#a conductor beard

[gill-sans]

Arthur Nikisch

[plutorine]

somebody on r/molchatdoma said that egor's current hair length looks like "he tells small children that a troll is going to eat them"

[derlejoe]

Omer Wellber

sources:

jewishnews

deutschlandfunk

br-klassik

youtube

[syoddeye]

pursuit

poly 141 x reader ~1k words, lightly edited cw: chase/pursuit, human furniture continuation of spoils 2024/04/01 Update: This series is now Poly141! x transmasc!Reader.

The fireplace crackles, logs groaning in its flames. A mute servant slides narrow slats of kindling into the gaps and collects the ash. Reading in the privacy of his study after an indulgence is a languid ritual, and John leans in the seat of the tufted armchair like a lion sated. The servant continues their work in silence, with only the sound of turning pages cutting the quiet.

His eyes lift to the door seconds before the first knock falls, ending his peace abruptly. The grim face of a subordinate pokes through.

“Sir? You need to see this.”

John stares a moment before lifting his feet from the ottoman. The curled, nude man beneath his boots grunts quietly when he nudges him aside.

He allows the subordinate to bring up the security feed at his desk, one brow arched in intrigue rather than concern. He smirks as he watches a figure force themselves through a hedge. He summons his hounds with the press of a button, and one by one, they slink into his office, tails wagging at their own pace.

“Our little bird has flown the nest. Find ‘em, but do not engage lest they stray too close to the garden’s edge,” Reaching for his jacket, he pulls it on a sleeve at a time. “‘S preferable we allow them to believe they’ve slipped our grasp for now.”

With John’s instructions given, the three men race from the room. The Captain turns to the windows. If their plunder sought a game, he would indulge them.

~~

Over comms, John monitors the chase’s progress, tone detached as he saunters down the shallow steps leading from the manse to an exit of the maze. “Drive them towards the northwest corner.”

With precision timing and manipulation, John orchestrates the movements like a conductor guiding an orchestra, ensuring that every step their quarry takes is one he guides. The hollering and whooping voices of his men echo across the garden’s expanse, loud then soft—all to keep them uncertain and on edge. They’re far from being the first rabbit loose on the grounds, on the run from his dogs.

“Give them a little room,” He lopes along the outer path, then hooks into the exit, scratching at his beard. “Only tighten the lead on my command.”

He stops at a stone bench nestled within an alcove of tall brush and hedge and eases into it. A soft groan escapes him. Perhaps he overextended himself when welcoming their guest in his excitement. Clearly, next time, he’ll need to wear them out more. The fact they had the energy and strength to climb out of the window of their chambers was a miscalculation on his part. A distant shriek makes his lip curl.

He checks his watch. Any minute now.

~~

The ache of your knee and the warm track of blood are negligible, given current circumstances. The fabric is heavy, clutched in your fists, hoisted, and hitting against your calves with every step. You believe the head start will be enough. You must. You abandoned the bracelets and necklaces at the base of the wall beneath your window and tied shredded pillowcases around your bare feet.

Your heart hammers in your chest, lungs burning. After a few minutes, you skid to a halt and gulp down air. From the window, you estimated the maze was an acre and saw that it butted up against an iron fence, but it feels longer as if new paths spring up around each corner. Just as you catch your breath to continue, you hear it. Hear them.

Shouts.

Muttering a curse, you scramble onward. Although you try, it is impossible to keep quiet; whimpers and squeaks slip out as your poor makeshift feet coverings gradually rip away. The soles of your feet find every twig and pebble, and your scraped knee slows you further. Then there are the bruises that little your backside and thighs, thighs unhelpfully chafing and raw from John’s ministrations.

Your movements become more frantic as you weave through the garden, the voices—at once murmurs in your ear and distant howls beyond the shrubs—play tricks with your mind. Shadows await within the deadends and dark corners you find, morphing into figures, only to dissipate when you reel away.

A loud crunch of wood shocks you off your feet, and you hurtle into a wet patch of earth, biting your lip through. A burst of copper blooms in your mouth, but you gather your limbs up in a ball, tucking into recess on one of the living walls. Just as you retreat, the monstrous form of one of John’s men—Simon, the beast in black—stalks out from the gap you emerged from seconds before, sniffing the air like a dog. Heart in your throat, you watch him turn with a chuff, and disappear down a different passage.

You wait until his steps disappear. Cries erupt from a far corner of the grounds, and you shakily stand, trying to count the tones. One…two…

“Boo.”

A shriek rips out of you, and you stumble out of your hiding spot to take off. A deep laugh echoes behind you, and terror licks at your heels. It’s the mohawked one. The man with the teeth. MacTavish.

You must find a way out. No part of you can afford a second or third surrender. Your sides are in stitches, fisting the unwieldy drapes covering your body. Desperate, flawed math maps your footfalls, your panic-stricken mind trying to calculate not only your rough location within the maze but the routes least likely to land you in the clutches of one of John’s men.

Rounding a corner, every part of you aching, you glide clumsily to a halt. The cool mud on your feet and legs meets the warmth of your blood.

Seated upon a bench as if it is a throne, is John.

He smiles. Teeth tombstones in the dark.

“Did you have a nice run?” 

You wheel around to disappear into the garden and meet a wall of solid mass. You bounce back a step and look up. The third man grins and encloses your wrist in an ironclad fist.

What about Kyle? He usually keeps his hands to himself.

Kyle's companions loom over his shoulders. He gently turns you to face John, who’s still seated.

Steps to your left and right crunch. Surrounded on three sides.

“Let’s see if they can’t work that insolence out of your system, eh?”

[clovenhoofedjester]

jellicle lineups; part 4/4

I FINALLY FINISHED THESE

grizabella | 🌃 🥀 🍂

i really wanted to mix revival and older replica for this one. the thigh-high boots, sparkly, tasseled dress, and generally the wig are all revival inspired, but the curly fur stays and the makeup is old because i really do like the very dramatic, gothic grizabella looks. her coat is also heavily 2019 inspired with the length and stripey purple fabric

i also was not sure how i wanted to do her hair other than it covering one eye (SHOUTOUT TO THE FANART I SAW WHICH HAD THAT. I CANNOT REMEMBER THE URL) esp the color so i did a gradient of light grey to dark brown, which i REALLY liked ! it also helped me decide that shed be chocolate smoke instead of a tabby

idk. ijust like her

i very much want to emphasize the "proud" and "indomitable" of her character in my portrayal of her; think betty buckley. i think shed be 61 in human years.

jennyanydots | ⏰ 🧶 👠

HER DESIGN... is very similar to her replica one because.... i really like it. very heavy emphasis in how her makeup is sometimes done with the HUGE lower lashes and squiggles. she also gets a cute little pink nose and blue eyeshadow

very 2019 inspired also. the hat, tasseled jumpsuit and bejeweled tap shoes stay ...... but i did want to give her the vest and collar from 2019. i just like that. shes also fat because yes

she remains sweet and nice yes. but i think warsaw was onto something when they made her Like That. shed be 56 in human years

jellylorum | 🎨 💐 👒

i ORIGINALLY drew her design a month and a half ago with the headcanon that shes gus' caretaker but bro. that jellylorum & asparagus jr. & gus family angst potential was too great. so i redid her as looking closer to gus. :3

idk why but i decided to go with a 1940s inspired formal look for her.... i quite like the hat and think it helps her to stand out, so i'm comfortable in that decision. her fur design is also mostly replica inspired. enjoy her neapolitan ice cream makeup too

she also gets a pink nose and her collar from the 2019 version. idk why the collars went so hard in that movie

i LOVE one of her 3 words being practical... yes, she is THE practical cat. i think shed be 59 in human years

bustopher jones | 🌹 🤍 🍛

VERY replica inspired.... with notes of other productions. opera populaire had full glasses bustopher which i liked. an older makeup look also had stripes which i also thought looked nice (and makes him look more related to mistoffelees) ! there are also multiple bustopher designs that have the moustache and beard 2 for 1 dealio..... and decided to incorporate that as well

he also gets the fishbone hanky crevat thing and a fishbone brooch. i almost made his rose white but i liked the contrast of the red. enough that i decided to give him lipstick too . and youd best believe that he has a giant fucking pipe that he smokes out of

i love the idea of him being the older generations' tugger in his time. i believe it. i think hed be like 55 in human years

skimbleshanks | 🚂 🎆 ⏳

I COULDNT RESIST BASING HIM OF THE MOVVIEEEEEE im not sorry that was peak skimble. the whistle and chains, the MATCHING conductor hat and pants, the moustache, the tap shoes..... truly, it was too good. my only regret was that i couldnt show the suspenders in this design because i wanted to keep the vest

i did keep the makeup/fur pattern very similar to his replica design though. idk. its just good. emphasis on the brown in his tail, the brown of his clothes, and the bell

anyone else get handsome gay silver fox vibes from him? anyway [being rushed out the door] i think hed be 56 in human years

asparagus jr. | 🧷 🎲 ⛲

lets go babey asparagus jr. inclusion ! i Really struggled with the clothes because i wanted to include the weird yarn poncho but didnt want to make him look hippyish (hippies are cool it just wasnt the vibe i was going for).... so it is reincarnated as this strange tassel-y scarf shawl thing. idk

he also gets a collar similar to jellylorum's because i like the idea of them living in the same house :^3. his makeup is also pretty different from how it appeared in the 98 version because i wasnt really feeling it. i like stripes. so stripes he shall get

hes also wearing a corset thing. idk what my propensity for designing men with a slightly feminine touch says about me (IM A FEMININE QUEER MAN)

not much notes on his personality other than i think he really looks up to his father (enough that he took on his more dignified name). hed be 57 in human years

gus | 📖 🌌 🔭

MUH OLD MAN... i love him. very much based on a bunch of different replica designs for him. he gets a beard and sideburns because i think i really do love the costumes w facial hair, and i think it just fits. he also gets glasses

he gets the coat and handkerchief (now a scarf) that typically hides the growltiger costume... which has a crisp formal outfit underneath. maybe he takes the coat off during his number to signify having moments of clarity and humor during his song

i do think in my interpretation hes well enough to joke around during his number and play the rumpus cat but like. damn you can tell this cat is old. hed be like 93 in human years

old deuteronomy | 🌕 🍮 ⭐

i have fully abandoned replica deut. say hello to haute couture resplendent transgender old deuteronomy. fit with a gigantic white coat, velvet dress, and gigantic fluffy hat. and yes, she did have 99 wives

she also gets the pendant that she was drawn with in the concept art for the 2d animated movie.... what was up w/ that....

ANYWAY YEAH UH. shes very different from the replica deut and other nonrep deuts mostly thanks to judi dench, with her saying that her version of deut was a transgender woman, and her complaining about not looking regal enough in the movie. here you go girly. the nose freckles/dots from some replica makeup get to stay though

she gets a lot of design notes from her children. the grey from munkustrap, macavitys white eyelashes, eye and mouth makeup, and tuggers cheek heart. shes also a light grey to kind of reflect her appearance in 2019

not much to add here other than i love her. i think she would be 88 in human years

AND THERE YOU GO. AHHHHHHH ITS DONE

[hocuspocusbabyy]

Two platforms:

“You meet a mysterious woman on the train.”

February 1981

I have a small problem...which I suspect this gathering might find interesting. You are one for the romantics are you not?

Last Thursday I was returning from a book
auction in Hay-on-Wye, when a delay on the Manchester-Edinburgh line, Forced me to make a rapid adjustment to my itinerary,
leaving me just three minutes to change platform and train at Crewe.

Making a dash up from third to sixth just as the rails man stepped out to wave his little flag, I slide between the doors and into the nearest seat. A table over looking the back exit, the cabin was relatively empty minus the woman I had subsequently imposed upon. Usually I’d have preferred to sit alone, though I was wary that my moving now might offended the young woman. I say young—- but rather it was in the sense of beauty, she was striking. Red hair, and a perfectly sloped nose which was unfortunately buried within a book and obstructing my view.

Shaking my head I lent forward to remove my coat, brushing off the dirt of the city before flatting it across my lap, and reaching into my case for a book of my own.

“Ticket from Crewe! Tickets from Crewe!” The conductor called out making their wary way down the bumping train. I looked up with a polite smile and flashed my ticked, knowing what was about to come.

“You're on the wrong train, madam.” He stated no remorse or curiosity as to why I was in fact on the the incorrect train. “This is for Glasgow.” He continued he a scratch of his beard, plucking the ticket from my hand to observe it closer. “The Edinburgh train... It's delayed. You should have waited on platform 3.”

This caught the attention of the other woman it seemed, who’s eyes flickered up briefly, her forefinger docking her page as if not to look nosey but rather intently gazing up the page, she had surly read over a multitude of times already.

“Yes I am well aware.” I sighed shifting in my seat as if to appear taller in comparison to the condescending man looking down at me. “However I found, if i got your train as far
as Edinburgh I ought to be in time to catch
the Edinburgh-Glasgow.” My explanation obviously startling the man as his mouth opened and closed in a similar way to a fish. “The price of this ticket is also £12.40, so I think you’ll find you’ve gained a pound from my change in journey- buy yourself a nice pasty on me.” I stated snatching the ticket back and moving to place it back within my jacket.

The woman across rising the spine of her book as if it would hide her audible laughter at the altercation.

“Ah yes. That should work.” The conductor coughed before moving on up the train “Enjoy your journey.”

Sighing heavily I lent my head back against the seat, closing my eyes briefly to contemplate the day. A slight cough disturbing my peace once again, cracking open my eye slightly to see the woman across now looking directly at me.

“I could have done with you this morning, in Cardiff.” She smirked her red painted fingernails scratching delicately at the cover of ‘The City of Beautiful Nonsense.”

“Straight forward enough, surely?” I teased, shifting forward to view the woman properly. Her jawline was impeccable the kind you could take a protractor to and suddenly become mathematically obsessed with. The golden ratio gone wild. Michelangelo’s work in action. She was truly a dreamscape, light green eyes, high cheek bones and lips you… I could easily…

“The Shrewsbury train was cancelled.” She stated cutting off my trail of thought, a mischievous glint in her eye.

“Well in that case you could have…”

“A friend gave me a lift.” She dead panned smirking again at the frown that now rested upon my face. If she wanted to play games, then so would I.

“I see, and was it a pleasant journey?” I asked reaching to unbutton my shirt at the wrist and roll up my sleeves.

“Oh heavens no.” She laughed again, the kind of laugh that you’d chase for hours, doing everything in one’s power to hear it again. It was deep and airy similar to how I’d imagine angels would. “Natasha—- my friend, well she has a motorcycle and let’s just say my hair barely survived the journey.” She joked reaching back to flatten her hair self consciously.

“Your hair looks great.” I complimented with a grin as the exotic woman merely blushed.

“Well thank you.” She smiled gently, a slight accent peaking through— Russian maybe? Or Hungarian? Definitely European I’m sure.

The other woman bit her lips, a hand reaching out to shake mine.

“Wanda.” She introduced

“Y/N” I replied, throughly blindsided by the smooth warmth of her hand in mine. “So E. Temple Thurston? Great choice” I commented sucking my teeth lightly as we both draw back from our introduction. My hand falling to rest beneath the table as to avoid the temptation of reaching out for her again.

“Mm?” Wanda asked her brow cocked and blinking as though my presence suddenly startled her. The woman’s gaze lingering upon the exposed skin from my button up. “Oh yes” Wanda laughed platting both her palms over the book in question, “a personal favourite have you read him?”

“Oh I’ve read plenty” I grinned, her shaky reaction at being caught all the more endearing than creepy. ““Here you have a man, a woman, and a candle destined for the altar of St Joseph, all flung together in an empty church by the playful hand of circumstance and out of so strange a medley comes a fairy story …” I quoted, be it smugly though you couldn’t doubt it was impressive and when would there be a better than to show off such a niche skill than on a random train, to the woman of your dreams. Who you met by pure chance and circumstance and will probably never see again. So what if I show boat.

“Ah” she tutted scrunching her nose slightly, “so you have read it.” Her hand now working its way across the cover drawing unimportant patterns that I couldn’t help but wish were upon my skin instead.

“A few times” I laughed, my gaze fixed upon the talented hands that worked. Her pale skin contrasting perfectly with the light maroon of her shirt.

“And what did you gather from it?”

“An impoverished writer gives his last penny to a girl in a church so she can buy a candle.”

“It’s a love story.” Wanda whispered her gaze flicking up to meet mine.

“It’s fiction” I countered, causing the woman to frown slightly, one in which I’d fear if it weren’t for the grin that followed.

“So you’re saying, you wouldn’t give your last penny to buy your soul mate a simple candle?”

“You think they were soul mates?”

The redhead bit her lip, my question obviously igniting something within her, “how could they not be?”

“They barely knew one another, and he risked all he had. If you ask me it seems pretty reckless”

“Sometimes it pays to be reckless” she smiled quirking her brow at my gently, “they continue to cross paths. Sometimes by chance – or maybe fate – how could you ignore that?”

“I don’t ignore it, I just simply think it was down to chance and geography rather than fate— London really isn’t that big. Even want for that matter John creates situations for them to meet by seeking Jill out.”

“Yes, but there was never any guarantee Jill would show.”

“Of course she would- she wanted to see him too”

“Because of fate” Wanda grinned as if to have won.

“Because of attraction” I countered, causing the other woman to pout slightly. “You really believe that people end up together though mere chance?”

“Well we met, didn’t we?”

“My train was delayed”

“And I got a lift”

I laughed at that, how could I not? This woman was truly magnetic, intoxicatingly beautiful, with an attitude and brain to match.

“Okay, you win people may meet by chance— frequently; but that doesn’t equate to love that’s something that grows with time.”

“Oh so she’s a pessimist” Wanda laughed, bitting her lip, before releasing it with a pop.

“I’d like to think I’m realistic”

“Oh no” she argued, pointed a perfectly sharper nail towards me. “You Y/N are just as bad as me- I know it.”

“And how did you figure that?”

“The way your eyes light up when I said it.”

“My eyes?”

“Mm” the redhead hummed leaning forward slightly, “they have little specks in them that contrast with the brown… your little true tellers”

I was taken aback by that I’ll admit, shuffling to straighten my shoulders and regain my composure. The mix of Wanda being so close that I could see the light brush of lipstick she had chosen, mixed with the intimate conversation rattling my demeanour.

Clearing my throat I made a move to take control of the conversation, “did you know his 1914 novel ‘Driven’ was written about Scotland? Primary around about here.” I said point out the window towards the passing landscapes. Fields upon fields of sheep and flowers.

“Maybe we should get off, take a look around.”
Wanda suggested, a flirtatious undertone present.

“We could have lunch on the waterfront.” I continued - anything to see her smile.

“Maybe mess around, buy a house and grow old together” Wanda joked, my eyes surly widening based on her reaction. “Sorry. I've gone too far. Promise I'll behave better from now on.” She pouted.

I had to laugh, truly this woman was something else entirely.

Wanda cleared her throat, “I've never been to the Highlands before, so suddenly... um...
well finding myself single again, so to speak,
I... I thought I'd like to see them. So I'm going to go up as far as Edinburgh by train and then I'm catching the coach to Inverness
and coming down the other side. What do you think?” She asked curiously, resting her chin upon her hand, her elbow resting upon the table.

“The West Coast is extraordinarily beautiful. You might well fall in love with it.”

“And if I were to fall in love, what then?” She asked watching me intently as a pulled out a map and laid it out in front of her.

“Well instead of a coach to Inverness, you might consider the line back to Aberdeen and changing for Oban. From there you can get
any number of boat trips: Iona, Staffa.” I punctuated each place with a tap of my finger on the map, Wanda’s falling to trace a similar train-line. “It's very romantic.”

“And are you romantic?” Wanda asked, her finger catching mine in something similar to a pinky swear. The two index fingers entangled firmly, suspended slightly as the conductor made his way back down the train to ruin the moment.

“now approaching Edinburgh” he bellowed out barely sparing use a second glance.

“So it is.” I sighed looking out the window to see the train pulling into our station, Wanda’s hand reluctantly leaving mine as we both stood to gather our things and depart.

“It was very nice to meet you.” Wanda stated her hands now occupied with a leather satchel.

“You were an unexpected bonus.” I grinned politely, hoping terribly it would hide my disappointment with our parting.

“Well. Thank you again.” Wanda nodded, before stepping off the train and making her way towards the bus station.

I stood and watched her walk away, unable to shake the feeling that something was inherently wrong with my life now without her in it. What a ridiculous notion to attribute to a woman I had just met, and yet the feeling lingered. Wanda’s figure fleeting into a sea of people and off the platform.

And so you see, I am forced to the unlikely conclusion, that I've fallen in love.

And so as my train to Glasgow pulled into platform 4, I ran. I ran across the platform narrowly missing a dozen sets of luggage and tired commuters. Down the steps of the station and intro on coming traffic, a plethora of car horns and shouting calling out behind me as I raced down to the bus station. Her bus was in two minutes, surly I’d missed it?”

I arrived at the empty bus station, merely seconds after the couch to Inverness’ departure. The back of the bus with an add for stark industries newest toaster, mocking me. I panted, more out of disappointment than exhaustion, slumping down to grip my knees, before a hand against my shoulder suddenly awoke me.

“Well hello there” Wanda grinned, her touch all the more warming and welcome as the knowledge that she hadn’t gotten on the couch registered.

“Good afternoon.” I sighed happily, standing straight to speak to her.

“This is a surprise.” Wanda joked, pointing up at the bus in the distance, “I missed my coach”

“I missed my train” I explained falsely, the grin on my face matching that of the shorter woman’s, I hadn’t realised I was taller until just now.

“What a coincidence.”

“What a surprise”

“It's not entirely coincidence.” I breathed looking down at the redhead. She had made the coach in plenty of time, something had obviously stalled her. Or intrigued her enough to change her mind.

“It's not entirely a surprise.” Wanda joked, her hand reaching up to brush a fallen piece of hair from my face. Before she lay to rest on the back of my neck, soothing the tense muscle there.

“Could I make you dinner?”

[otmaaromanovas]

Hey would you mind Could you give us a huge insight of Maria and Anastasia Nikolaevna's personalitys? in some rare quotes said by someone who met them both ?

I would love to read more facts and quotes about the little pair .

Hello! Of course! I'm going to split this into two parts: this part will be about Maria, and another post will be about Anastasia.

Here are some rare, lesser known quotes, about Maria Nikolaevna (or writings from Maria herself) that capture her personality well.

"Marie was kindness and unselfishness personified" - Olga Voronova, Upheaval

Letter from Olga to aunt Xenia - "1916 August 26th … Papa brings an attendant with him to dinner, and Mordvinov comes every evening and we torment and scare him. Yesterday we discharged the conductor and drew a beard, moustache and eyebrows with a burnt cork on Marie and put her on the train. Of course, he didn't recognize her, and he was terribly tormented when during a game of hide and seek in the dark, she ran into him in the corridor and rudely pushed him. He said that it was some kind of half-drunk conductor, and found her impudent, because we gave her cigarettes and she paced about importantly, smoking them." - George Hawkins, Correspondence of the Russian Grand Duchesses: Letters of the Daughters of the Last Tsar

"The other Grand Duchesses were still children. Marie Nicholatevna was a robust, well developed little girl with big blue eves, of a typical Russian beauty. She had an excellent memory and every time somathing to be remembered her sisters always turned to her. - Alexander Spiridovitch, Last Years at Tsarskoe Selo, Volume 2

"One day the little Grand Duchess Anastasie was sitting in my lap, coughing and choking away, when the Grand Duchess Marie came to her and putting her face close up to her said, " Baby, darling, cough on me." Greatly amazed, I asked her what she meant, and the dear child said, " I am so sorry to see my dear little sister so ill, and I thought if I could take it from her she would be better." Was it not touching?" - Margaretta Eagar, Six Years at the Russian Court

The following are from George Hawkins, Alexei: Russia's Last Tsesarevich - Letters, diaries and writings - volume 1:

Note from Alexandra to Alexei, dated 1 December 1914: "Don’t tease Maria."

Letter from Tatiana to Alexei, Spring-Summer 1916 "...Taube [patient] (the one with no legs, do you remember him?) and Marie yell so you’d think the whole infirmary can hear them, they make such a fuss, and they all shout and argue. It is awfully funny to watch them."

Letter from Maria to Alexei after Alexei asked Maria to draw Joy the dog: "16 December 1916. My dear darling Alexei! I don’t know how big you want me to draw Joy, but I will give it a go, and if it doesn’t turn out, I can do it again…. I have just tried to sketch Joy but it didn't work out because I don’t really remember what he looks like and it ended up looking nothing like him, so I won’t send it to you. When you bring Joy to me, then I will be able to draw him."

The following are from Joseph T. Fuhrmann, Nicholas II and Alexandra Feodorovna. The complete Wartime Correspondence April 1914 – March 1917:

Alexandra to Nicholas "[January] 24 1915 …Marie stands at the door & alas! picks her nose..."

Alexandra to Nicholas "January 2 1916 …Baby began writing his first diary yesterday. - Marie helped him, his spelling is of course queer."

Alexandra to Nicholas "April 2 1916 …Marie is in a grump mood & grumbles all the time & bellows at one, she & Olga have B. [Codeword for 'Becker', meaning their periods]"

The following are from George Hawkins, Correspondence of the Russian Grand Duchesses: Letters of the Daughters of the Last Tsar:

Fanmail letter from American girl Dolores Sybilla Adam to Olga and Tatiana: "Jan 24 1913 …I cannot ever thank you enough for the picture that was sent to me… But tell me is Marie the only one that ever smiles…?"

Letter from Maria to Tatiana: "Tatiana my darling. Thank you very much for the note and good wishes. Although I have not seen my husband [an inside joke amongst the sisters, most likely referring to their crushes] yet, I did see him in a dream. Today we will go to the Grand Palace and I hope that Provotorov (i.e.: your husband) will tell us a lot of nonsense. It’s boring without you. I hope that I will see ND [Nikolai Dmitrievich Demenkov, her crush] again… 9th Dec. 1914"

Letter from Maria to Olga Voronova: "Dec 29th 1914 …The other day we were at a Christmas party at Mama's nanny school. There are now many children of the reserves, so awfully sweet! We gave them all toys and they rejoiced in them, and each showed his nanny what he received. They are so appetising. Some are very small, some are even only two weeks old. I really love young children, and play with them, holding them in my arms. Do you like little children?"

Letter from Pierre Gilliard to Maria: "10 December 1916 …Be careful, Maria Nikolaevna, if you continue to tease me, I will avenge myself!!!!"

Letter from Olga to Nicholas II: "16 August [circa 1904] - Peterhof. Dear Papa …Maria went to sleep in the afternoon, and Anastasia crept under the mattress and slept there with Maria on top of her. When she got up we all laughed, and so did she." - Maylunas and Mironenko, A Lifelong Passion

Letter from Alexandra to Nicholas: "14 June 1915 - I congratulate you with all my loving heart for our big Marie’s 16th birthday… Pity you are not here. She enjoyed all her presents, I gave her her first ring from us made out of one of my Buchara diamonds. She is so cheery and gay today." - Maylunas and Mironenko, A Lifelong Passion

Letter from Anastasia to Nicholas: "26 August 1915 …I am sitting on the couch near Alexei as he is having dinner with M. Gilliard, while Maria is running around like crazy. …This morning [Doctor] Ostrogorsky came to see me, but Maria and I were still in bed, then Maria covered herself with the blanket, then he entered and listened to my [lungs], but when he finished, I quietly uncovered the blanket and Maria had to climb out, and she was very embarrassed." - Helen Azar, George Hawkins, Anastasia Romanov: The Tsar's Youngest Daughter Speaks Through Her Writings

"When I first knew the Grand Duchess Marie, she was quite a child, but during the Revolution she became very devoted to me, and I to her, and we spent most of our time together — she was a wonderful girl, possessed of tremendous reserve force, and I never realised her unselfish nature until those dreadful days. She too was exceeding fair, dowered with the classic beauty of the Romanoffs; her eyes were dark blue, shaded by long lashes, and she had masses of dark brown hair. Marie was plump, and the Empress often teased her about this; she was not so lively as her sisters, but she was much more decided in her outlook. The Grand Duchess Marie knew at once what she wanted, and why she wanted it." - Lili Dehn, The Real Tsaritsa

"Count Grabbe says of the Tsar's third daughter, clearly his favorite: "With her large gray, luminous eyes, her classical features, and languorous movements, she was the true type of Russian beauty, the most good- natured and artless of the four sisters, with endearing qualities which drew people to her." More outgoing than her older sisters, Maria Nikolaievna loved children and used to talk to soldiers about their families. She knew the names of many of the Koncoy Cossacks and Standart sailors, took an interest in their affairs and managed out of her $9 a month allowance to send little gifts to their children. With all her gentle ways, she was strong and solidly built, like her grandfather Alexander III. Her sisters called her "Mashka" and sometimes "Little Bow-wow."" - Count Alexander Grabbe, The private world of the last Tsar, in the photographs and notes of General Count Alexander Grabbe

"The Grand Duchess Maria Nicholaevna was a young wcnnan of broad build. She was very strong; for example, she could lift me up from the ground. She had lighter hair than Tatiana, but darker than Olga. (Olga Nicholaevna had brown hair, of a golden shade, and Maria Nicholaevna had brown hair with a light shade.) She had very nice, light grey eyes. She was very good looking, but got too thin after her illness. She had a great talent for painting and always liked to exercise it. She played the piano indifferently and was not as capable as Olga or Tatiana. She was modest and simple and probably had the qualities of a good wife and mother. She was fond of children and was inclined to be lazy. She liked Tobolsk and told me that she would be quite happy to stay there. It is quite difficult for me to tell you whom she preferred — her father or her mother." - Examination of Sidney Gibbes, The Last Days of the Romanovs

"The Grand Duchess Maria was eighteen ; she was tall, strong, and better looking than the other sisters. She painted well and was the most amiable. She always used to speak to the soldiers, questioned them, and knew very well the names of their wives, the number of their children, and the amount of land owned by the soldiers. All the intimate affairs in such cases were always known to her. Like the Grand Duchess Olga, she loved her father more than the rest. On account of her simplicity and affability she was given the pet name by the family of "Mashka." And by this term she was called by her brother and by her sisters." - Examination of Commissar E. S. Kobylinsky, The Last Days of the Romanovs

Hope you found it interesting or learnt something new! Will post Anastasia's a little later :)

[probably-not-forsaken]

The Mechanisms ranked by attractiveness (done by my straight friend)

Gunpowder Tim- Strong beard/10

Marius Von Raum- Potato/10

Jonny D’Ville- Violence/10

Raphaella La Cognitzi- When asked said ‘I don’t know, she just IS’

Ivy Alexandria- Cool necklace/lanyard thiny/10

Nastya Rasputina- Prince William/10

Toy Soldier- Train Conductor/10

Ashes O’Riley- 2008 emo/10

Drumbot Brian- Big Chopsticks/10

[kukkakisu]

Naava, my beloved Bracken finally got a new design and a proper reference. Details below!

The fluff on Naava isn't actually fur, it's moss. More specifically beard moss. It has the functions that its original counterpart does though it's evolved to survive the harsh conditions of Rend a lot better. The cleaner the Moon's air, the more moss grows on them. And the more radiation is around, the brighter their leaves grow. The leaves have evolved to get energy from radiation instead of sunlight and quickly start to wither if none is available. The subspecies Naava is a part of is used as an indicator species because of the clear visual elements that give you information about the environment. Although the information itself is valuable, for example with figuring out if there are Coilheads in the building or if the apparatus might be nearby-- it's not as easy to spot them. Naava functions a lot like a regular Bracken, sneaking and hunting employees and trying their best not to be seen. It can make it difficult to pay attention to the information it can give, but most keen eyes can surely take note of it if they're fast enough to catch a glimpse of them. They are highly aggressive towards humans, but very much the opposite towards other creatures. They have a big heart and want to help those that are weaker than it and in a position where they wouldn't otherwise survive. Despite Naava's aggression, it has shown mercy towards humans a couple of times as it sees it unfair to hunt something that is already injured or in a bad position. That won't stop them from hunting when they need to and punishing rowdy scavengers who think they can do whatever they want in the facility. Despite their gentle nature, they are a creature that is born to hunt and kill. And they do their job well, protecting those it cares for with all of its might. When not on the hunt, it likes to keep company to the other creatures and often joins Copycat on treasure hunts. There are a fair amount of items and bones it has collected in its favorite room and keeps them all neatly organized. Just like Copycat, Naava will immediately get aggressive despite the state you are in if you touch their items. They are precious to them and they will not hesitate to get them back from you. They are also always the first one to arrive when Copycat wails, only followed by Conductor who wants to make a good impression on the Bracken by helping the little Masked. Naava finds Conductor's advances amusing but doesn't pay it much mind. This makes the Nutcracker more determined though and it hasn't stopped following Naava around and helping them with anything they need. They don't mind it, as it means there will be more watchful eyes on their dear Masked friend to keep him safe.

[randomnessoffiction]

Her companion in the compartment, waking up when the conductor came back through, stretched his heels as he yawned. “Would you be so kind as to reach my ticket, it’s in the overhead,” he said. Galinda stood and found the ticket, aware that the bearded old thing was eyeing her comely figure. “Here you are,” she said, and he answered, “Not to me, dearie, to the conductor. Without opposable thumbs, I have no hope of managing such a tiny piece of cardboard.” — Gregory Maguire, Wicked: The Life & Times of the Wicked Witch of the West

[grasslandgirl]

also also also I wanna write an essay abt s3 Jamie quietly not wanting to get himself in the swap and wanting to be more and do better and actively seeking out growth and self improvement and the twist of only Roy being the one to see it and Roy being the one that jamie goes to for support while ted and beard are set on keeping Jamie as what he’s always been (the striker who’s only good for making goals) and Jamie who wants to be more and better than that and oughhughhh. jamie who steps into a REAL leadership position not by being the ace of the team but by literally and metaphorically stepping back and being the CENTER of the team and the HEART and the CONDUCTOR and THATS when the team clicks and lasso total football starts WORKING and they find their groove bc jamie can SEE it and they finally LISTEN to what he's been trying to say ALL SEASON and theres just somehting sooooo crunchy and lovely and fulfilling about s3 jamie versus s1 jamie in what he wants and what he stands for and how he does it and oguhgouhorgh

[vodkaneki]

Alright, so through the years I've learnt things and from one thing to another, all those things I learnt added up to one big whole thing that's been living rent free in my head for long enough, so it's time for me to tell you the story and buckle up, because it is a wild ride.

So why are barbershops poles white, red and blue? It's to symbolize the bandages, the blood and the veins. Before there were actual doctors, barbers didn't only shave beards, but also did some bloodletting and medical procedures.

Now, who was Monsieur Félix? Monsieur Charles-François Félix was a barber-surgeon from France born in the 17th century who was tasked with the delicate job of taking care of King Louis XIV of France's anal fistula.

On January 15th of 1685, the King's Physician discovered a swelling in His Majesty's royal derrière.

By February 18th an abscess had formed and by May 2 a fistula appeared.

Before I go further, what in the ungodly hell is a fistula? You may ask?!

A fistula is an abnormal connection between two body parts, such as an organ or blood vessel and another structure. Fistulas are usually the result of an injury or surgery. Infection or inflammation can also cause a fistula to form.

Fistulas may occur in many parts of the body such as the general butt area.

They first tried enemas and poultices to help, but to no avail. Since physicians at the time did not cut into their patient, the task was given to Monsieur Felix who was very much intimidated by that monumental, but yet delicate operation.

He then asked for six months (during which the poor King had to endure the pain) to prepare for the operation. He practiced on 75 mens from prison and countryside (Oh the ethics of that!!) to prepare his two new inventions:

The Royally Curved scalpel

And the retractor

The operation that was performed on November 18th, 1686 was a success and within 3 months the King was back to do his kingly activities.

Monsieur Felix did not follow suit on these operations, but was rewarded with money, lands and the title of Charles-François Félix de Tassy.

The courage of both Monsieur Felix and the King gave a newfound respectability to surgeons. On December 18, 1731, the king’s grandson, Louis XV opened the Royal Academy of Surgery, now known as the National Academy of Surgery. There you will find this portrait of Charles-François Felix with the caption: Louis XIV's first surgeon.

The royal fistula that changed the face of surgery

BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE!

To celebrate the successful surgery, it is said that a famous hymn was written and performed for him: God Save The King. The actual British anthem is said to have taken it's roots in this famous piece that was originally written for King Louis XIVs marvelous recovery.

Also for the celebration, French composer, dancer and instrumentalist of Italian birth Jean-Baptiste Lully (Giovanni Battista Lulli) conducted a performance of Te Deum.

Back then, conductors would, well, conduct the orchestra with a long staff that would be struck on the wooden floor and, poor bugger, HE FUCKING STRUCK HIS FUCKING FOOT WHILE PERFORMING!

His foot was legitimately hurt and it eventually came to be gangrenous. He refused to be operated on or amputated, thus died from the infection.

So that's how through the years I learnt that and it's finally time you learnt that too!

[shamrockqueen]

Train Delay

Pairing : Mobster Yuri Boyka x Reader

Warnings : Semi-Public sex, Grabbing him in a public space, rough fuck, smut (18 or over only), tearing clothes, spitting

Word count : 2395

AO3 page Link

It’s just an average daily ride on the train. The metal beast hissed to a halt, and all the passengers at the station shambled on. The conductor announced the next stop and it lurched forward as it started back up again.

It’s all like clockwork..more or less.

At 6:15 the train arrives (15 minutes late); at 6:25 it leaves the station. Everyone is to be seated by the time the train has departed, that’s when the men leave the front of the train to take their tribute from all the passengers.

Each person hands over a little wad of cash to the large man as he walks down the aisle, and they are allowed to go about their own business.

The mob has run the train since you were a little girl riding with your mother, and not much has changed other than their going rate.

You could have driven a dozen times over by now, but you choose to take the more dangerous way into town just to see him. The large bear-like man in front of the train car, ready to collect the cash for his boss.

He had been the center of your attention since you’d started taking the train into the city about a month back. Your car battery had given out and you had to catch the next public transport out of town.

You remembered the rules and had some money ready when this beautiful burly man stepped in. His heavy boots made the old metal squeak under his feet as he made his way down the row of seats.

Your hand shook as you curled it around your few dollars. The definition in his muscles could even be seen from where his shirt was clinging to his body from the little opening in his coat. The v at the top showed off the dusting of chest hair, and you knew if you got to run your hand down his torso you’d just melt on top of him.

His beard was well trimmed but still thick, and the same could be said about the line of hair at the top of his head in a flat mohawk with a buzz cut on each side.

When you hesitated to hand him the cash that day; too zoned out, staring at him; he’d barked at you to quit stalling, and your heart nearly leapt from your chest.

By the next day you were back on the train, and the same as every morning he was seen walking down the aisle to collect the money. You’re seated at the back of the train-car as you waited for him to make his way to you.

You hold the little wad of money in your left hand with the aisle of the train to your right.

When he made it to your seat, he huffed an irritated sigh, but instead of asking you to hand it over, he'd begrudgingly leaned in above you to take the cash. His peck brushed your shoulder as he towered over you and it left you holding your breath.

You didn’t know what had come over you at that moment, and in a split second your hand pressed to his clothed crotch. The shaft of his cock was in your very grasp through his thick jeans, and the mere thought of its actual size made you sweat. You hear his voice catch in his throat with a grunt before he looks back at you with his jaw nearly hitting your lap.

Your hand was there for just a moment as your terror filled eyes met his dark gaze. You're basically holding your breath until you quickly let go, but he doesn’t move just yet. He leans back up slowly before twisting his head to the side with a pop from his neck joint.

He shakes himself out of the uneasy headspace, and walks past you to collect the rest of the money before leaving through the door at the front of the train car.

You were terrified. You didn’t mean to do something so obscene, it’s like your muscles were moving on their own. You basically just assaulted a man on the train. A MOBSTER no less, and you grabbed his dick in broad daylight!

Your heart was pounding so hard you could feel it rocking your body back and forth. If it beat any faster, it would pop right out of your tiny body, successfully spraying half the train in a hefty coat of red regret.

You wanted to sink into the frayed pleather of your seat as you fretted for the rest of the ride, not taking notice of a pair of brown eyes staring daggers at you through the glass of the door sitting at the front of the train car.

Even as the old metal creaks and the train shakes on the uneven track, his gaze never wavered.

When you finally arrived at your station it was a lurch of pure relief, and you couldn’t get away fast enough. You practically bolted out of your seat to push at the door before it even opened. Your haste only garnered a few unsavory stares, but by the time you’d rushed out of the train, nobody cared about this strange lady running towards the women’s restroom.

You needed to take refuge in the only small space you could find. You push through the door and grab ahold of the nearest sink. The stalls were empty and the bathroom nice and quiet. You’d think you were finally free to be a nervous wreck in peace, but you’d be a fool for believing so.

Not once did you take notice of the thunderous thumps of heavy boots meeting the stone floor, as a greatly disgruntled entity followed not too far behind.

No, you didn’t realize that the consequences of your actions had walked aright up behind you until it burst through the door. The flimsy wood clacked against the wall and all that could be seen was that big mean mobster, brown eyes on fire as they stared you down.

“You think you can just run away?!” Those heavy boots were almost as loud as he was. Your lips lock tightly together and you can only shake your head in response. He could break you with one hand; a once exciting fantasy now filling you with fear.

Fear that still pooled in your core while making you shake before him.

‘Thump, thump, thump’ is all you here as he backed you right up against the sink “Open your fucking mouth and speak, bitch!”

“No..sir! I wasn’t running from I-I swear!” Oh, but you were, you ran away from the big bad mobster only to lead him to this secluded place where he could crack you over his knee without any witnesses.

“You think that was funny? Is this joke to you? You grab the big man and everyone will laugh?”

He waves his hands at the indication that you’d embarrassed him on purpose for a cheap chuckle.

“No, no. I’m sorry, I don’t know what came over me! I swear I wasn’t joking with you!” The terror is more than evident on your little face, as you try not to get yourself broken in half by this Russian thug.

“No joke?” His big menacing body corners you back towards the sink until your dress-clad ass is squished against it. You’ll have to grip the side of the counter just to keep from backing up onto it all together. Your efforts were fruitless as each of his large hands grips you by the back of the legs and pushes you the rest of the way onto the counter.

Your thrown on your side and have to scramble to sit up and face him. Your little sounds of struggle bounce off the tiles walls, and yet each one falls on deaf ears. He just stands and watches as you squirm before him, hands still gripping the sides of your legs to keep you from kicking at him. But, your intentions would never be to push him away.

One of his hands slides from your thigh over the fabric of your stockings to grip your ankle. The other hand travels inward between them, letting his nails dig into the shear pantyhose and tearing at it like cheap strings.

“This what you want?!” His voice lowers, it’s almost a request as well as a warning. A softer side of him that only peers out from behind his prickly exterior. Maybe it’s his way of giving you a chance to run away from the scarier part of him. You didn’t want to run this time, but your silent at first as you knuckles turn white from gripping the countertop.

“Answer!” That softness is gone in a matter of seconds, and you stutter out “Y-yes, please. I-I want this..soo bad.”

You slowly pull your legs apart to nervously invite him in, and each of his large hands rest on your thighs where had had destroyed your stockings. It was an obstacle that needed dealt with, much like your little white cotton panties were to him now.

“Good girl. Saying please. Next you say ‘thank you’?”

You nod, but the words don’t come out. He didn’t expect an actual ‘thank you’ and in turn he doesn’t brutishly scold you this time.

He stands right between your legs, but his hand goes straight for the jugular with a tight squeeze. He leans in and bites at your lips and cheek before stealing a violent angry heady kiss, as he fumbled to unzip his jeans.

Your head is pushed too far to look down and see the shear size of what you once had against your palm. You figured it was long and thick, but now that it was hard, pink, and angry, you would have gasped at its girth and realized you would truly be ripped open.

Your breathless as he squeezes the life from your little neck, and the only sensation is his tongue wiggling around yours as the blood rushes to your head. The hand that isn’t anchored to your throat pulls at the soft white fabric that blocked your entrance in a fist full of panty.

His lips leave yours with an audible smack, and you can feel the soft head prodding at folds as it collected your slick dew before pressing into your needy little opening.

The pain of his stretch was dulled along with all of your senses until his hand unclenches from around your throat and a rush of oxygen hits your lungs and brain. He shoved himself to the hilt, practically tearing you apart just as you took your first breath.

His hand snakes around the back of your neck to anchor you as he drags and pulls himself gingerly, giving you just a little reprieve. Now that your airways were open, a stream of moans and wails erupted from your chest to echo around the small space.

His voice was low, nearly a growl, as he dragged himself along your tight walls and hugged you close. It was like being squeezed by a hungry bear. Soft and suffocating, yet just as dangerous.

Through the dull throb of pain and the twist of sweet pleasure you can feel yourself shiver in his arms. Your core flutters and flexes around his thick cock, the the point that it almost hurts to squeeze around him.

The drag of his cock and the lingering graze of his teeth against your skin makes the dim light overhead turn into a bright white as it creeps into your vision.

His thrusts sputter as he shakes your body to meet his. Hi leans in to bite one last kiss from your lips before bottoming out and breaking past the back of your cunt. His thrusts were now sloppy and wet as he filled a complete stranger full of himself.

He can feel a little bit of it leak around his cock as a shudder runs up his spine. He could feel a chilling sweat that had built up under his coat as the cold world came creeping back in.

His knees nearly buckled underneath him and he had to rest your weight back onto the counter to keep himself steady.

He pulls himself away slowly, mesmerized by the sight of his seed spilling out of you and dripping to the floor. When he looks back up, you're still staring at him with wet needy eyes watching him tuck himself back into his jeans.

You were like a sweet little trubochki, filled to the brim with crème.

You try to plant your feet back onto the floor, but the second you touch the ground your heels go sideways.

He grabs you be the waist to steady you as he’s growling out a harsh but breathy “stand the fuck up.”

You can barely comply, and his hand shoots out to clamp down around your jaw. Your mouth is propped open by the force of his thumb and fingers digging into the sides of your face. His lips pucker slightly and a quick spurt of spit is hawked right onto your tongue.

You squeal a little as the taste of cigarettes and coffee stain your little pink muscle.

“Watch your fucking hands next time, yeah?!” His face is still close and his once booming voice was quiet and yet still dripping with aggression. 

“Yes sir” you answered quickly. It was a miracle you could even breathe, let alone respond. One hand barely holding on to his sleeve; another white knuckling the porcelain edge of the sink when he lets you go. It’s almost like free-falling as your ankles shake from the strain of just holding your own body weight.

You had let go of his coat before he turned to leave you, storming his way out of the ladies room. You could still taste and even feel the wad of saliva he’d spat onto your tongue, and now, as you were alone to savor it, you let yourself take a slow swallow.

‘Next time’ will echo on and on in your head for the whole ride home.

[wardenswateringhole]

Sweet Music

A commission for @whenyousleepbaby. Everyone go thank them for the food.

Clavell x Reader

CW -Oral sex

18+ below the cut. Enjoy

It was a magnificent evening. Clavell had surprised you with tickets to an orchestral performance and instructed you to don your most fetching attire. You succeeded in the last part you feel as you had to coax his jaw off the floor after it had dropped at the sight of you.

The show was amazing. The music seemed to almost flow into your very being. Images various emotions seemed to play through your mind at the tunes that were woven together by the musicians and carefully guided by the conductor. Your heart raced with the light swift sound flutes. Your face stretched into a bright grin with the spirited sound of the trumpets. Your eyes let tears flow a river at the sorrowful sound of the violins.

The energy the performance provided lingered long after the show had concluded. Clavell was obviously still feeling the effects as well. His eyes sparkled as you both spoke at length about the music and how it had made you feel over dinner at a fancy restaurant. The dim candlelight reflected in a familiar gaze he gave you. One you were quite certain you were returning.

Back at his apartment, the garments that had gotten Clavell’s attention so well at the beginning of the evening were discarded on the floor of his bedroom. You were laid upon his bed with him nuzzling into the cooled flesh of your neck and shoulder. His lips felt hot with each kiss and nip. A particular spot elicited a giggle from you. You could feel him smile against you.

“Your laughter is just as nice to listen to as that orchestra was…” He whispered. He pressed his face into your hair and took a deep breath. “Stay still for me, my jewel…”

Clavell began to move down your body. His beard scraped gently, leaving sensitive flesh in it’s wake for his nose and lips to graze. His hot breath coaxed faint chills up your spine. His journey was slow. Along your chest. Down you side with each rib getting a warm kiss pressed against it. Then over your hip where he let his teeth sample your texture with feather light touch. The journey ended at your sex where eager breath warmed you.

You looked down to see him kneeling on the floor at the foot of the bed. He gave you a sly smile as he began to nuzzle into you inner thigh. You could feel him bite and suck at the muscle. Your leg twitched involuntarily as he hit a particularly ticklish spot. Your half whimper and half giggle made him smile against you.

“I’m sorry, you just taste so good. Like honey.”

He closed his eyes. “You’ve been so good to me. I suppose I should show you how much I appreciate it.”

You saw his face approach your sex once more. Cool stone eyes looked up at you. “Are you ready?”

A swift nod was all he needed before his lips found the spot that drove you crazy. It didn’t feel as if he wanted to tease you any longer. He pulled your thigh over his shoulder, a strong hand holding it in place as you arched your back. His lips released you and his tongue was pushed deep into you. His teeth pressed into soft flesh as his mouth enveloped all of you. Pleasure rushed to your brain with white hot speed.

The dim room spun as the excitement began to recede. His face appeared in your vision once more, looking down at you as your head lay back against his mattress.

“Once more you grace me with such lovely sounds.”

You hadn’t been aware of the sounds leaving you in the throes of passion. You found yourself suddenly coherent enough to take note of the new hungry gleam that was in his eye. Clavell’s face creased beautifully as he put on a wolfish grin. One you knew all too well.

“Let’s see what other sounds I can get out of you…”

[opera-ghosts]

OTD in Music History: 45-year-old composer, conductor, and pianist Johannes Brahms (1833 – 1897) shocks the Viennese musical world of 1878 by revealing the famous big bushy beard that he will sport for the rest of his life.

Having always been clean-shaven up to that point, Brahms warned one friend in advance of the big reveal: "I am coming [to the concert] with a large beard! Prepare your wife for a most awful sight.”

Singer George Henschel (1850 – 1934) recalled what happened that night:

"I saw a man who was unknown to me, rather stout, of middle height, and with long hair and a full beard, approaching... In a very deep and hoarse voice, he gravely introduced himself as 'Musikdirektor Muller from Braunschweig.' ... An instant later, we all found ourselves laughing heartily at the perfect success of Brahms's disguise.”

Brahms was a notorious practical joker, and he must have savored the confusion he had caused. Even better, not everyone caught on so quickly – his good friend, the noted Beethoven scholar Gustav Nottebohm (1817 – 1892), apparently spent a whole evening conversing earnestly with ‘Kapellmeister Muller.’

Poor Nottebohm was also the target of one of Brahms’s most infamous practical jokes. Once, on a scrap of old music paper that he had procured, Brahms jotted down a then-current pop tune in an expert imitation of Beethoven’s musical handwriting (Brahms was an autograph collector) and bribed a local street vendor to wrap the manuscript around a sausage and sell it to Nottebohm. Brahms then arranged to be with him when this exchange occurred, and he was delighted to see the old pedant unwrap the sausage, step under a streetlight to furtively examine the paper (with his eyes popping out), and then slip it into his pocket and finish eating the greasy sausage, barehanded…

PICTURED: A copy of one of the last photos taken of the beardless Brahms, which he signed on the front with an inscription on the back that is actually dated to the year *after* he unveiled his beard.

[kaitopedestrian]

Chapter 2 - The Goldenwood Incident

Trainer: Pearl

Pokemon: Rockruff (Tilly, level 15, Adamant Nature) Blitzle (Billy, level 14, Quiet Nature)

Status: Alive

...

Pearl, who had been wandering the city for at least an hour, was now standing on the other side of the gym field with Scott on the opposing side. While she wandered the city, she caught a Blitzle on the connecting bridge who she named Billy and was happy to have another friend. Scott’s shit eating grin was as wide as can be and his icy blue eyes were gleaming in the light. “Come at me with everything you got Pearl! Hope you don’t disappoint~.” Scott purred, sending out his Amaura onto the field. Tilly leaped in front of Pearl, digging her claws into the snow.

“Oh come on mate! You think I’m going to go easy?” Pearl said, giving him a toothy grin. Then, the battle against Gym Leader Scott began.

~ (<>) ~

Scott’s Vulpix went down and he returned the fox Pokemon. Billy the Blitzle looked at Pearl with big eyes and she rushed into the field to hug the little horse Pokemon, surprising it. “Good job you little nugget! Take some time to rest.” Pearl cooed, brushing her fingers through the horse Pokemon’s mane. He snorted happily as she returned Billy to his ball. Scott clapped as he walked up to Pearl, his smile wide.

“Thanks for the battle, Pearl. I finally felt like I was having fun during that!” Scott said, laughing. Pearl grinned at the blue haired man, shaking his hand as he handed her a badge. “Here’s the snowy badge. It’s definitely not creative but who needs that?” Scott quipped, getting a chuckle from Pearl. The two of them stepped off the stage and Gem and Jimmy came up to them.

“Congrats on the win Pearl! Good job on taking Scott down a peg.” Jimmy playfully jeered, earning a playful punch from the gym leader. Gem was amused by the two and returned her attention back to Pearl.

“You’re really good! Scott’s been undefeated for months already. Well, after I broke his last streak.” Gem commented, smirking at Scott, her green eyes bright.

“Yeah, yeah, we can talk about all of that later. Gem has somewhere to go, right? Goldenwood Forest?” Scott said, looking at Gem. The girl nodded, suddenly getting an idea.

“Pearl, do you want to join me on the trip? It’ll basically just be a walk through the woods looking for Vivillons.” Gem asked. Pearl was a bit taken aback by the offer and felt her face flush ever so slightly. Scott seemed to notice and he covered a laugh with a cough, his grin wide.

“Uh, sure! It’s just a little walk for photography right?” Pearl said, her face still a bit flushed. Gem didn’t seem to notice as she answered,

“Yeah! We’ll be back soon. These two won’t miss us.” Gem said, looking at Jimmy and Scott who were chatting about someone named Lizzie. Pearl subconsciously petted Tilly as she answered,

“Are we leaving right about now?” Gem nodded, playing with her braid.

“Yup! You can get to the forest through the Route One train station. See you there Pearl!” The girl left the gym and Pearl followed, leaving Scott and Jimmy in the gym. She defeats the man guarding the bridge to allow herself to cross and finds the yellow roofed station. When she enters, she surprisingly sees Pix looking at the map. He looks over his shoulder at the sound of the door opening and is pleasantly surprised to see Pearl.

“Pearl! It’s good to see you, how’ve you been?” The man asked, scratching Tilly’s neck fur. Pearl smiled, taking out her new badge.

“I battled the gym and got a few new friends. The city’s really nice.” Pearl said, scratching Tilly behind the ears. Pix had a warm smile on his bearded face as he looked towards the counter.

“Be right back.” He walked over to the counter much to Pearl’s confusion and as he came back, he handed her a ticket. “I talked with the conductor and he allowed me to give you a forever long free pass for the train. Hope you enjoy it.” Pearl was surprised by the sudden offer as she gently took it from his hand.

“Really? Thank you Pix!” Pearl said. Pix chuckled.

“Your welcome, Pearl. Have a good time on Route One.” Pix and Pearl waved their goodbyes and as he left, Pearl got on the train heading towards Route One. She quickly arrived and stepped out of the train, spotting Gem sitting on a bench, a briefcase at her feet. She quietly stepped over to her and gently pushed Gem with both of her hands. The girl shot to her feet and she only understood what was happening after hearing Pearl’s laughter. She whipped her head around and her confused look turned into a playful grin.

“For the love of- PEARL!” Gem exclaimed, laughing at the dumb scare. Pearl giggled as she lowered her hoodie.

“Hello there Gem~. You’re fun to scare!” Pearl said, giving the shorter girl a cheeky and toothy grin. Gem rolled her eyes but her smile never faltered.

“Yeah, yeah we looove scaring Gem. Anyway, the entrance to the forest is right over there. Just follow me.” Gem and Pearl walked towards the entrance and Pearl was shocked by the fresh scents hitting her nose, a big switch up from the gas like smell from East Gearen. The light scent of the trees was very comforting to her as the golden leaves blew in the wind. Pokemon ran around the woods freely and the two stopped at the bank of a river. “Well, here’s Goldenwood Forest. It’s really pretty, I’m glad it’s stayed like this for so long.” Gem said, sounding very nostalgic as she spoke. Pearl bent down to run her hand through the clear water and Tilly started to play with stray leaves.

“It’s very pretty…” Pearl muttered, almost entranced by the sparkly, clear water. Gem giggled and she gently tapped the young woman's shoulder, bringing her back to reality.

“Earth to Pearl~. There’s a lot more the deeper we go in.” Gem said. Pearl stood up and the two of them continued through the woods. They ended up finding a cave and entered it, the cool air hitting Pearl’s face. They ventured through the cave until they encountered a strange mural on the wall. They stopped and Gem started to inspect it. “Looks like a Garufan mural. They were an ancient tribe who lived in Aevium many, many years ago… This is really well preserved.” Gem said, her palm grazing the wall. Tilly sniffed the surface of it as Pearl stood next to Gem, her hands in her hoodie pocket.

“There’s some weird text underneath it.” Pearl said, looking down at the text Tilly was sniffing. Gem bent down to inspect the text, brushing her fingers against it to brush away the dirt.

“Huh… Actually, dad gave me a translator. We can probably use that.” Gem set down the briefcase and opened it, revealing an extensive machine on the surface of it. The two of them sat on the ground as Gem worked on the translator. She quickly set it up and now they played the waiting game. Pearl walked around the cave while waiting and found an abandoned Growlithe which she befriended and caught. She named her Millie. Other than that, the two of them waited there for a while. A whole hour passed until the translation was done. “Finally! Sorry for that long wait Pearl, I’m gonna look this over.” Gem said, opening the briefcase.

“Oh it’s alright. I’ve been able to play with Millie.” Pearl cooed at the Growlithe, brushing her neck fur with her fingers. Gem started to read off what was on the screen.

“The light within the belly of Ouroboros shall never cease, lest the flames be doused by the will of the suffering.” Both Gem and Pearl were a bit taken aback by this message. “Dang, these ancients need a therapist.” Gem commented after a few moments of silence. Pearl chuckled.

“Of course they talked like that, hah! But that is a bit strange to find in this cave…” Pearl was cut off as a loud crack resonated through the cave. It was coming from the mural. Gem shot to her feet and pedaled back next to Pearl. The mural collapsed and it revealed another passageway behind it. Tilly stepped forward to sniff it, barking into the darkness. The two young women stood in silence staring at the entrance.

“... Weeeell let’s investigate it!”

“What?! We don’t know what’s back there!”

“That’s the point! What if there’s some secret lost history back there? It’ll be fun!”

“... Fine, but don’t look at me if we somehow disappear and end up on the backs of moomoo milk cartons.”

Pearl chuckled at the remark as she entered through the darkness, following Tilly’s guidance with Gem following closely behind her. She could see a patch of light on the other side and she sped up, surprising Gem.

“Pearl, wait! I can feel we’re on a bridge-” She was cut off by Pearl’s giggling as she made it to the other side, looking back at Gem. The ginger haired girl couldn’t help but smile at her. “You’re a handful, you know?” Pearl chuckled at the backhanded reply, not even worried about her ginger friend’s concern. Now that the light was hitting Pearl, Gem noticed how warm her hair looked. It looked like amber against the sunlight. It was a nice look on her, mixing with her blue eyes. Gem only focused again once Pearl stepped outside, a gasp coming from her mouth.

“Gem, you have to see this. Now.” The ginger haired girl walked over and her eyes widened with awe at the sight of their find. A secret grotto, tucked away where no one could find it. It almost looked untouched besides the bridges built to cross the river. The trees were even glossier and the sun shone through the grotto exponentially, reflecting off of the rivers and leaves. Gem was shocked something like this was still around.

“Wow, it’s beautiful…”

“Right? It’s so preserved… I’m shocked no one’s messed with it yet!”

Pearl descended down the steps with Gem at her side. They walked across the bridge and found a ruined stone structure with stairs coming in from both sides. A rusty old gate was at the front which the two tried to open to no avail. “Damn, it’s locked shut! We’re not gonna get through this anytime soon.” Pearl said, kicking the gate one last time. Gem was only interested in what was at the top of the structure. She ascended the stairway and was met by a wonderful surprise.

“Pearl, they’re here! The crystal Vivillons!”

“Really? Let me get up there.”

Pearl walked up and ended up next to Gem, in awe at the sight. A large, ancient statue of the Pokemon Arceus stood at the center, four towering pillars surrounding it. Vivillons with clear, blue wings danced around it, chirping and buzzing. Gem quietly set down the briefcase and took out her camera, capturing a few pictures of the dancing butterflies. Pearl went up and grazed her hand against one of the large Pokemon’s legs. There was a plate at the base of it with words so faded it almost looked untouched.

“This is… breathtaking.” Pearl muttered under her breath, analyzing the architecture of the place. She’d never seen anything like it. Tilly sniffed at the statue, leaping onto the top of the base to investigate further. Gem was going around taking pictures of most of the structures, possibly saving it to preserve it. Who knows when someone will find this and make work of it. Pearl was entranced by the chiseling and timelessness of the Arceus statue, to the point it intimidated her. Which craftsmen made this? Pearl would love to meet whoever did it, it could get her own creative juices flowing.

“Pearl? Do you wanna go rest down there?” Gem’s voice cut through Pearl’s thoughts as she whipped her head around to see Gem at the top of the stairs, carrying her briefcase. She clicked her tongue for Tilly to come and they stood on the grass at the base of the structure. Gem suddenly took out a picnic blanket, much to Pearl’s surprise. “Dad packed me some food and it would be nice to share it! If you’re alright with that, that is, hehe.” Gem said. Pearl gladly took the offer and the two of them were sitting down, taking in their surroundings, looking back at the ancient structure they came across, and eating sandwiches. Pearl didn’t really think anything could make the moment better. Tilly, Billy, and Millie were playing around in the leaves while Gem’s own Pokemon followed in pursuit. The two of them chatted and got to know each other a bit more. Apparently, Gem was originally from Grand Dream City, a large city far away from East Gearen. She talked about how she met her Shinx Blink, meeting Jimmy and Scott, battle training, hijinks the trio got themselves into, it was a fun listen. Then, she suddenly got into a more serious topic.

“Actually, I have a big thing I revealed to Scott and Jimmy only a few days ago. I… I’m moving back to Grand Dream City to become the normal type gym leader.” Her voice was a bit melancholic but Pearl was pleasantly surprised by the big reveal.

“That’s a great opportunity! Congrats Gem.” The ginger haired girl was obviously happy with the compliments but her frown stayed.

“I know it is, and dad wants me to pursue it, but… I’m gonna be away from East Gearen. Away from Scott, Jimmy, you, it’s scary. Grand Dream’s such a big city as well, what am I even gonna do there?” Pearl was surprised at Gem’s mention of her. She cared that much? It made Pearl’s chest feel a bit warm.

“Ah, that makes sense. Big world out there compared to East Gearen. But I think you’d be a great gym leader, hun.” Pearl said, giving the shorter woman a reassuring grin. It seemed to help just a bit as Gem gave her a small smile. “And if you really don't want to, you have the choice to back out! The league’s always getting applications, they’ll find another normal type gym leader even if you drop it.” Pearl was happy to see Gem’s spirits be lifted as her frown went away.

“Thanks for the reassurance, Pearl. Anyway, what about you? You let me talk about me, how about we talk about you?” Gem looked at her expectantly with her emerald green eyes. Pearl shifted her feet ever so slightly but she didn’t mind telling Gem about the incident. She talked about how she was coming to Aevium on the S.S. Oceana with her mom. Then proceeded to explain the strange attack on the boat orchestrated by Team Xen, the abduction of all the passengers by multiple Deoxys, and her mom’s wishes. Gem’s eyes widened a bit as Pearl explained her escape on the back of a Talonflame and how she ended up here. Gem was silent as Pearl rested her head against her raised knees, pulling her hoodie over her head.

“That’s about it. It was… Eventful.” Pearl said, sighing deeply. Tilly came over away from the other playing Pokemon to rest her head on her trainer’s lap, providing her own emotional support.

“Pearl… I’m really sorry.” Gem said, her eyes filled with empathy. Pearl chuckled lightly, wanting to push away the negative feelings welling up in her throat.

“It’s alright, really. I want to find wherever they went to get my mum back and be on my way. We can explore the region together then.” Pearl traced her finger across the blanket as she spoke, a bit lost in thought. Gem gently put a hand on Pearl's own, shocking her to the point she stopped moving.

“We can help. Scott, Jimmy, me, all three of us can. We know about Team Xen but we didn’t know they would go through such drastic measures. But, we can help you find your mom, Pearl.” Gem said, her sweet smile breaking through Pearl’s own thoughts. She felt her face flush slightly and her heart beating in her chest just a bit faster. Warmth filled her as she said,

“Thanks, Gem. Really, it means a lot.” The two of them sat on the blanket chatting about random topics after that. Then, Gem suddenly stood up, returning all her Pokemon.

“Pearl, could we battle?” She was taken aback by the question but Gem’s eyes were filled with determination. “I want to battle you. To test my skills as a gym leader, and to just have some fun with it.” She said, smiling. Pearl didn’t have to think for another second. Tilly was raring to go and Billy and Millie were happy to do it.

“Sure! I’m excited to see the force that was able to penetrate Scott’s skills.” Pearl said, grinning cheekily. Gem took that as more of a challenge as the two found themselves on the structure in front of the Arceus statue on opposing sides. Gem held a Pokeball in her hand, her braid blowing in the wind.

“Come at me with everything you’ve got, Pearl!”

“I wouldn't want it any different!”

The battle began as the leaves blew in the wind.

~ (<>) ~

Pearl was surprised by the outcome as Gem’s newly evolved Luxio went down. Silence filled the air as she returned the cat Pokemon, her stature still. Pearl was a bit worried she did something wrong until she saw Gem’s green eyes bright and shiny. “That was really fun, Pearl! Honestly, you’re a really good battler. You could give the gym leader of Sheridan Village a run for his money! Thanks for the battle, Pearl. It really helped.” Pearl smiled, meeting Gem in the middle with a little handshake. The two of them descended down the stairs chatting as they started to clean up. In the middle of rolling up the blanket, a loud explosion was heard in the distance. Pearl jumped in shock to the point her beanie flew off of her head onto the ground. Gem had a confused look in her green eyes, trying to detect where the sound came from.

“I think that was at the lake at the front.” Pearl said, dusting off her beanie to put it back on her head. Gem quickly abandoned the blanket and held her Luxio’s Pokeball.

“Let's check out what happened.” Pearl nodded and the two left the blanket to race for the entrance. Weirdly, Pearl spotted an Absol looming over the entrance to the cave. It and Pearl held eye contact for a split second before it ran off. That wasn’t a good sign. The two of them ran through the dimly lit cave out of the mural. When they got to the entrance, they were met with a horrifying sight. Smoke billowed out of the area that the lake used to be. Now it was a dry piece of land imprinted into the ground, Magikarps desperately flopping around. The next thing they noticed were the many people in black clothing they were met with. Pearl recognized them as Team Xen almost instantly.

“What are you guys doing here?!” Pearl exclaimed, upset by their appearance. Gem was only more confused as their attention led to the duo. One of the male grunts barked,

“There! That's the target!” Strangely, he was pointing straight at Gem, her green eyes wildly confused. Tilly growled defensively at the many grunts as Pearl scowled.

“What do you want with me??” Gem exclaimed, terribly confused. The grunt only sneered as he sent out a strange looking Meowth, a black aura surrounding it. Gem’s eyes widened at the sight of it as Pearl was now the confused one.

“We were ordered to apprehend some girl with ginger hair. Looks like you’re the one.” The Meowth hissed aggressively at Tilly, who barked back. Pearl looked at Gem, who clutched the briefcase.

“Pearl, that’s a shadow Pokemon. They’re more aggressive than normal ones. Dad… He gave me something in case I got into trouble. Here.” Gem opened the briefcase and handed Pearl what looked to be a strange arm strap with a shoulder pad and a thin piece of black mesh connecting it to a robotic hand. Pearl quickly slipped it on her right arm, not knowing what to do with it. “Pearl, I’m gonna sound really weird right now, but throw a ball at the Meowth.” Pearl gave Gem a perplexed look but in the heat of the moment, threw a ball with her right arm right at the Meowth. Shockingly, it was captured inside of it much to the grunt’s dismay. It shook three times until it returned to Pearl’s hand.

“What the-” Pearl was cut off by the grunt’s own yells.

“M-My Meowth! I raised it from an egg! You can't take it from me!” Gem glared daggers at the man as she sent out her Luxio and Buneary.

“If you actually cared for it, you wouldn’t have had it go through the torment of becoming a shadow Pokemon. Pearl did it a favor.” Gem spat, her Luxio hissing with its hackles high. Pearl was still staring down at the Pokeball in her hand as Tilly barked to get her back to reality. She quickly pocketed it and the duo fought through every grunt, slowly making their way down to the now destroyed lake. Pearl was still terribly confused by the entire situation but when the two got to the entrance of the now dry lake, it started to make a bit more sense.

“Hey! Why’d you blow up the lake, huh?!” Pearl yelled at the person they saw. He was standing in the lake in front of a strange rift that was oozing purple light. When he turned around, they got a better look of his face. He was a very tall man with short brown hair and a heavily scarred face. He had an Espurr resting on his shoulder, purring rhythmically. But, his green eyes were bright and there wasn’t a hint of malice in them. Weird.

“Huh? Oh, uhhhh, maybe? I-I didn’t do it because I wanted to! It’s just… Orders are orders?” The man said, giving them a sheepish grin. Gem didn’t like that response as her Luxio took a few pawsteps towards the man.

“You can’t just do that! You endangered a lot of people and the Pokemon living here!” The man sighed and he seemed to truly feel bad about it. What’s the deal with him?

“I know, I know. I don’t want to hurt anyone either. But… I do have to carry this mission out. So, I probably need to defeat the two of you.” The man said, scratching the Espurr underneath its chin. He took out a ball and sent out a Camerupt, which made the ground shake. “Oh yeah, my name's Scar. I’m an executive of Team Xen. Nice to meet you!” Scar said, a smile on his face as his Camerupt roared at the two. Gem switched out her Luxio for her Furfrou with Pearl staying with Tilly as the two of them entered battle.

~ (<>) ~

When his Espeon went down, Scar sighed, returning it. “Sorry for hurting you all. You’ll all get a good rest later.” He muttered, gently kissing the ball as he pocketed it. Scar looked back up at Gem and Pearl, his green eyes a bit conflicted. “Ah, right. I came here to apprehend… You. Sorry kid, you’re going to have to come with me.” Gem glared at him, making Scar sigh, his fingers grabbing the bridge of his nose. “Well, guess I should have expected that. Sorry that I have to do this, but Gyarados! Need a little help here!” As he called out the name, the Magikarps from the lake were suddenly drawn to the rift like a magnet. Pearl took a step back, her blue eyes wide as the rift took all of the Magikarps in. Then, Scar sent out his now newly healed Espeon, who stared straight at Pearl and sent her flying towards the rift. Gem screamed as Scar grimaced, obviously not happy about this. “Sorry! I need to deal with this one on one.”

“PEARL!” Pearl only heard Gem scream her name before she entered the rift, the world turning black momentarily.

When she woke up, her eyes opened as she stared up at the sky, groaning. She sat up slowly and saw she was on a stone pier, the water slapping onto the stone. Before Pearl could even get up, Tilly fell from the sky, falling on her lap. Pearl was pleasantly surprised by her partner’s appearance as Tilly barked, looking up at her. “Oh Tilly baby, you didn’t have to follow me.” Pearl hugged the small dog Pokemon tightly and stood up, holding Tilly in her arms. Strangely, the grass was pink and the trees were a dark magenta. The sky was also a light pink which didn’t match with the blue water.

“This is the inside of that rift, eh? To get out… I’d assume we have to defeat that Gyarados Scar mentioned.” Pearl muttered to herself, walking down the path. The trees unnerved her and they almost looked like they were closing in on her. When she blinked, they were pointing at the sky once again. This entire place gave Pearl weird vibes, the wind making her shiver just a bit. Then, they encountered a traditional Japanese arch leading to a large lake with a cascading waterfall in the middle. When she stepped closer, she noticed a Magikarp flopping on the end of the half bridge. Suddenly before her eyes, it leaped into the water and started to ascend the waterfall. Pearl walked to the edge of the half bridge as the Magikarp leaped onto the Japanese arch at the top of the waterfall. It was bathed in white light as it leaped into the lake in front of Pearl. Nothing happened for a few seconds. Then, a large Gyarados burst from the water, its red eyes staring down Pearl. Suddenly, a shaky projection of Gem appeared on the top of the Gyarados, her green eyes panicked.

“Pearl! If you can hear me, you’re battling the Gyarados, right? Hang on, I’m going to help get you out. Even if you don't defeat the Gyarados, I’ll do my best!” The beast roared at Pearl and went in for an attack. She sent out Billy and initiated a battle with the rift Pokemon.

~ (<>) ~

With one final attack, the Gyarados was down. It let out a horrible shrill cry before it disappeared in a flash of white light. Gem’s projection sighed with relief. “You did good, Pearl.” Suddenly, the rift grew dark as Pearl was flung right out of it, landing on the ground face first. Scar and Gem were in the middle of their own battle and the two of them stared at Pearl, who was groaning as she stood up, dusting off her clothes and face. Gem grinned at the sight of her friend and Scar could only stare in shock.

“... I did not expect that.” Scar whipped his head around to see the rift close, gritting his teeth. Gem’s Luxio took out his Espeon as they cornered the executive. “Damn it… Gonna have to use this one… I’m sorry about this, Zepto.” He suddenly took out another Pokeball and sent out the Mon that was inside it. Pearl couldn't even begin to describe what it was. It had an aquatic fish tail, an armored head, the body of a mammal, and legs of a reptile.

“What the hell is that?!” Pearl exclaimed as Tilly barked at it, her teeth bared. Gem clenched her fists, obviously worried about the Mon.

“Type: Null… How did Team Xen get their hands on that?” Gem said, her Luxio hissing. Scar didn’t let the Type: Null move yet as he looked at them, his green eyes very conflicted and maybe even a bit sad.

“I didn’t want to use him… But, gotta complete the mission.” At this point, it sounded like Scar was trying to convince himself this. All of a sudden, a Garbodar landed in front of Pearl and Gem. It roared at the Type: Null, pointing its gun like hand at it. Scar was horribly confused. “What the-”

“That’s the Garbodor from the sewers… Gem, this is our chance to escape.” Pearl said, putting a hand on the shorter young woman. Gem whipped her head around to face Pearl, perplexed.

“We can’t just-”

“It’s acting as a distraction. It wants us to leave, Gem.”

Gem gritted her teeth but she followed Pearl as the two ran for the exit. They got to the train and we're back in East Gearen before they knew it. Right when they got off, Gem was deep in thought. “Why did dad give me a snag machine…? Did he…?” Pearl gently tapped her shoulder, alerting Gem of the urgency of the situation. “Right, I can ask him when we get to the lab.” The two young woman raced for the lab and quietly opened the back door, quickly ducking behind a bookshelf as they saw Jenner speaking with a strange woman.

“That was a bit rude earlier when you had to hang up on Bdubs so suddenly.” The woman was tall and muscular with long, curly ginger hair and weirdly, green and blue skin with stitches all around. Pearl’s eyes widened as she recognized her as the woman from the S.S. Oceana. She was obviously annoyed as Jenner clicked his tongue with mild annoyance.

“People entered the room, Cleo. What was I supposed to do?” Cleo rolled her eyes.

“Lock the door? Not that it matters, Scar should be picking up Gem soon.” Jenner sighed as he heard this.

“Yes…” Cleo gave him a weird look, her green eyes boring into him.

“You know this day would come. We told you not to get attached. You knew Gem was only going to be under your care temporarily.” Gem almost jumped out of the spot but Pearl gently gripped her shoulders with her hands. She could feel the ginger haired woman shaking under her grip.

“I know. I never forgot.” Jenner said, pain in his voice. Cleo only sighed with annoyance, folding her arms together.

“Just look at it as a sacrifice of sorts. Our lives will be all back to normal. You might not even remember her after a few years.” Now Gem was seething. Before Pearl could stop her, she stood up and left the safety of the bookshelf they hid behind.

“I knew it.” Gem spat, her voice hurt and cracking. Cleo whipped her head around, surprised to see the ginger haired woman. Meanwhile, Jenner’s eyes filled with relief.

“Gem, you made it! Thank goodness!” Pearl saw no use in hiding anymore and walked over to stand next to Gem with Tilly at her feet. “And Pearl too! I knew you were a good choice. Thank you for-.”

“What’s the meaning of this, Jenner? Gem’s supposed to be at Goldenwood Forest.” Cleo snapped, glaring at the blonde professor. Now that the two of them were closer, Cleo’s sheer height was very intimidating to Pearl. She towered over everyone in the room, it might be the zombie genes.

“She-” Jenner was cut off as Gem yelled,

“Just please be quiet!” The professor was shocked by his daughter’s yelling as he looked at her wide eyed. Gem’s eyes started to water as she spoke. “I suspected the moment I saw that snag machine in the briefcase. You gave it to me today of all days, to use in case we got into trouble. You knew!” Her voice was cracking as her throat was choked up. Pearl couldn’t help but feel slightly disappointed in the professor. She was only watching Cleo, making sure the executive didn’t make any sudden movements. “You even wrangled Pearl in this… And you lied. You lied!” Gem exclaimed, tears running down her cheeks. Jenner turned away, not wanting to see his daughter's tears.

“Gem, please liste-”

“I’m done listening. Everything you did was to set me up!” Her words cut through Jenner as he gritted his teeth. Cleo interrupted the conversation, jumping in.

“Now, I have no idea what’s going on but I’m ending this now.” The tall admin sent out an Aevian Parasect which hissed at Gem.

“I’m not scared of you! Blink, go!” She sent out the Luxio who looked terribly confused. Before Pearl could react, the two of them initiated a battle.

~ (<>) ~

Shockingly, Gem won the battle as the Parasect went down. Cleo didn’t seem to be upset by this as she returned it. “Nice battle skills kid. Seems like Jenner really trained you. But, you’re going to have to come with me.” Gem backed away as Pearl got in front of her, putting her arms up. Tilly barked at Cleo, who was unimpressed by the display. “I remember you. You were that kid on the ship.”

“Where is everyone?” Pearl snarled, her blue eyes bright with anger. Cleo ignored her question and turned to Gem, who had her thoughts racing around her head. Suddenly, she sent out her Munna.

“Teleport!” Before any of them could react, Gem was gone. Pearl's eyes widened as Cleo behind her sighed with annoyance.

“Of course this happens.” She took out a walkie talkie of sorts and talked into it. “Team Xen, target’s on the run. Search the city, you know the severity of the consequences. Now go. Don’t stop until the girl’s captured and apprehended.” She clicked off and looked right at Jenner, his blank stare looking down at the floor. “You did this to yourself. Now I’m going to have to report this to her. You know I don’t like doing that.” Cleo left it on that note and exited the room. Jenner sighed deeply.

“This is a disaster…” Pearl laughed at the professor’s insight, quickly snapping back.

“Disaster? This is an actual catastrophe! Gem’s gone, Team Xen’s raiding East Gearen, and she has every single member on her tail!” Her words made the professor flinch. He gritted his teeth.

“It wasn’t supposed to go this way. If Cleo just didn’t come at this time, I-” He was cut off as Jimmy slammed the door open, his eyes wild with panic.

“Professor! This is bad! Really bad! Team Xen grunts are crawling all over the city! Scott’s fighting off most of them but we can’t keep them at bay-.” Pearl interjected,

“They’re all after Gem, Jimmy. We need to find her before they do.”

“What?! What do they want with Gem?!”

“Nothing good, from the sound and looks of it.” Pearl said, grimacing. Jenner suddenly spoke,

“You two need to listen very carefully. If Xen gets their hands on her, it’s over for us all. You need to find her as soon as you can. The city and Route One are off the table, so she most likely went in the direction of Route Two-.”

“That’s enough.” A voice suddenly cut into the conversation, jumpscaring all three of them. Suddenly, an Alakazam appeared in front of Jimmy and Pearl, surprising them as they stepped back. “Don’t be alarmed by him. He’s just a companion.” The voice continued. “I’m disappointed, Jenner. Sending others to fix your problems you caused? And it would have been less than tasteful if something happened to Pearl during that ordeal.” Jimmy gave Pearl a weird look and she could only shrug. “Because of this, we’re going to have to put you in time out. So you could think about your actions.” Suddenly, a portal opened up in the lab, dragging Jenner towards it. The professor hung onto the edge of the desk for dear life as Jimmy tried to reach him.

“Professor! Get out of the way!” The Alakazam kept blocking his attempts as Pearl scooped Tilly with her left arm, using her other arm to hold onto her beanie. Jenner looked at the two of them hopelessly.

“You two… I’m going to be selfish when I say this, you need to find Gem, before they get to her- Augh!” Jenner flew towards the portal, and he was gone.

“No!” Jimmy exclaimed, watching as the portal closed. Pearl could only stare in shock at the events that transpired as the mystery voice spoke once again.

“As for you two, I implore you to stay out of this. If you wish to go after Gem, it will only lead to more grief. I can’t stop you, but don’t say I didn’t warn you. Come, Alakazam.” The Pokemon disappeared with the mystery voice, leaving Jimmy and Pearl alone. The blonde man whipped his head towards Pearl, confusion swirling in his blue eyes.

“Pearl, for the love of god please explain to me what’s going on!” Pearl proceeded to explain about the incident at Goldenwood and the confrontation with Cleo. By the end of it, Jimmy was clenching his fist, scowling. “Of course Team Xen’s all caught up on it. You said Gem most likely teleported near Route Two?”

“Yup. If we want to go there now, we should find Scott and group up with him. Extra people are always good to have.” Pearl said. The two of them agreed on the plan and ran out of the lab, beating any grunt that got in their way as they navigated their way through the city. When they reached the gym, they spotted Scott’s icy blue hair as he cleared through four grunts with his Dragonair.

“Scott! Scott!” The gym leader whipped his head towards the sound of Jimmy’s voice as he and Pearl got up to him. He returned his Dragonair, his blue eyes filled with confusion.

“Jimmy! Pearl too? Where’s Gem? This is madness!” Scott exclaimed, looking around to see if Gem was anywhere.

“No time to explain, we need to get to Route Two now. I can explain on the train there.” Pearl quickly said, words tumbling out of her mouth. Scott went along with it and the three of them raced for the Route Two station, boarding the train as quickly as possible. When they sat down, Scott looked straight at Pearl.

“Now, will you tell me about what the hell is going on?”