”

“—is a rotten egg.”

Then, without a second’s hesitation, he reaches down and hauls Keith up, legs already moving forward. Caught off guard, his friend stumbles a few steps and drops most of his haul in the precious time it takes to establish his balance once more. Instinct and experience of battles fought together have the paler boy automatically extending his strides to match Lance’s, following his lead with no other prompting than the loose grip around his wrist.

Lance spies his sister all but pluck Pidge from the ground and sprint off in the opposite direction.

And now, it’s a race.

He guides the two of them around the line of strawberries and down a clear pathway framed by saplings. He dodges between the skinny trunks, only half careful of the branches that scrape against exposed skin, and gives a small tug on the hand he holds captive when he catches sight of the red barn to their left. They veer toward it, taking shelter in the shadow of some hay bales.

“What's the plan?”

The words are hot on his jaw and Lance has to stamp down the instinct to lean away. In retrospect, Keith isn't all the close, but the sun is really glaring down today and Lance can feel the sweat collecting at the nape of his neck. He shoves the other boy's face away.

“Okay. First of all, breath mint— ever heard of it, Keith?”

Keith smacks his hand away and scrunches his eyebrows, looking offended. “My breath doesn't stink.”

“Oh, yes it does. Smells just like that one time Coran ripped one in the dining hall.” Lance taps a finger to his nose. “I swear, I lost all sense of smell for a solid week.”

Keith looks like he doesn't know whether to be angry or amused, the twitch of his mouth a possible sign of either. Eventually he settles on the later, a soft puff of laughter leaving him, and nudges Lance's shoulder with his own. “I've been using your toothpaste, so if my breath smells like alien farts, then so does yours too.”

Lance ponders the corner he has unwittingly backed himself into, pursing his lips while he side eyes the other boy. “Touché, Mullethead. Touché.”

Keith looks pleased at the small victory, so, of course, Lance does what he does best and blows right past it.

“Alright, Coran’s flatulence and my great taste in toothpaste aside, we still gotta head to the stables. There's a break in the fence there where my cousin Rufus and his best friend accidentally crashed into it with his hover bike— or, er, at least, it was there when I was home last.”

“Lance,” Keith deadpans, “that was years ago.”

“Yeah, I know, okay? But I don't see you coming up with any better ideas, Mr. Doubtful.”

“I would, but, in case you haven't noticed, I have absolutely no clue where we are. Or why even stopped, for that matter.” He pauses. “Why did we stop?”

“Oh, that's easy. It's because Old Man Jack has some hired help who're probably moseying about somewhere close by and they're, like, the biggest snitches in history,” Lance explains, peeking over the nearest bundle of straw. “I mean, I don't blame them. For what he's paying, I'd sell my own sister out.”

Keith shakes his head. “You would not.”

“Yeah, you're right, I wouldn't,” he admits, only partially surprised at the certainty in the other’s tone. “But it's nice to think about how rich I would be if I did.”

Keith makes to say something, only to stop when footsteps sound out behind them. They both spin around to face the farmhand that had somehow sneaked under their radar.

There's a moment where neither parties say or do anything, too surprised with the sight of the other. It's almost comedic, Lance thinks, liking the stare off to countless scenes he's seen in countless movies over the years; he wonders if now would be an appropriate time to utter a mind blowing one liner.

“Hey, you're not supposed to be here!”

Too late.

Lance, always one with a plan, straightens out of his suspicious looking crouch, scratching at the back of his burning neck and laughing awkwardly. “Well, you see, we were just—”

Without a second thought, he grabs Keith’s hand and sprints down the way they came.

He can hear Keith’s laughter behind him, abrupt and loud and staccato, and can feel the muscles in his arm go taunt when the boy twists to look over their shoulders to watch the farmhand disappear from view. Lance has to tug him a few times, guiding them around the barn and more south, to where he remembers the crack in the fence to be- and lo and behold, when he finally catches sight of the end of the property, there’s a despondent looking break in the wooden pikes.

He lets go of Keith’s hand then, trusting him to keep up, and uses the momentum of his swinging hands to push him harder, faster. Keith doesn't disappoint, sticking to his side like glue, no matter how narrow the path is or how abrupt a turn he makes. And it sets his heart hammering, quick and hard against the cage of his chest; he loves it, this concept of no matter how hard he pulls, there will be an equal push returned. Like twin shooting stars, they fly over the land in an escapade of shining freedom.

When they finally come to the edge of the property and are able to see the fence (a chunk of its top layer broken and missing), Lance lets out a loud laugh, crazy with exhilaration. Pumping his legs faster, he lengthens his strides as far as he can. Wind rushes past him, tugging at his hair and boxing his ears. Slowly, he pulls ahead of Keith, casting a winning smile over his shoulder and feeling utterly invincible.

With fluidity that comes from years of experience, Lance confidently jumps and bypasses the fence. He lands in a crouch, hearing the thump of another pair of feet making contact with the ground a second behind, and sets off again.

They sprint down the road, circling around the fenced property that had just cut across, and, just as his uncle’s car comes into view, Lance spots two forms squeezing through the fence a distance away. His burning lungs protest as he pushes forward the last remaining feet, watching his sister do the same.

They collide into the hood of the car, scorching metal biting through his shirt and along his palms, pressing in harder when Keith staggers against him, hand spread wide against his lower back. Still, the pain is worth it when compared to the bright feeling bursting from his chest.

“Ha! We win!” he crows, peeling himself from the vehicle and enthusiastically pumping a fist in the air. He twirls and does a little jig.

“What?” Pidge huffs as she finally joins them, hands resting on her knees as she catches her breath. “No way! It was a tie!”

“Nope!” Lance straightens, feeling the victory settle pleasantly in his chest. “Was totally here first.”

Rachel has a very different opinion on the matter and says it, loudly. Lance is nothing if not stubborn and refuses to budge on his call, even taking time to rub it into the girls’ faces. Pidge pushes him and uses his moment of imbalance to slip into shotgun; usually Lance would complain and throw the biggest fit about the concept of ‘dibs,’ but the young paladin is laughing and he doesn't want to ruin it.

So he slides into the back, Keith winning the mini scuffle to claim the window seat; Lance lets this loss go too, secretly happy to be next to the groceries and planning to sneak a few snacks in before they get home, and focuses on what's important—  being better than Rachel. “We definitely won.”

“You're out of your mind,” his sister argues, reaching back to smack him. After a moment and a conspiratorial smile, Pidge turns in her seat and joins in.

“Hey! Stop that! Mercy, mercy, mercy!” He shies away from the abuse, pressing close to the grocery bags and then to Keith in an effort to get away. It's all in vain because no matter where he goes their hands follow, relentless in their goal to bruise every part of him. “Keith! Keith, buddy, help me out!”

But the other boy merely raises his hands in a shrug of helplessness, trying to suppress a tiny smile that pulls at his mouth.

Lance gasps. “You're siding with them?”

“I'm not siding with anyone.”

But Lance goes on as if he doesn't hear him. “Siding with the enemy— that's cruel, man. And I thought we had a good thing going? All that bonding and whatnot.” He shakes his head and lets out a fake sigh, reaching over and nonchalantly shoving Pidge back in her seat as his sister starts the engine and plows down the dirt road. “You think you know a guy.”

As punishment, Lance refuses to move back to his seat and makes sure his so-called ��friend’ has as little room as possible (not that there was much to begin with), squished against the car door even after the attacks stop. When they make a tight turn, he throws himself with it; there are some vague threats and muttered cursing, but Lance just laughs and resolutely stays plastered to Keith's side.

They take the long route back home.

The wind whooshes as they speed down the road, trees and street signs becoming colorful blurs stretching along the horizon. The bags next to him start flapping and a few loose leaf napkins jump from their place in the ashtray and fly out the window. The sun shines through the window, rays chanting a song of goosebump inducing warmth. The radio plays a song Lance doesn't recognize, but it is nice in its beat and he grins in the feeling of it all.