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sassycassie-s-writing · 3 years ago

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My Favorite Smile

By: SassyShoulderAngel319

Fandom/Character(s): DC/BatFam - Jason Todd/Red Hood

Rating: PG-11/T- (this one has a couple ✨swear words✨ in it lol. I don’t usually write them out, but sometimes you just gotta say what you mean)

Original Idea: X (Obsessed with this channel right now)

Notes: (Masterlist)(By Character)(About Me) 2,182 words... it’s a longer one again. I casually wrote this in, like, two hours. @welovegroot @jason-redhood @jason-todd-squad

^^^^^

Holding his coffee and croissant, Jason looked around the crowded café for a place to sit. Every table was occupied by at least one person, and the rules of personal space in public said the couches were full, with one person sitting on either end.

His eyes fell on a table with a single occupant.

His heart stuttered to a stop. Wait… is that her? Damn, she looks good this time. He scoffed at himself. Who am I kidding? She looks good every time. Should I talk to her? Should I tell her? She didn’t believe me last time… and I don’t know if I can stand another lifetime without her… but last life we didn’t meet till I was almost fifty. I really wasn’t expecting to find her this early.

He straightened up and strode over to her table. “Excuse me, is it alright if I sit here? The café’s pretty crowded and the other tables are full.”

She looked up and Jason’s brain stopped working as she met his eyes. She was just as incredible as she always was. Thousands upon thousands of years, and he still never got over how beautiful she was. “Sure, go ahead,” she said with a smile before going back to her phone.

—

“I’m Jason, by the way,” the man said, sitting down.

I glanced back up and gave him my name in return.

He smiled. He had a handsome smile. Just looking at him… something tugged in the back of my mind. “That’s a pretty name,” he said.

My ears warmed and I looked away. “Thanks,” I muttered. I looked back at him. “Sorry if this sounds… weird—but have we met before?” I cringed but smiled. If we had…oh it’d be so embarrassing if I’d forgotten him. And a man as handsome as him—how could I have forgotten?

But a look of delight crossed his face, before being replaced by one of neutrality. “Not in this lifetime,” he replied.

“Kind of an odd way to word it,” I remarked before I could overthink whether that sounded really rude or not.

Jason’s ears turned red. “Well… yeah I guess so. Sorry.” He looked down at his coffee cup and croissant and chose to take a sip of his drink. After swallowing, he looked back up at me. “This is probably gonna sound really creepy, but please just hear me out for a few minutes. Do you believe in soulmates?”

I reached up and scratched an itch just behind my ear. “I mean… kind of? I think maybe they exist for some people, and other people could be matched equally well with multiple potential partners,” I said.

His shoulders slouched with a sigh of what might have been relief. “Thank goodness,” he said. He met my eyes. “Because… we’re soulmates. You and I. Sometimes—very rarely—two people are so destined to be together, that they’re reborn over and over to stay together throughout thousands of years’ worth of lifetimes. Sometimes we both remember, sometimes only one of us does. I don’t think there’s ever been a lifetime where neither of us remember. Besides the first, I guess. Back when we didn’t know we’d be reborn. We never look the same twice—different bodies, different backgrounds. But we always have the same soul.”

A reasonable person would have thought he was making up a really long, bad pickup line. But I stared at him with rapt attention. Like some missing puzzle piece I’d been looking for my entire life fell into place. It just sounded… right.

“How do we find each other, if we look different every time?”

He took a deep breath. “Well… when one or both of us remember, we can… kind of sense it? Kind of see it? Like, right now, I see you, but I also see every face of yours that I’ve seen across every lifetime.” He cleared his throat. “Sometimes we don’t. Find each other, I mean. The distance between where we’re born or the timing of our rebirths keep us apart. But there’s only been… three of those, if I remember right.” He laughed. “So glad you believed me this time. It would have sucked if you got a restraining order—because those are a thing now—and I had to spend this life without you.”

I leaned forward, shoving my phone in my pocket. “Tell me more,” I said.

“Where do you want me to start?”

“Um… I don’t know. The beginning? Our first life?”

He nodded. “Ancient Greece,” he said. “Like, really early in Ancient Greece’s history. The gods blessed us. Bound our souls for eternity. Your hair is actually the same color now as it was back then. Kind of a… nostalgic favorite of mine. You’re absolutely stunning every time I see you, but I have some favorites. You do too.”

I snickered. “Oh really? Like what?”

“Well… I always think you’re adorable with dimples or freckles. Green eyes are a favorite of mine too. And your current hair color is my favorite. There were also a few times where you were a little taller than me. Those were nice. You’re most comfortable to hug that way. But, without fail, every single lifetime I see your smile and I think, ‘That one. That one’s my new favorite.’” He chuckled. “As for you, you’ve told me that you like me best with brown eyes—even though you don’t like brown eyes normally. Um… you also like it when my hair is curly.” He gestured to his black hair, slightly curled, with two white curls arcing down the center of his forehead. “You told me… seven lifetimes ago? That you like me best with piercings and tattoos, but when I brought it up last lifetime you said even when I have them I still look like, and I quote, a ‘giant nerd.’”

We both laughed. Jason sighed and shook his head.

“Then again, you said that was your favorite during our pirate lifetime. And I can also say hot damn you looked good with tattoos and a big hat.”

I gasped out a laugh. “We were pirates?”

He laughed too. “Yeah. Well, you were. To start with, anyway. You and your crew were visiting my town and you, absolutely drunk, stumbled into my house. I was a carpenter that time. Thank the gods we both remembered that lifetime or I probably would have shot you. You spent half the night drunkenly blathering about how much you hated my hair when it was long the way it was and that you’d cut it off if I didn’t. The next morning, when you’d sobered up, you apologized. And I’d said it was fine. And… you asked me to come with you. I’ve spent dozens of lifetimes endlessly in love with you. So, like the lovesick fool I am and was, I said yes.

“It… was not a long lifetime. Pirates rarely made it to old age. We were both killed when a Royal Navy ship attacked us. I went down first. You told me in our next lifetime that you single-handedly killed half of that crew’s sailors in revenge even though you knew you’d see me again—because you’d been having so much fun that life and they ruined it. Eventually their captain killed you himself.” He took a bite of his croissant.

It was certainly a lot to take in. But everything he said was so vivid… I wasn’t sure if it was my imagination coming up with the images or… memories that had merely been locked away somewhere deep inside. The sea. The deck of a ship. An octopus tattoo on my left forearm, tentacles reaching to the back of my hand, a similar one on his tanned, scarred neck. Curly auburn hair, a scruffy beard. Brown leather coat and blood under his nails. Pierced ear and eyebrow. A tattoo of a mermaid with a face and wild hair that I knew must have been mine on his right thigh as we found alone time together in my cabin—a pile of leather clothes in a heap on the floor, topped by a big hat with a big feather.

I met his eyes again. “Tell me about another one.”

He smiled. “Well… there was another time I was a soldier. You remembered. I didn’t. I passed through your town on my way to report for duty, and the weather got bad. Your family owned a tavern that doubled as an inn. So, that was where I stayed. You didn’t tell me. I fell in love with you anyway. You would tell me stories and sing for me and make me food in private. When the weather improved, I went off to war and, miraculously, I survived. Even though I spent most of my time that fight thinking about you. I came back to your inn and asked you to marry me. You said yes. We were married soon after. I had to leave a lot. Fighting battles I didn’t care about. Eventually, I came home injured and dying. You held my hand and promised you’d see me soon. I thought you meant heaven or just said it to comfort me. You never told me we were endlessly-reborn soulmates.

“When I was about fifteen my next lifetime, all my memories came back. We both remembered that time, actually. When we ran into each other again we got into such a big argument about you not telling me. Literally picked up right where we left off. Two twenty-year-olds bickering like the old married couple we were. The life after I don’t remember is always a bit of a wild ride as all my memories come back. I imagine it’s similar for you. It’ll be similar for you.”

He reached across the table and took my hand. I squeezed his fingers. Our hands fit together perfectly. I wondered why I’d told him I liked him best with brown eyes when his blue eyes were absolutely gorgeous. “So… what now?” I asked.

He made a face. “Beginnings are always hard when one of us doesn’t remember. Because I have thousands of years of love for you, and you don’t even know me.” His fingers tightened around mine. “I’d like to take you out on a date, if you’ll let me.”

“Does it count as a first date?”

He smiled. It was a sad smile. “It can. It does for this life.”

“Have we… ever had children? Together?”

Jason regarded me thoughtfully. “We have,” he said. “But our bloodlines never last long. Usually we’re lucky to get great-grandchildren. We’re blessed to be together forever, but our families die off quickly. You speculated once that it’s the blessing’s attempt to make sure we’re not reborn into our own bloodline.”

“So we have no living descendants.”

“No. It’d be a little weird if we did. Like ‘Hey, kiddo, you’re our great-great-great-grandson! I know we’re younger than you but trust us!’” Jason laughed.

I could get drunk on that laugh. “I’d… I’d like to go on that date.”

He looked elated—and relieved. “Me too. I’d like to get to know you again.” He glanced around the crowded café. “What do you say we get out of here and go somewhere quiet and I can tell you more stories about our lives? You’ve always been the far superior storyteller, but I learned from the best.”

I smiled. “Yeah. Let’s get out of here. I want to hear everything.”

He helped me to my feet. I gathered my jacket, cup, and phone. “Great. I can’t wait to tell you about the time I was a magician.”

I giggled. “My place or yours?”

“Mine. I have a memento from our most recent past life that I tracked down. I’d like you to have it.”

“What is it?”

Jason didn’t answer immediately. Just held my hand as we left the café. Gotham’s overcast autumn sky was chilly. “I… I want it to be a surprise but I’m also too excited to tell you.” He bit his lower lip, staring at me. “Gah. Fine. It’s your wedding ring. I found it at an antique shop not far from where our oldest niece lived. We didn’t have any kids, last life. We didn’t meet till I was forty-nine and you were forty-three. We both decided it was too late for kids. But I had a few nieces and nephews. Our oldest niece was in charge of our estate. We died in the eighties. But I found your ring. You can use it again, eventually, if you want. Or we can get you a new one.” His face reddened. “I don’t mean to presume. But I don’t know if I can live without you this lifetime after having you for such a short time last life.”

I squeezed his hand. “Let’s try that first date first. I feel this pull toward you I can’t explain, but we’ll build up to the soulmate thing. Okay?” I smiled at him.

—

Jason couldn’t help but stare at her. Those eyes, that stunning face. This one, he thought. This smile is my favorite.

#My Favorite Smile #Jason Todd #jason todd imagine #jason todd fanfiction #Red Hood #red hood imagine #red hood fanfiction #DC #DC imagine #dc fanfiction #BatFam #batfam imagine #batfam fanfiction

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snivellussnoop · 4 years ago

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Fanfiction Year in Review

thanks to @glowstar826 for the tag! I am honored to hear that my looking up to you was your proudest moment of the year, and I’m glad to say this is still very much the case. here’s my response:

Fics completed in the order of which they were completed:

There are just a few of these since most of what I write is novel-length, but here are the little things I did!

He Wished a Lot of Things - AO3 | Wattpad

The Memory Cabinet of an Alchemist - AO3 | Wattpad

Fics updated this year in the order of which they were published:

Philophobe - AO3 | Wattpad

Arrested Development: An Unnecessary Continuation - AO3 | Wattpad

Delocaponum - AO3 | Wattpad

Number of words written:

roughly 200,000. terrifying.

Most popular fic:

On Wattpad: Not Gay! (please don’t read this. I mean I’m not going to stop you but when I plead like this I am solemnly warning you)

On AO3: He Wished a Lot of Things

Personal favorite:

Delocaponum, with He Wished a Lot of Things as an honorable mention.

Favorite scene:

in Delocaponum, I love writing the banter between the characters. one of my favorite parts so far was in chapter IV: A Warm Unwelcome when Severus is trying to get Remus out of his office after making fun of his monthly “predicament” by giving him a tampon, and Remus keeps ignoring his warnings as he verbally lists a multitude of crimes that he sarcastically is asking Snape not to commit while he’s away. It eventually ends in Severus calling him a slut and finally getting the door to shut.

A close second to this is from chapter VII: Charming Consultations when Snape goes to see Flitwick, who is overenthusiastic about his presence. Severus reminds him not to treat it like the coming of Jesus Christ, but Filius ignores him and congratulates him on being hired (although not specifying that this was the reason for congratulations), and Snape asks, “For what? The coming of Christ?”.

Something that challenged me:

My addition to Arrested Development challenged me a lot because I had to adopt the humor and writing style they achieved in the show, which is incredibly difficult to embody, especially in book form. I grew so much and am still growing thanks to my decision to write this.

Delocaponum also is a challenge as a whole. The chapters are longer than I’ve ever written before, the plot is slower, the writing style is richer, and it’s supposed to be canon-compliant, which has led to a lot of study on the plot points of Snape and Lupin’s lives in the eighties, along with researching the dates of full moons and planning accordingly. This work also plays a lot with grief, growth and healing, which can be difficult to harness all at once, but it’s going well and I’m constantly adapting to be able to write it as well as I can.

A part of writing I’m proud of:

(Delocaponum, chapter VII: Charming Consultations)

“He spent all of last night lying insomnolent, urging himself to just go to sleep, beseeching his own instincts to let him alone and leave him to fall into his own dreams. But he couldn't do it. Thoughts kept running around him, hissing against his ears in the fashion of the unforgiving snake like which he himself is described. Hypotheses. Dubiety. Complete uncertainty. And all this, inopportunely, orbiting tight round the memory of Remus Lupin standing out in the rain, and the sensation of his hand laying itself gently on his unsheltered shoulder.

He's decided that he shouldn't be letting this affect him in such a way. Absolutely so.

He's decided that he shouldn't remember Remus going out of his way to make him tea the way Albus said he liked it, or the pleas to offer him assisting services in compensation for some very free Wolfsbane. He won't pay any notice to how he likes Bruce Springsteen and house plants and accents his entire home with greens and reds. He won't think any longer about his soft handwriting on half of the bottles in his classroom, or how all of his suits and vests are tailored in colors that match each possible shade a leaf revolves through, green and dark mustard and deep mahogany and many, many browns.”

A comment that touched me:

All of them touched me. Really.

Something that inspired my writing:

The Picture of Dorian Gray, J. Edgar, my secret Pinterest boards, Gregory Alan Isakov, the different hues and shades of brown, George Orwell — specifically 1984, nature and seasons, Sweeney Todd, The Hobbit, Knives Out, Braiding Sweetgrass, Hello from the Magic Tavern, Ozark, Steven Wilson, a collection of old vinyl records my grandfather gave me a few months ago, David Bowie, The Phantom of the Opera, the dynamic between myself and this girl that I’m either in love with romantically or platonically (I legitimately cannot tell as I’m ace and the lines are blurred as hell), The Mysterious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, unisex first names, The Imitation Game, Latin roots, mythology, and lots and lots of Shakespeare.

My proudest moment:

calculating all my works together and finding out that I’ve written close to 350,000 words in the last two years. i also feel incredibly rewarded when i finish a long writing project. the longer i’ve worked on it, the better i feel when it ends.

My writing goals this year:

Finish as much as I can with the busy time I have. I hope to finish Philophobe at least, and ADAUC next. Delocaponum I’m hoping to get out as quickly as I can, although this may take the rest of the year or longer.

Tags:

I’m pretty new to the writing community of tumblr so I don’t know any people off the top of my head that write and haven’t been tagged already. if you see this and would like to participate, please have a go! indirectly, i’m tagging whoever is reading that wants to join in.

#my writing #snupin #blunder #johnlock #fanfiction #fanfic #ficlet

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melodythefab · 4 years ago

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An Interview with Inferno~

50 Character Builder Questions for your Tabletop Character by Ginny Di

Are you a morning person or more of a night owl?

I am much more of a morning person. I like to wake up early, to start moving as the sun rises and feel sunlight on my skin and feel the rest of the world waking up with me.

What’s the first thing you notice about a person when you meet them?

The way they stand. Do they stand proud? Or do they seem like they have something to hide? Are they fidgeting with something? Do they look comfortable or nervous?

You see a huge spider in your room. What do you do?

Catch it and let it out. I don’t want to kill an innocent creature.

If you could go back and change one decision you made in the past, what would you change?

I would change how I didn’t go to Greenwich sooner. Maybe I’d have met Shortiss, Todd, and Cochann sooner. I was fine, of course, so were they, but I wonder what might’ve happened.

Tell me about your first kiss.

*deadpan* no.

Do you give people second chances?

Of course. I believe there is good in everyone, but also that everyone has a capacity to do evil. We must work with each other to bring the light out in ourselves and others.

Except for Todd. He receives no sympathy from me.

Are you a cat person or a dog person?

Dogs ☺️

Do you think you’re attractive?

By Genasi standards or human ones? I wouldn’t say so, probably, but Basil complimented my muscles the other day, so perhaps? (Me: baby that was for a Bardic no-)

What’s your worst habit?

Letting Todd make any decision with consequences.

(It’s hair upkeep. It might be made of fire, Inferno, but you still have to take care of it).

When was the last time you cried?

It- it’s been a while. I won’t lie, I teared up fighting those black dragons about a month ago, but I also almost died, so I believe I had good reason.

But the last time I really cried- Probably the time I realized I can’t save everyone all the time. That still weighs heavily on me. I’ve come to accept it now, to some extent, but I still wish I could.

Are you a good liar?

In theory, yes. In practice, no. (Read: high charisma, but I always get shitty rolls)

What’s your biggest pet peeve?

Being Todd.

Ok, but really. I’m not sure if this counts as a pet peeve or not, but having a general disregard for the welfare of others.

Have you ever had your heart broken?

In the sense that this is asking? No. However, when we found the Sword of Tyr (I’m pretty sure it’s a homebrew weapon our DM made for her. Basically she has to prove herself worthy to the sword to unlock its full potential.) and I realized that for some reason, I’m not considered worthy by Tyr yet, I’m fairly sure that’s what heartbreak feels like.

It’s okay, though. I’m fine. I just need to do better. I won’t give up.

Are you more likely to use your fists or your words in an argument?

Words first, but then, swords are a fantastic backup option.

What’s something you’re naturally good at?

I’m pretty naturally good at healing. Of course, having Lay on Hands and Cure Wounds helps, but I’m usually pretty good at patching up my friends.

What’s something you had to work hard to be good at?

I have to work really hard to be even remotely passable in anything dexterous. You’d think a warrior like myself would be able to handle a slippery floor or even just hopping into a Bag of Holding, but those are both things that have felled me when my enemies have failed to. (Poor baby has a -2 modifier and I roll really bad for every single Dex check.)

Can you tell when someone is flirting with you?

Absolutely not. Honestly, that entire realm, romance and affection, are just entirely beyond me.

Do you think money can buy happiness?

No. Money can supply temporary happiness. Drinks at the tavern, fancy homes, that sort of thing. But real happiness- at one point, I wasn’t sure it really existed outside of fairy tales. But now I know that true happiness is found in those around you. Shortiss, Cochann, Todd, and even our two additions, Ember and Basil, they’ve all helped me realize that I need my friends just as much as they need me. I don’t think they know it, but I’d throw myself in front of a million dragons if it meant they were safe. They’ve changed my life, and I am forever grateful.

Do you believe in destiny?

Yes. Everyone has a destiny. Life is an ever-winding road leading you there. It’s impossible to avoid, but really, why would you? Destiny is what you were meant to do. Your destiny will see you at your very strongest and push you into greatness. One day I know I’ll reach mine. Until then, I’ll just get stronger and keep growing.

Are you a good cook?

I’m literally made of fire. Everything burns.

Surprisingly enough, though, Ember’s not a bad cook.

What do you think happens after you die?

Well, valiant warriors, those who give their lives for others and would fight ‘til their dying breath, those people go to Valhalla or Folkvangr to dine with the gods and prepare for Ragnarok. For others, Hel most likely awaits.

Did you have to grow up fast?

No. I was blessed with a good father and a good station. I was always mature for my age, but I know that’s not nearly the same thing.

Who do you look up to?

I’m not sure I really look up to anyone. I must carve my own path in this world.

When you go to a tavern, what do you order?

Usually something light, or nothing at all. Todd drinks enough for all of us.

What do you like most about yourself?

I’m persistent as hell. I’m also pretty hard to kill.

What do you like least about yourself?

Sometimes I get caught up and lose myself in my own competitive drive, and it causes me to lose my good judgement. *grins* I blame Cochann. He’s a bad influence. (She doesn’t really blame him. He is, however, a bad influence. Only sometimes, though.)

Are you a planner, or more spontaneous?

Spontaneous. If I make plans, I make them in the moment.

Can you keep a secret?

Absolutely.

Do you like being the center of attention?

Not usually. I tend to stay towards the back of most situations with Shortiss. Basil is far more fit for the attention, anyways.

If you knew you were going to die tomorrow, what would you do today?

I wouldn’t do a single thing different. If I’m destined to die, I’ll go down fighting.

Do you enjoy getting all dressed up for a special occasion?

Not really, but polishing my armor and sharpening my blades gives me a similar feeling, I think.

Where do you feel safe?

With my friends. Sure, they can be annoying, but I know nobody has my back like they do. *laughs* Yes, even Todd.

Do you love or hate being alone?

At one point, I probably would’ve said I love it, but now I can’t imagine being without my friends.

What’s the last nightmare you remember having?

Well, I have horrific nightmares about what will happen if the Cult of the Dragons succeeds exactly every fifth night. That is what drove me to this quest anyways.

Do you admit to mistakes when you make them?

I try to.

Do you want to grow up to be like your parents?

No. My father was a good man, but I have my own destiny.

How do you deal with being sick? Are you stoic, or super whiny?

I legitimately cannot get sick.

What did your parents expect from you when you were born?

My father didn’t truly expect much from me. He always just told me I should strive to be good and do good.

Do you have a strong sense of style?

Fighting style, yes.

Would you rather camp outdoors or stay the night in an inn?

Depends. How good is the inn? What’s the weather like? I refuse to sleep in the rain. It messes with my hair. (We’ve decided she’s like a charmander and if the flame goes out, she, like, dies. Maybe not completely but Bad Stuff happens.)

Is there a food that most people like that you absolutely hate?

I’m pretty tolerable of most foods.

Are you more of a hoarder or a minimalist?

Minimalist. I don’t carry much.

Are you superstitious?

No. (Yes.)

Are you the kind of person who remembers people’s birthdays and pets’ names and stuff?

Absolutely. My mind is an iron lock. (No it’s not. She tries, though.)

What do you do to feel better when you’re sad?

I go to my friends. They always know how to cheer me up. Maybe some friendly competition with Cochann, sitting and chatting with Shortiss or Ember, or doing whatever the hell it is Basil and Todd normally do.

Is it hard for you to trust someone?

Not really. Unless it looks like they’ve got something to hide.

Are you susceptible to peer pressure?

No. Well, not on the things that matter.

If you decided to stop adventuring and settle down, what kind of job would you take?

I’m not sure. I would probably want to be a healer. Maybe find a village to protect. Honestly, though, I cannot see myself giving up this life. I’ve sworn an oath to Tyr. Every day must be spent making sure I follow through.

As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

Truthfully, this. I wanted to be a noble adventurer who helped the innocent and did good deeds. I think if, back then, I’d known one day I’d slay a real dragon, well, I probably would’ve exploded from pure excitement.

#ah! she speaks!#dnd #inferno

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the-lupine-sojourner · 5 years ago

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I Promised, Didn’t I? [Traitor(?)!Reader/Izuku Commission] [Fantasy!AU]

Ta-da! Here it is at long last, @elite-guard-hardygal!! So sorry to keep you waiting so long! TT^TT

Anyway, Hardygal commissioned this fanfiction based on some ideas they had and the song ‘Not while I’m Around’ from the Sweeny Todd movie. I like the song and the idea behind the commission, so I was eager to get to work on it, but then I got distracted with work and Miraculous Ladybug cus I was too curious as to what was going on so I binged the latest episodes--anyway, on to the commission!

If you want one for yourself, all you need do is ask! Here’s Info on My Commissions.

As always, I give the word count for my commissions. This one sits at 3807-ish cus there was just so much story there, I couldn’t stop writing! XD

Ok, that’s all for now! Hope you all had an amazing Thanksgiving! :)

God Bless and Happy Holidays!

~The Lupine Sojourner

(Here’s a cute Izuku GiF cus why not?)

There he was; Eijiro Kirishima, the one you’d been sent to observe and eventually turn over to your boss, Kai Chisaki.

He and his group were...less than thrilled that a rogue barbarian king named Katsuki Bakugo and his companion, Eijiro, and their group of friends had been taking down his thugs and operations left and right, and as such Kai himself had sat you down and told you about sending his stealthier cronies to track and observe Eijiro and his friends, taking note of their relationships and which member would cause the most damage if they were to be...removed.

Eijiro was, apparently, one of the most innocent and a key player in keeping another group, led by Izuku Midoriya (another target, turns out), in fairly good terms with each other.

Eijiro was also married, after a somewhat fast-paced romance, to one of the most powerful magic-wielding adventurers in recent memory, Takara Yamada.

Only Shoto Todoroki, a rather reserved fellow who ran from his princely duties to find a cure for a curse that befell him, his fiance and bodyguard, Momo Yaoyorozu, and Izuku Midoriya (who was trying to find the missing king, Toshinori Yagi) could best Takara in terms of power and the way they use it.

The Chisaki told you to help hunt down Eijiro to unbalance Takara and the other powerhouses so it would be easier to kill them.

“Hey, are you okay?”

You look up. You’d been so wrapped up in your thoughts you hadn’t realized you were standing in the middle of the street, staring into space.

“Oh, y-yeah. I’m fairly new to the area, and was just getting my bearings. I look like that when I’m concentrating.”

Eijiro smiles. “Well, um, do you have a place to stay tonight?” He asks.

You chuckle. “Yes. The tavern, for now.”

“You should stay with me and my wife instead! She’d love you!” You act like you were surprised, but thanks to Chisaki you knew this was typical for Eijiro.

He always strove to help those he could. Poor naive boy.

Well, it would provide you an in with your targets. “Oh, no. I couldn’t ask you to do that. Really, I’m fine. I’m asking around for jobs, and I’ve got plenty of money to last me till I got a steady job.”

“It’s honestly no trouble. Takara would love to meet you.” You act like you were flattered and shyly accepting of the generous offer, and you could genuinely appreciate what this meant to him and his new wife.

Chisaki had even told you of rumors about Takara and what would happen in around 6 months.

You hope that rumor wasn’t true. You’d hate to make a child an orphan like you were before Chisaki snapped you up.

“Oh! I just realized; I don’t know your name.”

“Oh you’re right! And I don’t know yours, come to think of it.” You give the name you were told to use, Koi Dirisk.

“Lovely name. I’m Eijiro Kirishima.”

“Pleasure.” You shake hands and try not to think of the future too much.

=#=#=#=#=

“Darling, I’m home!” Eijiro calls, smiling broadly as he walks into the house.

“Perfect time! That deer you got this morning is just about cooked.” Comes a female voice, approaching.

Then, Takara comes into your view. She was...prettier than you thought she’d be. The description hadn’t done her justice, though you suppose that was either to avoid attachments or because the Chisaki were focused on the basics rather than her beauty.

“Oh. Eijiro, you didn’t mention a friend.” She says and you can tell she’s surprised but not angry or about to throw you out.

“She’s new to the area. Her name’s Koi. I offered to save her some money until she gets her feet under her.” Takara nods, smiling warmly at you and you feel your heart clench at the prospect of what will happen. You glance at her stomach as she walks over. It was starting to show, her pregnant belly. Just enough that you could confirm the rumors about Takara.

“Well, alright. We’ll see what we can do.” The two of you shake hands and you almost feel sick at the thought of turning this young bride into a widow so soon after her nuptials. And the kid would grow up without their wonderful parents.

And yet, you had to do what Chisaki said, or you’d be the next victim of his awful magic, creating deadly spikes out of the ground or simply destroying the body from within.

You’d been a witness in many executions now, and yet you hadn’t turned him in. You couldn’t.

You subtly shake yourself as Takara offers to show you around and to your borrowed room. You had to play the part for now.

The house was amazing, cozy and charming. The perfect place for a family, complete with a room for the upcoming child.

As soon as the tour was over, Takara returned to the kitchen and finished the meal preparation.

“So what brings you into town?” That question had come up fairly quickly as you ate dinner.

“Ah you know; traveling the world, seeing the sights, getting some exploring done before it’s too late.” That was what Kai wanted you to say. You felt the food turn to dust and ashes in your mouth as you lied.

This poor family would be torn apart and they had no idea.

=#=#=#=#=

“You established contact with Kirishima?”

“Yes.” You report in a small side room in a local tavern a day or so later.

“Good. Does he trust you yet?”

“Not sure. We’ve barely begun a friendship, much less trust at this stage. We’re going to do some magic practice later. That should help.”

“Y/N, are you having second thoughts?” Kai asks suddenly, leaning over a little.

“Not at all. I just noticed Takara Kirishima is in fact pregnant. She seems to be in the first trimester.”

“Is that a problem?” You knew the right answer.

“No. Just thought you should know.”

“It’ll make it easier for us to take care of her when the time comes. Good work.” You nod, swallowing subtly.

“Right. I’ll report to you again when I find the others in the group containing Izuku Midoriya.” Kai Chisaki nods, humming.

“See that you do, Y/N.”

“Yes, sir.” You reply, knowing the right answer.

=#=#=#=#=

Things only got worse as you were introduced to Izuku Midoriya.

He was even dressed like a proper gentleman, acting so polite you felt your heart clench at having to look at him like an enemy, scanning for weakness.

And so far, his main weakness was his easygoing, friendly, fairly trusting nature. Practically as soon as you were introduced to him, he was shaking your hand and talking about how ‘any friend of Eijiro and Takara’s is a friend of mine’.

You wanted to throw up. How could these people trust you so easily? Didn’t they want to know more about you?

So far, you’d been all but blindly taken in, asked the bare minimum of questions, and accepted as a new ally and friend by these people.

You tried to just continue like nothing was wrong.

=#=#=#=#=

“You sure know how to go on the offense there, Koi.” Izuku notes, smiling that damn warm smile of his as you two sparred.

“Well, my instructor was a victim of assault. It made her paranoid, and she passed that on to me. She told me ‘end the fight before the tricks up their sleeves come out’.”

Most of that was true. She was a victim of assault, but for being a villain, not in a random act of violence.

Izuku pauses. “That’s fair advice.” He concedes. “I wish I could help everyone, you know. It just doesn’t work that way sometimes.”

“But when you see something, you do something, right?”

“Of course.”

“That’s all anyone can do, if they even decide to do anything.” You weren’t sure when you started getting emotional, but here you were. “Most people are too afraid.”

“Well, yeah, but the ones that aren’t afraid can mean a life is saved and a villain is apprehended.”

You weren’t sure, but you’d swear he was saying something between the lines. A subtle chill went down your spine. Did he know? Or was it just coincidence?

You couldn’t be sure, so you made a few solid excuses to avoid him for the next few days. You had to get your story straight in case you were questioned.

Kai was pleased you were in contact with his next victim already, and had sparred with him. “Did he have any weaknesses in his fighting style that you noticed?” You shook your head.

“Not many. He’s sharp as a sword and quick as a spooked rabbit. We’ll have to be quicker and hit harder.”

“Excellent insight, as always, Y/N.” Kai smiles, curled finger lifting your chin to make you look at him. “You know you’re indispensable to me, dear. No one else has quite your ability to blend into any role I assign them.”

You nod, forcing a smile. “I try, sir.”

“So get out there and keep trying.” You nod and leave, trying not to let your stormy emotions show. You were growing to hate this assignment with a fiery passion.

You’d killed people and betrayed many others to their deaths, but never had you had to be a part of a man’s death with a pregnant wife. Normally, it was single people you dealt with.

At night, you cried yourself to sleep as quietly as you could. Surely, there had to be some way to save Eijiro, Izuku, and their friends, right?

You couldn’t think of anything and it was tearing you apart. You hated every mission you were sent on, but what choice did you have? Kai Chisaki had practically raised you, lording that over you to manipulate you into doing his bidding.

Somehow, you had to save these people.

Gods above, they were your age! How were you supposed to help kill them?!

=#=#=#=#=

“Hey, are you okay?” Takara asks over breakfast. You probably looked like shit.

You spent too long crying and still looked like it.

“Didn’t sleep much last night.”

“Anything you care to talk about?”

For a fleeting moment, you thought of saying ‘screw it’ and telling them the truth, but that was suicide and these people would die, anyway. “Not really. Sorry.”

“No, that’s okay. It’s not easy opening up. I get it.” Takara assures you gently, smiling warmly at you. “Just know you got two ears whenever you need to talk to me, okay?”

You fake a smile and continue eating. “I appreciate that.” Unfortunately, it didn’t spawn any plans to allow everyone in this scenario to survive.

=#=#=#=#=

The cruelest part of Kai’s undercover assignments he gave you was the few weeks you were given to get to know the victims and earn enough of their trust that they’d follow you into the trap the Chisaki laid out for them.

Usually, he talked you into hating the people by portraying himself as the victim, claiming these people betrayed him and left him no choice but to seek retribution.

And you always took his side after all he’d done for you.

But now...now you weren’t so sure.

How could killing people your age, who were just settling into life and starting families, be in any way a good thing, like Kai was claiming?

He’d just given you the week’s notice so you can get a plan for how and when you would lead the targets into a trap.

“Hey, are you okay?” Izuku asks, sitting beside you in the cool evening air atop a hill. About an hour ago, you’d probably have seen a gorgeous sunset if it weren’t for the tears going down your face.

You subtly wipe them away. “Yeah. You?” He nods, gently wrapping his arm around your shoulder. Your cheeks flush a little. Izuku was so...genuine and friendly.

He didn’t deserve to die.

“I think I am. Did you come up here to watch the sunset?” He asks, and you can tell he knew precisely why you were here.

“Something like that.” You reply glumly. You’d gotten closer to Izuku over the few weeks you’d known him, and you hated yourself for getting so caught up in the part you were playing that you could almost forget why you wore the mask.

Almost.

“You know, I’ve always liked taking moments to just sit and...be myself. Everyone looks to me as a leader and I hate to let people down.”

You nod. “So you only let yourself feel things when you’re alone.” You murmur.

Izuku squeezes your shoulder gently.

“You can be yourself around me, you know that, right?” You bite your lip.

“I know.” It was the right answer...right?

Izuku leans his head on yours, and you lose your train of thought.

“You ever feel like we were destined to meet?” He asks. “I mean--um...not necessarily romantically, just- -I- -ah, not that I am opposed to that, Koi! I just- -crap I made it weird…” You laugh.

“Izuku, I feel the same.” It wasn’t destiny, though; it was Kai. However, you couldn’t deny a feeling that beyond Kai, like maybe there was something there. You two seemed like strings being woven together for a tapestry.

“Oh, good.” He chuckles nervously as you readjust yourself against his strong chest. “What I was trying to say is, um…” He clears his throat, “nothing’s gonna harm you. Not while I’m around…” He sings softly all of a sudden.

You sigh. Even his voice was amazing. Honestly, given time, you may have fallen truly in love with him, but...he was a target of the Chisaki.

There’s no way he’d survive.

“I’m sorry. It’s something my mother would sing to me when I was little.” He apologizes. “It was dumb, I’m sorry.” You chuckle. Maybe, just for one night, you could let go and truly enjoy yourself. You snuggle up to Izuku.

“No, no. Go on. I’m sorry.”

Izuku starts over, and continues from there. “Demons are prowling everywhere, nowadays. I’ll send em howling, I don’t care. I got ways.” You smile, almost believing him. If he somehow, by some miracle, survived the week, you could see yourself maybe giving him a shot, regardless of the consequences. “No one’s gonna hurt you, no one’s gonna dare. Others can desert you. Not to worry! Whistle, I’ll be there! Demons will charm you with a smile, for a while, but in time...” That, you felt, was Izuku talking like he knew about Kai and your undercover work. In case he didn’t, you snuggle closer as if charmed by his words. And you were, but you were also a little wary. If he knew, it might mean danger for you, especially if Kai found out. “Nothing can harm you. Not while I’m around…”

You two sit for a moment in silence, enjoying each other’s company.

Your heart ached to tell him everything while part of you knew better so you sat there, wondering what to do. It’s then you reach a decision.

Izuku was one of the most powerful magic wielders to date. If anyone stood a chance at saving himself and his friends, it was Izuku. But only if he knew it was coming.

“Hey, um, Izuku..?” You begin, wondering how he would react. As long as he survived, though, it didn’t matter what he thought of you. You could rebuild trust eventually, but only if he survived. “I don’t want anything to harm you, either. Not...not while I’m around.” You weren’t singing, you were looking him in the eye. You had to do this. You knew it was the right thing to do. “I- -”

“Whatever it is, Koi, you can talk to me. I want to help you. Just tell me what you need to overcome.” You take a breath. “Koi, I won’t let anyone hurt you, I promise.”

He had no idea...no idea you were about to shatter his perception of you.

“I don’t want to hide anything from you…” You began. “But this...this is big.” Izuku perks up now that he’d started to crack at the armor you put around your secrets. He let you talk, his eyes betraying his eagerness to know more. You closed your eyes. “I...when I was young, maybe 6 or so, my village was attacked and burned by a villain group that was trying to get themselves started. For days afterward, I wandered around, homeless and an orphan…” You were shaking. You had never ever confided in anyone like this, and yet...you knew you had to keep going. Izuku’s warm, steady hand on yours helped ground you. You opened your eyes focused them on him and somehow found the strength to keep going. “And then someone took me in. I didn’t know it at first, but he was a villain. He wasn’t famous yet, and he hadn’t done anything flashy or impressive, but his magic was devastatingly powerful and he had convinced many people to join him.” Izuku’s eyes go wide.

He could fill in a few blanks just fine, but he kept his mouth shut, afraid Koi would stop talking if he dared utter a word.

“He told me his name was Kai Chisaki and he wanted me to be his spy, his little chameleon. I’ve been sent on many assignments, I’ve done so many horrible things to people, but I always thought Kai was right. He always made me think it was the right thing to do.” Tears formed in your eyes. Izuku hadn’t said a word. You didn’t know if that was a good thing or a bad thing but you kept going. “But this time, for the first time, he made me go undercover with people my age, just starting out in life. I...I’ve grown to like you all a lot, even that barbarian king. You all accepted me with hardly any questions and Takara’s pregnant, and...and I can’t keep going on like I don’t know what’s coming. I made up the story about King Toshinori, and about my eavesdropping on those villains. It was a cover so I could remain a chameleon without you and Eijiro and the others ever suspecting I was the leak. You’d be ambushed and dealt with quickly so you’d stop interfering with Kai’s plans.”

You swallow. You’d done the hardest part, now you had convince him that you wanted to help him survive and protect him. “Now, I want to help you, Izuku! I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you sooner! It’s just...Kai is terrifying! I know that’s no excuse, but…” You take a breath before you broke down in tears. “I don’t want the Chisaki to kill you or your friends. I...I want to protect you and make sure nothing harms you! I promise I’ll do my best to protect you and everyone else!” At this point, you couldn’t hold the tears back anymore. You tried not to be overdramatic, so you took deep breaths to steady yourself. “I understand if you don’t want anything to do with me, Izuku. Just know that I will protect you, no matter what. I’ll do what I can to make up for what I’ve done.”

You stood there, trembling as you waited for his reaction.

Izuku was stunned. He’d had had his suspicions about you from the time you avoided him for a few days. He checked on your excuses and they didn’t quite pan out, but he always thought maybe he was wrong. Now...he knew he was right. There was more to you then meets the eye.

But at least you had come forward and confessed in time to ensure everyone survived. That was what was important.

While he was hurt that you’d only joined his group as a ploy to kill him, he knew if he didn’t do something to make sure you knew he wouldn’t abandon you, he’d lose you and you’d think he hated you.

And that wasn’t true at all. In fact, it was the opposite. He’d grown very fond of you and was proud that you were coming forward and warning him about the impending ambush.

This way, he could be prepared and deal with the villains while still maintaining Koi- -or whatever your name was; Koi was likely a cover- -’s cover before you were found out and killed for your betrayal. Izuku knew Kai wouldn’t take kindly to his spy revealing herself to the enemy, much less getting so attached to them.

“So...what’s your real name?” He asks, giving you a small smile.

Your eyes go wide. You hadn’t expected that reaction at all.

Izuku didn’t seem to hate you for your role in Chisaki’s plan. At least, not right now.

You wipe your eyes. “W-what?”

“What’s your name?” He repeats, smiling at you. “I’m guessing Koi isn’t your real name.”

Hardly knowing how to feel, you let out a nervous chuckle. “N-no, it’s not. I’m, uh...Y/N.” You murmur, unsure how to take Izuku’s reaction.

Izuku’s smile goes wider and he holds out a hand as he stands. “Well then, Y/N, we’ve got work to do if we’re gonna survive the attack from the Chisaki group. C’mon.”

You hesitate, then take the hand, letting him help you up. “Izuku...I don’t know...I don’t want everyone to know and hate me.”

“Trust me, they’ll be thrilled you joined our side against someone like Kai Chiaski and want to help them survive. Eijiro will side with you, I know it.”

“Katsuki will kill me…” You moan, suddenly remembering the barbarian’s temper and explosive magic he could barely control. Those factors combined sent a chill down your spine. But maybe you deserved it for befriending them under such treacherous circumstances.

“I’ll handle Katsuki. He’ll be happy as long as he has villains to fight.”

While you appreciate the thought of Izuku convincing Katsuki to not kill you, you knew it was a long shot at best.

“I’ll be one of those villains.”

“No you won’t.” He assures you. “Y/N, trust me. I’ll talk to him. I know how to handle the barbarian king. You just need to talk to Todoroki and Momo, and we’ll get a plan together.”

Shakily, you nod. “I...I guess, yeah. Yeah, I’ll do that.”

“Nothing’s gonna harm you, Y/N.” Izuku says, leaning his forehead against yours. “Not while I’m around. I promised, didn’t I?”

You try to believe him as you walk back into town, hand in hand.

There were so many unknowns going through your head, but one thing was for sure; you and Izuku were going to figure it out together.

#Fanfiction #fanfiction commissions #my hero academia #MHA #Izuku Midoriya #Izuku Midoriya/Traitor(?)!Reader #Fantasy AU #MHA Fantasy AU #BNHA Fantasy AU #Fantasy!Izuku #Eijiro Kirishima #Eijiro Kirishima/Takara Yamada #My Hero Academia OC #Mentioned but not central to the story #Hardygal

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greyskywrites · 5 years ago

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Wolf’s Price

[First] [Previous] [AO3] [ko-fi]

XXI. Iron Teeth

5.9k

The first leaves were in the trees when we encountered our first Hasi clan moving northward. They were Patayan, and not a people with which I was well acquainted, but this clan had traded often with the Kiruk Atsa, and a number of them recognized Veland, who happily chattered way in Trader while we bartered over deer hides and rabbit furs and what little coin we had in exchange for dried fruits and nuts.

Some of the women saw my makeshift sling for the baby, and before we left I was presented with a deer hide covered board that Patayan women wore on their backs, into which the baby could be securely swaddled. It was a gift, so I wasn’t allowed to pay them for it without offense, but I was quite able to give them gifts in return, which I did. My yellow hair scarf and a number of ribbons and hair beads I had taken particularly for this purpose seemed woefully inadequate to me, but the women seemed pleased.

What the Patayan made of Muras and Todd, who were silent and not much involved in the bartering that Lor and I oversaw, I couldn’t have said. I did acquire the loan of a pair of scissors, which I used as I had promised to make them look less like wild men.

Todd came out of it looking rather handsome, but I had to shear Muras quite close before I was satisfied that he didn’t look like a very well-preserved elderly man. Their hair was still too short to braid, but in the clothes they had, and without speaking to them, it would be easy enough to mistake them for Sarenn men.

Because our group was so small, it was easy to pass unnoticed when we needed to. We took wide routes around towns we knew to be common traveling points for Kressosi soldiers, and joined up with larger groups when we could. Fur merchants, mostly—they often traveled alone, and welcomed new people to talk to, especially when we came with two armed men who could deter bandits. Whenever someone asked where we were bound, we always gave a different answer.

Lor looked over the baby every night, though there wasn’t much she could really see. The baby was nursing, and growing, and staying warm, and that was all we could really ask. She would hold the baby while I ate, singing many of the same lullabies I knew.

When the trees were beginning to bud their flowers, we stopped for a few days in a small village that was just big enough to have its own real bathhouse, but not so large that they thought to charge us for its use. We were also given a hot meal we didn’t ask for, and brought into the biggest house available to sleep by the fire. I apologized frequently for not being able to repay them for their kindness, which only seemed to inspire in the villagers a desire to outdo each other in generosity. I gathered they didn’t have many visitors.

We left with as much food as they could spare, and a jug of beer for our trouble. I knew we were drawing closer to Arborhall, because their accents were familiar, and because I recognized the motifs in the embroidery on their shirts and dresses.

The long days that we were alone on the road, I spent most of my time in the saddle teaching my own language, until one or the other of us grew too frustrated to go on. At the very least, I taught Todd, Muras, and Veland the names of every tree and bird, every animal we encountered and the names of their parts. Lor stopped often to gather herbs and mushrooms, and sometimes tree bark, filling her basket. She dried them over our campfire in the evenings, singing quietly to herself in Aziran.

“I should like to go back to Azira, someday,” she murmured. “I miss the noisy markets and the heat. You’d never believe how much color those cities can hold.”

Muras was pondering old homes, too. I’d never heard so much about Pardas as I did those weeks, when I’d find him mulling over something. He thought mostly of his sister, and the nieces he hardly knew. Would never know, now.

“It’s not too late, you know,” I murmured. “You could go back, if you wanted to.”

“Andon would find me eventually,” Muras said. “I made my choice.”

I didn’t want him to resent me, for that choice. It was perhaps an unfounded worry, at least then. He held the baby every opportunity he had, murmuring to her, singing Kressosi lullabies. It didn’t matter now that his family would never accept me, or any of my children. It was a much bigger question whether mine would accept him.

Even if they didn’t, my daughter was still my daughter. They’d have no choice, where she was concerned.

I knew we were closer, and yet—and yet it still caught me by surprise. We had been watering our elk at a stream, and hardly had we gotten back in the saddle but we rounded a hill, and the whole valley spread out before me. I pulled Bili up short, staring.

It was as if Ima Spinna had just spun it into existence for me. The sun had parted the grey rain clouds, casting a honey-gold shine over the valley below. The orchards in which the sheep grazed were in full bloom, I could smell it on the wind.

On my back, I heard the baby begin to stir. Veland shifted in the saddle behind Todd, trying to see around him.

“Is that it, then?” Todd asked.

“It is,” I whispered. Home. Home that I had not seen since I was seventeen, looking back over my shoulder as the king took me away from there. Tears blurred my vision and I rubbed them furiously away, determined to draw it all in, sink into my memory as deeply as I could. My home. Arborhall.

We were yet travel weary and sore, so we rode down into the town, first, to trade away the last of our wealth for a bath and to have our clothes washed. It gave me time, too, to gain a sense for how Arborhall had changed since last I saw it.

With my baby in the board on my back, more than one person greeted me instinctively in Trader, first, until I spoke in Sarenn. They looked at my hair and my freshly laundered dress, and assumed what they would about why a lady was traveling with such a small party, with a newborn babe.

“How difficult,” I asked, “is it to get an audience with the Lord Anarin?”

The merchant’s son I had asked, who was careful to give me deference, and had purchased a drink for me, inclined his head. “For a lady as lovely as you, I imagine not very difficult at all. Lord Anarin holds audience often, especially at busy times like this. If you’re in urgency, though, you might be able to get in with one of his brothers. They’re often about out here.”

Corvin would have been twenty, by then—and Tatton seventeen. I couldn’t know how much of me they would remember, how quickly they might recognize me. “Where can I find them?”

He directed me to a tavern I knew well as a favorite of my uncle Barwald’s, where he had often gotten roaring drunk and been in need of rescue by my father. The merchant warned me I ran the risk of finding Corvin drunk, and I didn’t care for the thought of my brother having followed in our uncle’s footsteps, so I made sure to go with Todd. Being as tall and broad as he was, unless my little brother had somehow overcome our father’s slenderness and our mother’s small height, I did not believe I would need more help.

I thought I might have some trouble determining which was my brother, but I did not.

Corvin, as it turned out, had brought Tatton along with him. It being rather late in the evening, both of them were quite drunk. I knew them instantly, their dark faces and hair, braids to their waists. They were laughing over some joke or other, Tatton clapping his hand on Corvin’s shoulder. I sidled up to the barkeeper, and nodded at them. “Which is more sober?”

“The elder, my lady,” the barkeeper said. “Do you have need to speak to them?”

“If you would please,” I said.

The barkeeper got Corvin’s attention, and he managed to pull himself over to the bar without stumbling too much. “What is it? Do I owe you money?”

“The lady wishes to speak to you, my lord.”

Corvin turned to look at me, then squinted as he tried to figure out why I looked so familiar. “Sorry—did we have some business?”

I put on a friendly smile, since he didn’t recognize me. I wasn’t about to go telling a drunk man I was his many-years-lost sister. He had only been not quite ten, when last I saw him. “I need an audience with Lord Anarin. I was told you might be able to help me.”

Corvin smiled back, uncertainly. “Certainly, my lady—let me just get my brother out of his cups.”

“I think I like them,” Todd said, not having understood a word of what had passed between me and my brother, as Corvin dragged a reluctant Tatton away from the table.

“Wish I could say the same,” I said. I wondered if Julas ever came to drag them away, as our father had.

“Is it just you and—your companion, my lady?” Corvin asked, swaying a bit on his feet.

“No, there are two others and my son. They’re not far away.”

Naturally, the first thing Bili did was try to take a bite out of Corvin. I pulled hard on his reins, scolding him sharply. His antlers were yet just starting in their velvet, he had shed the old ones shortly after my daughter was born, but he still clearly outweighed every gelding around him.

“A formidable beast you have, my lady,” Corvin said. “Not many are brave enough to ride an intact bull.”

“I keep thinking about eating this one,” I said, scowling at Bili. “Gamey though he’d be.”

Tatton could barely stay in the saddle, so Todd rode close to him. I led them back to the inn where we had stopped to rest and eat. Muras had been waiting for us on the step, all his pale hair knotted at the back of his head. He went in to fetch Lor and Veland, and soon enough we were moving up the hill toward the castle.

“Where do you hail from, my lady?” Corvin asked, evidently remembering that he knew nothing about me.

“Not far from here, originally,” I said. “But I come to you now from the north.”

Corvin nodded, uncertain. He was still squinting at me. I let him. He would either figure it out on his own, or he wouldn’t. “It’s—later, you understand, than my brother usually holds audience.”

“It’s later than most lords hold audience,” I agreed, “but I thank you for your hospitality in bringing us here. Even if we could stay the night, and see Lord Anarin in the morning, at a more decent hour, I would appreciate it.”

Corvin considered that. “I should—still tell him you’re here. What name should I give him, my lady?”

I had thought a long, long time on that. “If you wouldn’t mind,” I said, “please tell him Lady Irontooth has come to see him.”

I knew Corvin would pause at that name. I knew Julas would recognize it instantly. We had played at it often as children, Iarantan and Svartkla. Anar’s hounds, and Anar’s sons. I had always, always been Iarantan. The game had ended before Corvin would have been old enough to join in, so though he knew the name, he wouldn’t necessarily understand the significance of my using it.

Corvin took us to the audience hall, and I stood in the center of the room, looking at the chair where my father had once sat. The moonlight pierced the window, falling on that chair. Two black hounds leapt from the top of the chair, teeth bared.

I pulled Veland to my side, crouching to see it as he saw it. “This,” I whispered to him, “is where generations of my fathers and mothers have sat, the lords and ladies of Arborhall. This is where you come from.” There were tapestries on the wall, sewn by my foremothers, but those would have to wait until daylight, when we could see them more clearly.

I heard the footsteps coming at a run. Todd and Muras braced, Todd reaching for the knife on his belt.

Julas threw open the doors to bang against the walls, standing there in the corridor with wild eyes.

He was taller than I remembered. He did wear a beard, now, but a close trimmed one, much shorter than our father had ever worn his. He had clearly been in the process of preparing for bed, but there was still gold wire in his hair, and hawk feathers, so I had caught him early. He stared at me, gasping for breath.

Julas turned his back to us, pulling the doors shut. When he turned back to me, he paid no mind to any of the others. He walked toward me as if he couldn’t quite believe it, hesitating, reaching out his hand as if to touch me, make sure I was solid, real. “Lya,” he whispered. “Is it you? Can it—can it really be you?”

I reached out, and clasped his hand. “Julas,” I said, tears welling in my eyes. “It’s me.”

He let out a breath and yanked me into his arms, hugging me tight against his chest. I pressed my face into his shoulder, my tears catching up to me.

“Oh, gods, Lya,” he choked, “Father always said you’d come home.”

“Tell me everything,” Julas said, sitting me down at the divan. “How did you get out alive?”

“My lord,” Lor spoke up, “Lady Liana has traveled a long way, and it is quite late. She has a newborn, she needs rest.”

“It’s fine, Lor,” I said. I had waited near eleven years to see my brother again. I could stay up late to talk to him.

“Who is this?” Julas asked, suddenly becoming aware that I had companions. “Everyone with you—”

“Julas,” I said, squeezing his hands to draw his attention. “This is Lady Lor Tyna. She’s a physician and a midwife.”

“Apologies for my rudeness, my lady,” Julas said, and Lor inclined her head in acknowledgment.

“This is my son, Veland,” I said, pulling Veland to me again. “He has lived until recently with the Atsa, he can’t yet speak much Sarenn, but he knows you’re his uncle.”

“Hello,” Julas said in Trader, smiling warmly at Veland. “It’s very good to meet you, Veland.”

Veland smiled shyly, and before Julas could start doing math, I redirected his attention again. “And this,” I said, “is Todd Haris, and Muras Emiran.”

Julas grew very quiet. He gazed levelly at Muras, and I could only imagine what he was thinking, then. “What is the Wolf’s Son doing here?”

Muras recognized the name, and spoke in Kressosi. “You have nothing to fear from us. No one knows we came here.”

Julas answered coldly. “Saying I have nothing to fear from the man who would have killed my sister eight winters ago is quite rich, indeed.”

“Julas,” I said. “Muras has committed treason to bring me here. He means me no harm.”

Julas was skeptical, and he did not take his eyes off Muras. “We never received recompense for your death, because your body was never found. Every other house—but not us.” He looked back to me. “How did you survive?”

I smiled bitterly. “The Winter Wolf carried me away.”

Julas thought I was speaking metaphorically, at first. Lor took Veland away to sleep, and put the baby in a cradle, while I told Julas the story. I told him only that Veland was born while I was with the Atsa, that I had then crossed into Kressos to hide. I told him of Kaspar, and Kip, and how I had come to stay with Muras.

Julas disliked that quite a bit. “You knew who he was, and you went.”

“Do you remember,” I said, “when Uncle Barwald crawled into a den to kill a bear, and emerged without a scratch?”

Julas glanced at the baby, and then at me. “You did not kill a bear, Lya.”

“But I did emerge unharmed.” I met his gaze. “And a man with a Kressosi wife ought not be so quick to shame me.”

Julas let out a breath, and sat back. “So you’ve already heard of that.”

“I suspect I have more to fear from her than from Muras.”

Julas’ mouth pulled down at the corners, but he didn’t tell me I was wrong. “My wife… will have to be handled carefully. You will be a secret here, for at least a little while.”

I nodded. I had expected that. Most especially when we were brought to such a remote portion of the hall. “I have been a secret for some time, I can be a little while longer.”

Julas let out a breath, and leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. “And after that? How did you come back to Saren?”

I made the story as short as I could, telling him only a little of my encounter with Weta that first time, when I noticed Lor look up, and listen. I told Julas of meeting with the Atsa, and how Veland had asked to come with me. I told him of the wolf dreams, of the lodge at Morhall, of how the Wolf spoke through me. Julas seemed to wrestle with all this, and I was not sure he thought me entirely sane. “So—you can put on the wolf skin, and become a wolf?”

I nodded. “Or else I can send it out on its own, while my body sleeps.” I changed over to Kressosi, “Muras has seen me wear the wolf skin and transform.”

Julas glanced at Muras, who nodded. “It’s true.”

“How did you get here alone, and unfollowed?” Julas asked.

I did not tell him the whole of that. What had passed between myself, Muras, and Todd was not then any of my brother’s concern. What mattered was that we had come, and why.

Julas was quiet when I finished, and he let out a long breath. “A war,” he said.

“We have time to plan,” I murmured. “I don’t intend to make any move, yet.”

Julas nodded, but I could tell he was troubled.

“How is our mother?” I asked.

Julas had forgotten, evidently, that no one else had seen me yet. “I’ll bring her here in the morning,” he said. “She’s well. She’s kept a candle lit in her window for you every night since word reached us.”

My throat tightened. “I would like to see Father’s grave, too.”

“You will,” Julas said, squeezing my hand. “Gods, it still doesn’t seem real, to have you back.”

He would have liked to have stayed up all night talking to me, I think, but Lor insisted again that I needed rest. Julas hugged me, before he left, crushing the air out of me. “I can’t believe those fools didn’t recognize you.”

“They were drunk,” I murmured, “and they were so young, when I left. It’s better this way.” They could see me when they were sober and could keep a secret. After I had seen our mother.

When he left us, he handed me the key to our room. “Don’t open it for anyone that isn’t me,” he said. “I’ll make sure food is left outside for you, in the morning.”

Not quite the glorious return home I might have hoped for, but more or less the one I had expected. “Thank you,” I murmured, and pulled him down to kiss the top of his head. “I’m sorry it took me so long to come home.”

Julas smiled sadly at me, pressing a kiss to my forehead. “But you did come home. And I’m glad.”

The door had hardly shut behind him but that Lor brought out a chair and sat herself down, facing the door.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

“You may trust that no one in this castle who would mean you harm knows you are here, but I don’t.” She folded her arms, and looked at me. “Get some rest. The rest of us can take turns keeping watch.”

I wanted to argue that she was being absurd, but she quickly told what she meant to do to Muras, and he agreed that it was prudent. “It’s not that I don’t trust your brother to protect you,” he said, “but I certainly don’t trust him not to try something to get rid of me.”

It was an argument I would not win, so I went in to one of the two beds, where Veland was sleeping, and set about getting ready for sleep.

Julas had had no time to prepare for us, so much of the rooms in which we were staying were quite dusty. I wiped down the basin on the vanity, pouring in a little water in which I could wash my face and hands. Patting my face dry with the same cloth I had been using since I left Morhall, I took a moment to pause over my reflection, travel-weary and tired from the late hour.

There was no mistaking, though, that a line of worry I had grown accustomed to had eased out of my face. I was home. And I badly needed to sleep.

It was the first dreamless night of sleep I had passed in I couldn’t remember how long.

I woke to hot sausages and buttered bread and strawberries, a pitcher of sheep’s milk and a pot of hot Aziran coffee. The end of our travels had left us all ravenous, and we made short work of our breakfast. I washed Veland’s face at the mirror and combed out his hair, pulling twigs and bits of moss from the strands. He was impatient under my hands, wanting to explore every corner of our rooms, since I had told him we couldn’t yet go outside.

I nursed the baby while Lor combed my hair, rubbing the last of my hair oil into it so that I could shine when I saw my mother again. “When will you go?” I asked.

Lor met my gaze in the mirror. “In a few days, I suppose. Once I’m sure you’re settled. Safe.” She wound a red ribbon through my hair.

“Are you sure you want to do this?”

“A Kressos in chaos is a Kressos weakened,” Lor replied. “That is the kind of opportunity that you are going to need.”

“And if it means harming the princess?”

Lor’s hands paused in my hair, and she let out a breath. “I let myself get too close to that family,” she murmured. “It’s the children, most of all, that I couldn’t bear to hurt. They won’t be there, though, so I can still bring myself to go and do this. Arabel… Arabel is dangerous. She’s more competent than Andon will ever be.” She finished braiding my hair, tying it off. “Very soon, Andon is going to find out that the man he sent to Morhall to die is simply missing, and me, too. It will send him into a panic, and that will have consequences for everyone on this side of the river. But,” she looked at me, “it means he won’t be paying as much attention to his own side.”

“I don’t like this,” I said.

“I know you don’t,” Lor said, and smiled a little. “Frankly, you’re the worst choice I could imagine to ignite a war again, but I wasn’t advising the Wolf on the matter.”

Three kings would die on my account. I suppose it only made sense, for one of them to be Isaec, but I hadn’t envisioned it this way. “You have to come back to me,” I said.

Lor arched an eyebrow. “Do I, now?”

“You don’t trust anyone else to look after me.”

She smiled then, a real smile. “You’re right. I don’t. You’re troublesome and you need someone like me.”

I took her hand. “Please be careful,” I murmured. “I would grieve so much if something happened to you.”

She squeezed my hand. “Knowing you,” she murmured, “you’re going to have need of a midwife again.”

I smiled a bit. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Only that you love babies a great deal more than fighting.” She let go of my hand, and rose. “Now, let’s have a look at that little one, shall we?” She held out her hands, and as the baby had stopped nursing, I put her in Lor’s arms, cleaning myself up and making sure my dress was buttoned.

“Ah, getting heavy,” Lor murmured, checking my daughter’s pulse. “Strong and warm,” she determined, and listened carefully for her breath. “All seems well.” She cradled my daughter for a moment, and sighed, tracing a thumb over her little cheek. “She’ll grow up fierce.”

I let out a breath. “I can’t decide if she’ll be better off in Sarenn, with the fathers that she has, than she would be in Kressos, with the mother that she has.”

“I think you’re worrying too much about things that you can’t control,” Lor said. “It wouldn’t matter where she was, if she was without a family that loved her.” She kissed the top of the baby’s head. “And much as I resent those two men out there, I could never accuse them of not loving her.”

I could hear Veland in the other room, likely climbing on something he wasn’t supposed to, and Todd practicing his new favorite Sarenn word—no.

“I never felt like I wasn’t enough until I married Corasin,” I murmured. Had never, really, known what it was to hate until I had married him. To want to crawl out of my own skin because I loathed myself so much. He had taught me all of that, he and the other wives.

Lor met my gaze, and reached out to touch my hand. “If you hadn’t gotten to it already,” she said, “I’d have killed that man for what he did to you.”

I smiled sadly at her. “If I hadn’t gotten to it already, you would never have met me.”

“Oh, you don’t know that for sure.” She echoed my sad smile, though, and carefully put the baby back in my arms. “I believe you more or less told me you didn’t believe in fate, when we met.”

“Not that I didn’t believe in it,” I said, “only that what had happened to me was my fault.”

“Hm,” she murmured, “if it was anyone’s fault, it was Corasin’s. And Isaec’s. Kings cause a ruinous mess wherever they go. What the rest of us do to stop them is still, ultimately, because of them.” She reached back, unbraiding her own hair. “Now, I suppose I ought to make myself presentable enough to meet your mother.”

I stood up to let her sit before the mirror, and walked about with the baby, opening the door to find Todd trying to explain in broken Sarenn that if Veland tried to climb that chair to the bookshelves one more time he would surely break his neck and that would grieve everyone very much.

I settled for the much shorter, “Puppy, if you stay off the furniture, I’ll make sure you get some sweets.”

That seemed to convince him of the wisdom of staying on the floor. Veland hopped to the Aziran rug on the floor and came to hug my side. “Ima, I want to go outside.”

“Soon, puppy,” I promised him, stroking his hair. “We have to wait here for a bit, yet. Your ama—my ima—is coming to meet you.” How much Julas would tell her before she reached our door, I couldn’t know. I hoped he would at least warn her that the men with me were Kressosi.

My mother, when she stepped through the door with Julas, burst immediately into tears. She had aged a great deal since I last saw her, new streaks of grey in her hair that had never been there before, but her arms were still strong, wrapping me in a clutch of a hug while she sobbed. “Oh, my girl, my sweet girl.”

I was taken aback by how sharply I remembered the smell of her hair oil, infused with cedar because Father had loved it. The perfume on her neck that I had only been able to smell when she held me close. I blinked back my own tears, digging my fingers into the soft fabric of her dress. “I missed you so much, Ima,” I whispered.

She seemed to have to convince herself to let me go, and I think she only did because she wanted to embrace Veland, kissing both of his cheeks and praising how much he looked like me. “Such a beautiful boy, you’ll make your mother proud.”

My daughter began to fuss and cry, and my mother let out a soft sound, scooping her up from the cradle. “Oh, precious little one, look at you,” she murmured. “Who ever saw a baby so beautiful?”

It was hard, to go over it again, what I had told Julas. I left out even more, with my mother. I told her only that I had lived in Jasos for a time, as the clerk of a man who owned a shipping company. I told her nothing about Kip. I told her how I had met Muras, how I was convinced that I would be safe in his household.

She never once looked at Muras or Todd. I saw well enough the flicker behind my mother’s eyes, when I told her their names, but she would not look at them.

I told her only that I had met with Weta and he had given me a gift, the horn, and nothing of his prophecy. Of the Wolf’s demands, I told her a little more, because I could see no way of avoiding it, and I could see how unhappy it made her.

“You’ve only just come home,” she said, “and now you want to risk your life again?”

“It has nothing to do with what I want, Ima,” I said. “It is about what I must do. It is about what will happen whether I want it to or not, when Kressos learns that I still live.” When they learned that I had a son who was the right age. I would kill a thousand men with my own hands before I ever let them harm Veland. “If I must have war, then at the end of it I will have a Saren that is free again.”

I softened, too, the story of my leaving Morhall. Left out that Muras had been the one to drive me to it. Let her believe that he and Todd had come with me straight away, that there had been no quarrel between us. That was my concern, and not one which I wished for my mother’s opinion on. I knew well enough what it was likely to be. “I would not be here,” I said, “if not for their help.” That was not strictly true, and I could sense in Lor’s change of posture what she felt about it.

I did not care, just then. I needed the help of my family, and I needed them to get over their instinctual mistrust and disdain of Todd and Muras as quickly as possible. I was in too fragile a place to risk letting their doubts run rampant. They needed to see that I trusted my Kressosi men, my not-quite-husbands, wholly and without reservation. If I could not trust them, then why should they?

Veland, growing restless, climbed into Todd’s lap, and I did not miss the way Julas grew just a little tenser. Nor, it seemed, did Muras, who shifted in a way I recognized, a way I’m sure he was not entirely conscious of. Preparing for a possible fight.

“Lya,” Julas said, interrupting our mother because he could not bear it any longer. “Is Veland Corasin’s son?”

I met Julas’ gaze. “He is my son.”

“Is he—”

“I will cut the hands off any man who tries to put a crown on my son’s head,” I said. “Even yours.”

Julas was not used to being spoken to that way, not anymore.

“Don’t speak that way, Liana,” my mother said.

“After what I have survived,” I said, “I will speak any way I please. My son is no prince, and he will never be one.” I looked at Julas again. “If there were hungry dogs all about, would you make your son the fattest lamb on the field?”

I knew he would wince, hearing our father’s words again.

“We were people without kings, once,” I said. “We will be a people without kings again.” I couldn’t understand it, how everyone around me had so little ability to imagine it. The various Hasi peoples had only ever barely acknowledged the king, and left to their own devices they had always thrived. Azira had no kings, but a council of men and women who were considered experts in holy law. It was true I could not name many nations who were kingless, but I knew they were there, and they had not fallen to pieces.

And I would force the hand of all of Saren if I must. I was the voice of the Wolf, the voice of winter and death. They would hear me.

“I came here,” I said to Julas, “because I believed I could trust you to help me protect my son. Please do not tell me that I was wrong.”

Julas let out a breath. “It will be difficult, to convince the lords to look past that there yet lives one son of the king of Saren.”

In Kressosi so there was no risk of Veland understanding, I said, “One son of the man who stole your sister away and made her life hell. Would you have your nephew become the same? Become father, to the same?” To have my grandsons be men like Corasin was an intolerable thought.

“I did not mean it like that, Lya.”

“It is all I heard.” I held my daughter close, shifted on my seat. “A king is no one’s friend. No one’s true ally. We will have no more kings.” I pretended at all the confidence I did not have, because I needed Julas to have confidence in me. My doubts, my fears—those belonged to the people I had brought with me. They could see me for the woman that I was.

Everyone else, I needed them to see a wolf.

#original fiction #prose #wolf's price

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hibiki-the-beast-archived · 5 years ago

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Questions to Hibiki from fans

Source (I used a translator and only arranged it a little so it makes more sense so it could be full of mistakes.)

- I'm going to ask you some really stupid questions. What would you like to look like if you were dressed as a woman? With what hairstyle What to wear Who do you want to show it to?

Sadako! [I can’t really understand the rest of the reply...xD]

- What do you think about wearing a dress? Can you wear a dress? Can you show it? I'm not sane? Wearing a dress? I think that it does not suit me even a little, so...

- What kind of girl does Hibiki like? I don't really like it... [I don't know what this is supposed to mean, if he doesn't like girls or if he just don't have a certain kind...I tend to say the latter. ;)] If anything, I tend to like people who appear more normal other than showy gals.

- Hibiki, which one are you, S or M? I don't know what to say, which one could it be? Maybe it's totally N! Neutral? It depends on the situation.

- Do you have any rules for living, Hibiki? My rule is...not to hurt people. This is a difficult game, so I don't know if I make it or not. Also, I think that I will not act like bending my core.

- How old are you? About 317 years old [Something with the name 'Saiba buru' is mentioned, but I don't know what it is...]

- Do you have any particular belongings? My favorite item is a ring that I got from my friend.

- Do you have a favorite movie? Favorite movies are Rockers, Rocky 1 & 2, Rambo 1, Prayer to the Dying, Young Gun 1 & 2, Clockwork Orange, Full Metal Jacket, Eraser Head, Elephant Man, Inland Empire, Skinny Man, Shining, Cujo, Pet Cemetery, It, Misery, Tommy Knockers, Carrie, Shawshank, Clash, Terminal, Poltergeist, Back to the Future, Goonies, Money Pit, Scanners, The Fly, Naked Lunch, Dead Spirit Harata 1 & 2, Darkman, Night of the Living Dead, Beetle Juice, Scissor Hands, Ed Wood, Sleepy Hollow, Big Fish, Charlie and Chocolate Factory, Sweeney Todd Devil Barber in Fleet Street Mad Max 1 & 2, Brain Dead, Satan's Sacrifice, Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, True Romance, Natural Bone Killers, Desperado, Sid & Nancy, Leon, Jailbreak King, We are not Angels, Taxi Regards Driver, Cape Fear, Untouchable, Good Fellows, Unforgiving, Perfect World, Gran Torino, Interview with Vampire, Seven, Joe Black, Fight Club, Snatch, Oceans 12, Elm Street Nightmare, Platoon, Die Hard, Six Sense, Sin City, Men's Aka ... !

- What is your favorite season? I like every season!

- Does Hibiki make up herself during the live performance? [The translation said 'herself'...well. xD] I make my own makeup.

- Will Hibiki give up if the opposite sex you love only sees you as a friend? I give up and I don't want to approach in particular (I think it depends on how much I like)

- What kind of personality do you often get along with? And what do you do if you fight? Do you often apologize from yourself? I will make friends with rock people and people who think of me properly. If it ’s a fight, if I ’m bad, I ’ll apologize right away and don’t pull it.

- Do you have any fetish? Mouth, hips and feet.

[By the way, it is nice how he ends the blog entry with 'A man who lives at night, Hibiki'. :D]

- What is Hibiki-san hiding in the fluffy hair!? Coin is hidden in my head, feel like a coin purse? [I don't really get what is this is supposed to mean, but the question was so cute. :D]

- Is Hibiki's day-to-day holiday sometimes returning to an ordinary man instead of rock and roll? Yes ... Actually, I'm always a normal single man.

- The hairstyle you want to do (or any color). The hairstyle I want to try is Mohawk! A beautiful mohawk like PUNK! ! ! But I know that my face doesn't look good ... what if I shave my eyebrows completely? ? ?

- What kind of hairstyle do you usually have at home? Is your hair tied? I want to know. I'm spending my life like a hippie in my house ...

- Where do you first look when you see a woman? First of all, the eyes.

- Please tell me your favorite artists! ★ Japanese music ★ thee michelle gun elephant KING BROTHERS BLANKEY JET CITY THE MODS ARB THE ROOSTERS TH eROCKERS The 50 revolutions eastern youth THE BLUE HEARTS maximum the Hormone SOB THE BACK HORN THE HIGH GRIP ← w --- And the sound source of hardcore illegal gatherings ---- participant LAUGHIN NOSE MOBS COBRA LIP CREAM G.I.S.M OUTO BAWS ZOUO BUCK-TICK Merry Go Round PIERROT ★ Western music ★ Arctic monkeys The vines Jet The Strokes The horrors The offspring The Smashing Pumpkins Nine Inch Nails Primus Red hot chili peppers KASABIAN The White Stripes Nirvana MUSE Radiohead System Of A Down Rage Against the Machine Limp Bizkit SlipKnoT Korn Linkin park Mudvayne Rob Zombie Soulfly Tool Pantera Megadeth RAMMSTEIN Bauhaus

- If you can bring only 3 CDs to an uninhabited island, what CD will you bring? I think I won't be able to listen to music on an uninhabited island ... Bring your guitar with you

- What is a girl's favorite gesture? A figure kicking a man's balls.

- Recommended diet method. Oil-free meal, exercise and calorie calculation? The quickest thing is to eat a meal that calculates the calorie intake, fasting for about 2 days, making the stomach smaller.

- What is the ideal way to spend a holiday Smoking cigarettes while looking at the seaside at seaside, smoking cigarettes to the feet ... I want to spend a good time instead of making a fuss.

- What kind of clothes do you usually wear? I don't know what suits me ... What kind of clothes will look good on me? ? Reverse question?

- What is your favorite and disliked food? Favorite food Ramen Salted mackerel Okonomiyaki Tan-SIO Tinjaolose Mabo tofu Spicy curry Natto tomato juice Beer ☆ dislike food Shiitake mushroom Vinegar Konjac Fukujinzuke Takuwan Sweet fried egg Teriyaki in general Grilled meat sauce sweet and sour pork Salad with fruits Dried grapes

- What is your favorite book? ? Favorite book ... I'm sorry ... Actually I don't read books I don't have much time and I'm afraid to make my eyes worse ...

- Hibiki uses perfume, right? I don't add perfume, but I'll add body mist! Victoria Secret This is an endless love guy from the Garden Collection. Perfume is not good because the smell is too tight.

- Do you like horror? Mr. Ramlin I like horror but there are a lot of hits! ! Especially for horror and action ... I thought horror was good Night of the Living Dead zombie Creep show Dead Spirits 1 and 2 (camera work and Bruce Campbell lovers w) Batarian (easy-to-understand development and class B atmosphere!) ring Magic sound Object X from planet Shining Satan's sacrifice Basket case Brain Dead I've seen a lot of other things ... a pattern full of CG that can wither ...

- In about 3 months, Halloween will be, do you have any costumes you want girls to wear? ? If there is a costume you want to wear, please tell me! Costumes that girls want to wear ... Leather face ... It ’s a joke. I want to do leather face ☆ After all a beautiful and erotic zombie style for girls! Or maybe the Adams family! !

- How does it look like in your room? It's a white wall, but I don't have any posters on it. There are a lot of watches that are only at school. The curtains are ivory and gentle colors! Others are single beds LCD TV (AQUOS / Kameyama brand w of the world) TV stand There is only a large dark brown table The kitchen has a refrigerator, an IH stove that I bought yesterday, and an abdominal muscle device. It is surprisingly simple.

- Favorite liquor: My favorite liquor is ... beer! ! There is nothing in particular Actually I don't drink anything other than beer I don't like alcohol Sweet sour liquor, shochu, sake, whiskey, vodka, brandy, etc.

- What is your favorite type of woman? There is no such type. By the way, there is not one female celebrity favorite since elementary school.

- Is there a cool position and design for women to put in a tattoo? Hibiki likes I think it ’s okay if it ’s right for the person ’s character, I think angels are cute! ! Like Natural Born Killers, the main character in the movie was carving next to the navel? ?

- Good evening, Hibiki-san, have you ever cried in public since you became an adult? Have you ever cried in front of a lover? Of course! ! People cry because they are serious Isn't the person who makes it stupid a person who doesn't know much about human pain? In my thoughts, is it embarrassing to cry when you want to cry?

- I like beer but how much can I drink? What happens if you get drunk? I don't think I lose my memory because I'm drunk ... As far as I can remember, I remember drinking about 5 cups of mugs at a tavern. After that, I'm drinking with a dull, so surely more ... If someone does not count it, it will remain a mystery!

#about

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wazafam · 4 years ago

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Practical jokes can be hilarious if they land — the more complex, the better — but arguably, pranks that appear on TV are funnier than pranks in real life, because the TV ones don’t have any consequences and the fact that they’re staged by writers, directors, and actors means they can be far more elaborate than any real-world prank ever could.

RELATED: The Office: The 5 Best Traits Of The British Original (& 5 Of The U.S. Remake)

The two greatest pranksters on TV are The Office’s Jim Halpert, who pranks his deskmate Dwight to escape from the monotony of life as a paper salesman, and The Simpsons’ Bart Simpson, who pranks anyone and everyone in sight because he’s a 10-year-old kid who enjoys causing trouble.

10 Jim: He Can Improvise

For all the planning that goes into Jim’s pranks, he can also think on his feet and improvise new parts of a prank on the spot. When he impersonated Dwight, he accidentally answered a call from his mom.

Thinking fast, he decided to tell Dwight’s mother (as Dwight) that he’d gotten married without telling her, then hung up the phone. All of a sudden, one prank evolved into a new one and Jim adapted to it.

9 Bart: If He Has A Failing, It’s That He’s Always Demanding Perfection

In The Simpsons episode “Bart’s Comet,” Principal Skinner releases a weather balloon and Bart pulls a string to reveal his own additions that make the balloon look like a mooning Skinner.

RELATED: The Simpsons: Bart's 10 Funniest Episodes, Ranked

As the balloon floats away and Skinner chases after it, Bart says, “I don’t think I really captured the eyes.” Milhouse tells him, “Bart, if you have a failing, it’s that you’re always demanding perfection — if you have a failing.”

8 Jim: His Pranks Are Hilariously Elaborate

Bart has pulled off some elaborate pranks, but Jim takes his to another level. An actor friend, played by guest star Randall Park, took his place for a day just to convince Dwight that he’d been Asian the whole time he knew him.

Jim ran a mysterious wire through the office park and up a telephone pole. He pretended to be dead in his trashed Tallahassee hotel room and scrawled, “It was Dwight,” on the wall.

7 Bart: He’s The King Of The Prank Call

Bart’s early-season prank calls to Moe’s Tavern are the go-to example of prank calls. If anything, prank calls went out of fashion after The Simpsons gained popularity because the show turned all the well-known ones into clichés.

Weird Al sampled one of Bart’s prank calls to Moe in “Phony Calls,” his prank call-themed spoof of the TLC hit “Waterfalls.”

6 Jim: His Final Prank Was An Act Of Kindness

Jim pranked Dwight a lot throughout The Office’s run, but his final prank against Dwight in the series finale was an act of kindness. Dwight had chosen Jim to be the best man — or “bestest mensch” – at his wedding, but Jim said he was too old and they’d need to find an older person.

Then, Michael appears in the doorway. A teary-eyed Dwight says, “Michael... I can’t believe you came.” Michael quips back, “That’s what she said.”

5 Bart: He’s The Elusive “El Barto”

All across Springfield, Bart has tagged walls and bridges with his alias “El Barto.” As far as the town is concerned, “El Barto” is an elusive criminal whose identity will forever remain a secret.

It wouldn’t be too difficult to deduce that “El Barto” is the alias of Bart Simpson, but adults ranging from Homer to Principal Skinner have failed to put the pieces together.

4 Jim: He Literally Wrote An Entire Book For A Prank

In season 8’s “Garden Party,” Andy becomes so jealous of his dad and brother’s viral duet from a garden party that he throws his own garden party at Schrute Farms and tries to recreate the duet with himself in his brother’s place.

RELATED: The Office's 10 Most Underrated Episodes

Since Dwight was determined to get the party right, Jim wrote an entire book full of outlandish traditions called The Ultimate Guide to Throwing a Garden Party under the pen name James Trickington.

3 Bart: He Pranks So Much That He Has To Write Lines Every Single Day

One of the recurring gags in The Simpsons’ opening credits is that Bart is always writing lines on Mrs. Krabappel’s chalkboard. He’s been writing lines every day for over 30 years.

Whereas Jim can get away with any prank under Michael’s leadership, as a kid, Bart has to face severe punishments for his antics.

2 Jim: He’ll Go To Any Extreme To Serve A Prank

There are some lines that Bart won’t cross for a prank because he doesn’t think it’s worth the effort or he can’t figure out a way to do it. Jim, on the other hand, will go to any extreme to serve a prank.

He and Pam spent months learning Morse code on top of raising a family and holding down full-time jobs just to mess with Dwight by clicking their pens and blinking their eyes with coded messages.

1 Bart: He Has Several Arch-Nemeses

Bart doesn’t just have one arch-nemesis; he has a few. Jim’s only arch-nemesis is Dwight, but Bart has Moe, Principal Skinner, Mrs. Krabappel, the kids of Shelbyville — the list goes on.

Occasionally, Jim will target other people with his pranks — like Andy or Todd Packer — but those are always one-offs. Dwight is his only regular prank target.

NEXT: The Simpsons: 5 Great Episodes From Recent Seasons (& 5 Worst Episodes From The Golden Age)

Why Jim Halpert Is The Best Prankster On TV (& Why Bart Simpson Is Better) from https://ift.tt/3gd1mGe

#Blogger

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worldinferno · 7 years ago

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Whenever anyone begins a statement with “Everybody thinks you . . .” they are automatically wrong.

oct 28

Hey Mr. Moses. what would you like to talk about?

Tell me all about the first hallowmas. Why did you decide back in 97 that W/Inferno F.S. needed a halloween show and how did you go about preparing?

In a very real way Inferno had been celebrating Hallowmas long before we were making music. Back in Jersey we were a mischief gang long before our musical ambitions usurped the name. Some members were not so pleased about the decision. “just keep using Sticks and Stones! Who cares who’s in the band?” but i thought it was time for a radical break and there were so many bands called Sticks and Stones. And a lot of the gang members could play something, the one’s who couldn’t we gave a drum. So instead of having a private bacchanal we had a public one. Worked out. Amedeo Modigliani comes to mind for some reason.

Where was it held, who played? What was the turnout like? Any surprise guests?

It was at Maxwell’s in Hoboken, New Jersey. Which is funny as the booker there really didn’t like Sticks and Stones but I had changed my name and band so i don’t think he cared enough to care (there are knowns and known unknowns). what was his name? oh, Todd Abramson! I used to call him every other day in SAS to get a gig! He finally gave in and gave us a Thursday night. In an eerily similar story to the Florida/Gwar story I told the other night, Todd called a couple days before the show and said “The Hoodoo Gurus are playing Thursday” and I said “Oh cool, i’d love to play with the Hoodoo Gurus! ‘mars needs guitars!’” to which he replied “No, you don’t understand. The Hoodoo Gurus are playing. You’re not.” and hung up. I had to tell this to the band who of course blamed me and not The Hoodoo Gurus.

Decades later I told this story doing the acoustic thing in support of Kevin Second’s acoustic thing at Maxwell’s and was promptly told I was banned from Maxwell’s again. Oh no, not the briar patch.

What was the turnout like?

We’d only been playing out a few months but we did have 3 or four singles out so it was well attended. The Village Voice listed it which I remember being impressed by. Too bad they are stopping production huh?

Any surprise guests?

Charles Maggio from Rorshack showed up. I think Jon Hiltz from Born Against was doing our sound. Lamar Vannoy from being Lamar Vannoy was there. Scott and I hadn’t seen him for a while. Oh, and my sister was there! I’ll see if I can dig up a picture.

Might you know the set list?

Oh, I can’t remember. It must have been the singles and Astral League. I do remember that background singer Kika Von Kluck had been away for awhile and wasn’t prepared for the ‘Choreographed’ slam dancing on stage during “Lust For Timing” . She is a tiny little thing and got flung up into the air! She was very angry.

Did you get paid? If so how much?

I never deal with the money. Filthy, filthy stuff.

What were the big milestones w/if's had passed heading toward hollowmas 1?

Well, I’m not sure people remember (or care) that we were a recording project before we were a live act and that we put the live band together while doing The Bridgewater Astral League record which i don’t think was out yet so we were very new at it. Oh, we built a recording studio and gentrified Williamsburg while recording every crusty punk band on the Lower East Side. That took awhile.

Where do you feel like the band was as a unit?

A bunch of loonies who hung out at Sweetwater Tavern on N.6th when they weren’t hanging out in a giant garage on Keap Street. I know the word “cult” gets thrown around a lot but I think “community” is more appropriate. We are very tight.

Did anyone stick out as particularly nervous?

No, we were all lit. I think it was the first time my eyes started to bleed. I also remember that our Euphonium player Sandra Oglethorpe wore a nurse’s uniform and afterwards she wore it for every gig. Thought it odd but never said anything.

a Euphonium is a valved brass musical instrument resembling a small tuba of tenor pitch, played mainly in military and brass bands in case you were wondering. She also played the Tuba when Xtal wasn’t around.

Why does Inferno go all out on Halloween?

It is our holiday, It is the way we mark time, it is the holiday unmarked by a patriarchal tyrant and if you ask people for candy they give it to you. a gift!

If you don't mind just apply all these questions to this year and that should be enough and if it isn't ill send over a few more. I just want to do a sort of cheeky compare and contrast of hallowmas 1 and hallowmas 20.

Ha, as i was just saying to our manager Mr. Cashman; things have always been this crazy and i don’t expect it to ever be any different.

Also, does any part of you miss the point when it wasn't such a big deal and it was a little more DIY?

It is still very DIY. I’m over at Warsaw twice a week checking out the projections, up all night writing Hallowmissives and filling out postcards and in clubs every weekend ducking and a weaving your shot glasses. Like life this job does not get any easier, just different.

by all means if you have anything else to ask-

Jack Terricloth

Green point, Brooklyn

10/28/17

earlier than i am usually up-

https://youtu.be/fWIX43WjxaA

http://smarturl.it/hallowmas

#world inferno #world inferno friendship society #hallowmas #jack terricloth

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solienna · 7 years ago

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//BARGES INTO YOUR ROOM, THE VIDEO GAME ASK!!!! I name, Mass Effect (any of them), Dragon Age (any of them), Fallout 4, Portal, Legend of Zelda Wind Waker, Paper Mario The Thousand Year Door, Assassin's Creed 2, Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney, and Harvest Moon DS!!! (and yes, i did just hit you with all of my fave games why do you ask) (okay not all of them, i didnt mention folklore but it's obscure so i doubt you've even heard of it) also, also bc you make jokes about it all the time, Skyrim

thank u meander im crying very much ur the best, under a read more bc video games are my lifeblood

ok so as u know i beat mass effect 1 like. three days ago and all i have to say is AJDHGASDG!! DEFINITELY A FAVORITE!! WHERE HAS THIS GAME BEEN ALL MY LIFE!!! WHY DID I HESITATE FOR SO LONG BEFORE PLAYING IT!!! I WAS MISSING OUT ON SO MUCH I LOVE IT!! ALL THIS LORE AND THESE STRONG DIVERSE CHARACTERS!!! WTF THE FUCK!!!

rn i am in the process of playing me2 (im like 20 hrs in but i’ve done like nothing bc i am a completionist gamer and spend all my times stripping planets bare of their resources before leaving forever, and also just walking around everywhere looking at shit and messing around with my crew and avoiding the main questline) and oh my gosh!!!! also definitely a favorite im so in love with this game!!! its heartbreaking and genuinely funny and ridiculous and DID I MENTION THE COMBAT SYSTEM I LOVE IT. also any games that give u the option to dance are 10/10 in my book. also when garrus laughed once i died.

in summary mass effect is a great found family simulator. however there’s this really persistent bug where ppl keep talking to me about these reapers and their followers the goths geths, its kinda distracting me from the main purpose of the game, which is to gather up as many ragtag sad friends as u can. hopefully theyll remove all that other stuff in the next patch

dragon age origins is definitely one of my favorite games ever of all time, i BELIEVE it was my first bioware game and oh my GOD it was so good. the lore. the LORE. the CHARACTERS. the DRAMA the SCANDAL. it was so good i wanna cry. i was taken aback by how real all the companions were and how u could actually talk to them…. wild

dragon age 2 is no match for origins in my book but i still enjoyed it a lot, gotta give that one a good, the combat was definitely a lot simpler and a lot more fun and look. im a typical gamer i love a good fight, i love spamming buttons and having shit work out somehow. also a good cast!

i played like 150 hours of da:i with just one inquisitor and yet i have no memories of this game. i remember nothing, i know cole was there and i was real shook bc i read the dragon age books (i was super into dragon age like?? two years ago i think) and then varric was there and also i fought a lot of dragons. dorian carried us. my dream team was me, blackwall, varric, and dorian we had a lot of fun. alistair died. ummm i spent a lot of time standing in the tavern listen to the lady with the nice voice sing. gotta give this game a solid good, i don’t remember anything abt this game but i sure had a lot of fun playing it, whatever it was

fallout 4

ok so i have like 300+ hrs into this game bc i keep starting over with new sole survivors and all of them are named washington. i still havent beaten this game. if u had asked me what my opinion of this game was like six months ago i wouldve been like this is a favorite for sure but now its like…. eh…. i play it for an hour every once in a while but it’s honestly started to bore me a little… like don’t get me wrong i very much enjoyed this game!!! (i wouldnt have 300+ hrs invested into it if i didn’t like it) but the game doesnt really have much replayability to me… sorry todd. thanks for preston and deacon and nick i love them a lot but other than that this game doesn’t really pull me in like it used to

OK LOOK. i do own this game and also portal 2. and i do want to play them. im just lazy. EVENTUALLY ONE DAY i will get around to playing this game, it looks like a ton of fun, even tho im not too big into puzzle solving. fair warning my list of games i want to play is like a mile long bc i just keep replaying the games i have LMAO

legend of zelda wind waker/paper mario the thousand year door/phoenix wright ace attorney/harvest moon DS

ok i am lumping all of these together bc 1) i’ve never played them and 2) i don’t have much of an interest in playing them unfortunately, unless someone persuaded me to try them out i wouldnt really spend time on them, im too busy replaying games ive already played 1000 times

assassins’ creed 2

OK I WILL ADMIT IT. i am a liar and a fraud. the only AC games i’ve ever played are black flag, rogue, and syndicate. no i don’t have a clue what’s going on in the real world with the animus or w/e and yes i had lot of fun with the parkour mechanics and killing ppl in impossible ways. AC1 and 2 and whatever games come after it are other games that are on my ever-growing list of games i want to play, i started AC1 like two years ago but then totally forgot about it BUT YES. I DO WANT TO PLAY THIS GAME. EVENTUALLY

skyrim

i have never heard of this game in my life i’m not really sure what you’re talking about- *trips* *thousands of hours spent playing this game spill from pockets* fuck those aren’t mine i swear i’m just holding them for a friend i- *slips on a pile of my skyrim OCs* fu ck no they’re not mine i’ve never heard of this game i just- *216387213 unfinished skyrim fanfics fall out as i fall to my knees, desperately trying to pick them up* hang on a sec jUst LISTEN

#ask #meander #about

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inkwellco · 8 years ago

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FOCUS ON... SIMONE SAULT

Australian Simone Sault, star of stage and screen, has taken time out on her return home to Australia to chat with us.

Hi Simone, how’s your visit home been? Beautiful thank you. It’s always glorious coming back and seeing my family and friends here in Australia. Plus the sunshine is what I bottle up and take back to the UK, especially this time of year!

You’ve had quite a career. Can you tell us a bit about your earlier life, both in what drove you to choose dance, and the training you completed? I studied classical ballet from the age of 7yrs at the National Theatre Ballet School. I was blessed to have been taught by wonderful artists and teachers, including the late Kathy Gorham, Gailene Stock, Eileen Tasker, Jonathan Kelly, Joanne Michel, Terese Power, all incredible dancers with Australian Ballet at the time. I trained daily and after leaving school at 14yrs old (I know!) I studied dance, still at the National, full time for 3 years before entering the professional world. As clichéd as it sounds, I don't recall a time where I didn’t want to dance. It just clicked, even at 7yrs old, it felt like breathing.

And you worked quite a bit in Australia with the Sydney Dance Company, what was that like, and how did that help set the foundation for working overseas? I adored my time with Sydney Dance Company (SDC). I had come from the Australian production of Phantom Of The Opera, back into the dance world (what I had trained for) and I was so consumed by my work, tours, and opportunities that I soaked it up daily for the 7 yrs I was there. My work with SDC was unique in the fact that, under the direction of Graeme Murphy and Janet Vernon at the time, it was a classically based contemporary Company, but with a strong emphasis on the actor/character /personality side of each member. Graeme is wonderful at extracting from you what only YOU can bring to a piece/role with the movement almost seeming secondary. I have always loved the storytelling side to a role. With this in mind, my experience with the Company aided me to continue to pursue my career overseas as I just didn’t have an agenda, I literally landed here in the UK and made a promise to myself, to say yes to any and all opportunities that came my way. Ones that assisted me in furthering my development as an artist…dancer, actor, collaborater, creative. A pact that, thus far, has held me in good stead. -Touch wood-

How do the two compare? Working in Australia versus working overseas? It’s really hard to compare the two I feel. Something I have always said is, I believe the training in Australia is second to none. However the opportunities are not always there, or indeed as plentiful as they are here in London and New York for example. Hence why I feel very lucky to have the best of both worlds, be an Aussie and take the rest of the world for everything it’s got! London has been so very good to me. There’s not a day that passes where I don't feel humbled, and above all grateful for the jobs and in particular the talent that I work with and for.

You’ve been involved in some major productions, including Phantom of the Opera, Chicago, Sinatra and On The Town, productions one can only hope to be involved in. How do you go about preparing for roles, and how do you approach each audition? Auditions are never easy, nor that enjoyable if I'm going to be honest! Why do we do it to ourselves?! It’s taken me a while to figure it out, but I do honestly believe that if the job/role is meant to come your way, it will, good audition or not. The best advice, the only advice actually is, BE yourself. Prepare of course, but just trust in what will be will be. I find that takes a lot of the stress out it. And what has always been the case for me is, if I have missed out on something I really wanted, something else from left field always shows up and I think, “thank God I didn’t get so and so because NOW I’m doing this!”

You’re also quite an accomplished choreographer, with credits including: Love Never Dies, Strictly Come Dancing and the London Olympic Games ceremonies, what a diverse range of opportunities, what were some of the standout moments from each? Oh wow, yes, I feel very lucky to be working for Graeme and Janet once again (original Choreographers of Love Never Dies) and working for someone like Danny Boyle for the London 2012 Games was rather surreal I must say. Opening Ceremony with the World watching was as good as it gets I think! That is definitely a highlight, he was/is extraordinary. I love working creatively as it continues to open my eyes to a craft that I have been involved in for a long time now, yet at times, depending on what I’m working on and who with, I feel like the student all over again… keeps you fresh!

We’ve also seen you venture on to screen, both TV and Film. Can you tell us a bit about your work on Alice in Wonderland, particularly working with Director Tim Burton, whom you’ve previously worked with on Sweeney Todd? Other credits of yours include work on Rob Marshall’s Nine, Kath and Kimderella and the TV show Galavant. That’s quite a range of diverse productions, how did you prepare for these varying roles? Tim Burton is exactly how you think he would be, brilliantly colourful and a real visionary. A gorgeous woman by the name of Francesca Jaynes choreographs nearly all of his movies, we worked very closely with her as well. With Kath and Kimderella, I had just finished working with the incredibly talented Gina Riley on the Australian production of Chicago when she offered me the role of an Hispanic lesbian that flirts with Magda Zubanski’s character, Sharon Strzelecki… as you do! It was short and sweet but I had an absolute blast. My opportunity to work with Rob Marshall on laying down the rehearsal track “Take It All” for his Nine was another surreal moment, recording it with the legend that is Maury Yeston. Rob Marshall was genuine, honest and very normal, which is always a good thing! Can you tell us how you balance work, and your other amazing role in life, being a mother? Arrr, my [not so] little Luca! He’s everything to me! He has just turned 4 and is incredible in every sense of the word. I was pregnant with Luca right through my time working on London 2012 Olympic Games. By the time we wrapped the Ceremonies I was 8 and a half months pregnant! There would be times where I was still out on the field of play rehearsing until way after 1am of a day, and he’d be kicking and hiccupping away like a trooper. The travel and nomadic lifestyle is all he has ever known, so fortunately for me he is a dream when it comes to travel and new places/work spaces. I worked in Russia for 3 months when he was around 9 months old and there has been a lot of further travel and new environments since then. Luckily he loves the theatre, rehearsal space and music, so, so far so good. I literally feel like I strap him to my back and off we go! Having said that though, he started school in September last year, so this requires a tad more planning and organising around work and travel, but fortunately I have a wonderful friend/ Nanny situation so it works beautifully. We’re about to see you in one of the most highly anticipated films of the year, Beauty and the Beast (BATB). And whilst we know you can’t give too much away, can you tell us what it was like working on set? A little bit about your role and what scenes you were involved in? On Beauty I worked with the choreographer, Anthony Van Laast, and Director Bill Condon. Working on set for over 4 months was a magical experience. We recorded the soundtrack also, so can not wait for it to release! In the early days, Anthony set us a task of filling in our back stories for our characters which then in turn added to our connection with Belle and within the village where we lived. Gaston’s Tavern (with the delicious Luke Evans as Gaston) was a wonderful scene for us all. I have a lovely moment with him…but that’s if it doesn't end up on the cutting room floor!

What was it like working with Director Bill Condon? Bill Condon is a complete class act. Knew our names from day one and just a wonderfully genuine, talented man. So much so, that during the filming of Beauty, I lost my beloved Mum, and had to subsequently leave 2 days early. After shooting wrapped, a few weeks later I received a gorgeous email from him expressing his sadness and thoughts and love. I remember how ecstatic my Mum was when she found out that I got the job, so it goes without saying Beauty is for her. Having worked on stage with a variety of performers from different countries, can you tell us a bit about working with actors and dancers from around the world on the set of BATB? It really is a case of no matter where you're from and /or what gender, there is an unmistakable bond and kinship with the people you work with. And in this case especially with Beauty. The experience and careers of so, so many are hard to fathom. I arrived on set each day so very humbled, privileged and grateful for the day that lay ahead. You knew right from day one that this was/is a very, very special moment in cinematic history.

And from what we’ve seen on social media, what was the experience like bringing the iconic music to life through dance for the big screen? Pure Joy! Anthony and Bill worked so closely together and seemed on the same page, with the same vision…which isn't always the case! The movement and staging happened so naturally, in the tavern scene especially Anthony has created a robust, energetic joyous scene. We all had a ball! Is there anything you can tell us about the film or perhaps one of your favourite moments on set? All of it really, but Gaston’s Tavern is probably my favourite! If you could describe the film in three words, what would they be? 1. Life changing (I know that’s two) 2. Humbling. 3. Magical! What advice do you have for any aspiring performers/creatives? If you want it, go get it. It’s not written anywhere in this world that you can’t have or achieve what your heart desires. Be persistent, be focused, work your butt off, stay disciplined and be nice to everyone, whether they be directors, creatives, behind the scenes, teachers, dressers, anyone and everyone. We all breathe the same air and you are only as good as your last job!

And finally, what can we expect from you next? Involved in a show I have worked on creatively and its tour to America this year! Any excuse to head back to NY.

Thank you so much for your time Simone. We can’t wait to see you on stage, TV and on screen in 2017! Thank YOU lovely Katerina for your time and bravo. Images courtesy of Simone Sault Instagram

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theliterateape · 7 years ago

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"Here's My Heart": Braid's 'Frame & Canvas' Turns 20

By David Himmel

Today marks the 20th anniversary of the release of Frame & Canvas by the Champaign, Illinois-based band Braid. This album mattered. It mattered when it was first released for what it meant for the punk/emo/hardcore genre. It mattered for what it meant for the band. It mattered for what it meant to me and the thousands (Tens of thousands? Millions?) of kids like me. And yeah, it matters now.

I know I’m not the first to get all fanboy gooey over this album or this band. But lately I’m having a hard time not submitting to the allure of nostalgia, that gorgeous siren. No, it’s not nostalgia. It’s reference to the past, my past. It could be that the last year was a wild one — first year of marriage; dog gets sick; land a new job; wife gets pregnant; lose the new job; dog dies; first child is born. A lot of impactful things have happened personally — internally. And it’s been busy externally, too — all things Trump; the generational war; the race/socio-economic war; the geographical war; Stranger Things 2. In wild times like these, it does one best to cite history for the guidance, clues and cues for how to best navigate the new, but always familiar, waters. And so, I’ve been going back to the well of my favorite movies, books and music for comfort and clarity.

Frame & Canvas is a favorite. Braid is a favorite. As such, the record release of 20 years ago today is worth writing about.

On April 7, 1998, I was a freshman in college at UNLV. I was miserable. The whys and whats of why are too numerous and convoluted to get into here but I can tell you that overall, I felt stale.

I didn’t run out and buy Frame & Canvas on its release day. I don’t remember when I bought the CD but I remember that it did not leave its place in the 6-CD disk changer in my new Volkswagen Golf — my first car — for all of my sophomore year at school. I remember playing it at full volume with the windows down and the sunroof open as one of my sophomore year roommates, Matt Sandoval, and I drove to San Diego for a weekend on the beach. He was impressed with it. It sounded like nothing he’d ever heard before. He wanted more. So did I.

“So I’m told that Chicago’s cold. Can’t be cool as California.” — First Day Back

Braid wasn’t new to me. The released two albums (and a slew of singles and splits and compilations, etc.) but Braid hadn’t resonated with me until Frame & Canvas. The band’s third and final album — before the release of a two-volume compilation of singles and B-sides, and a temp-to-full-time reunion release 16 years later — was just the right mix of nuance that my sensitive, wannabe rockstar heart and ears required. I had even seen Braid perform the earlier stuff at Chicago’s Fireside Bowl several times when they shared the bill with my favorites at the time, The Promise Ring and The Get Up Kids to name two. (Those bands still rank among my favorites, and their albums remain in routine rotation on my turntable, in my iTunes and in my car.) After I completely absorbed every lyric, drum beat, guitar riff and bass line I could from Frame & Canvas, I dove into the older stuff. And now I loved it. All of it. I became a superfan.

Braid broke up in 1999. They went on a one-off reunion tour in 2004. I flew from Las Vegas to Detroit to see them open for Minus the Bear. I still have the ticket stub. It wasn my birthday weekend. It was fucking incredible.

But back to the record at hand…

The songs were about being in a state of certain uncertainty. A place of transition with the balls to step up and have no fear of fucking it all up. The songs were about girls and friends and getting older and being younger and parents and longing and having and missing and distance and places and things and giving a shit and not giving a shit at all.

“We’ve got a lot of great mistakes to make. We’ve a lot of chances to take, so let’s take our time and hurry.” — The New Nathan Detroits

Or that’s how I perceived them. What do I know? I didn’t write them, I only listened to them. It’s that old argument: What Does The Art Mean And Who Does It Mean It To? The album, front to back and back again was everything my tender Midwestern heart was feeling and everything my late teenage brain was thinking

Frame & Canvas was released at the end of my freshman year, but it was wholly consumed throughout my sophomore year. My sophomore year was the year when I was still sad but sick of being sad; bored but sick of being bored; interested but struggling to find something interesting. Throughout the album, there were lyrics that spoke to exactly what I was feeling or thinking, or needed to hear because I hadn’t thought of it that way. And certainly not with that shift in time signature or run down the frets.

It was my sophomore when I shook off the dust and salt and tried new things while staying evermore true to myself. That was the year college started to be enjoyable and life started to suck. That was the year my twenties began and a new, more confident, less afraid David emerged. I didn’t know what a Nathan Detroit was — I didn’t get the reference, but I couldn’t help to relate because there was something both familiar and new about this guy, Nathan. (I later, of course, realized that Nathan Detroit was a reference to the character from Guys and Dolls. The reference and connection still accurately applies.)

One of my longest standing and still best friends, Brian Wolff, once told me, “You treat lead singers like they’re great philosophers.” Yeah, I do. Fuck Socrates. Eat shit, Voltaire. Bite my dick, Angelou. Give me my Nanna, Broach, Portman, Schwartzenbach, Andriano…

I’m not alone in this, I know. Music matters. Bands matter. Singers and guitarists and bassists and drummers matter. They say and play what we want to say and play but can’t because we’re in our own way. And get this; there are bands for the bands, too. Everyone is inspired.

So, it’s 20 years later…

I’ve seen Braid perform live countless times at this point — considering all the times in high school at the Fireside, the reunion show, the quieter shows before the release of the new album in 2014 and the few since. And yeah, I own the VHS and DVD of Killing a Camera, the live performance documentary of the band’s swan song performances. I’m a fan. Superfan.

In the years since Frame & Canvas has been among us, the listening public, it has remained a constant source of companionship. Through girlfriends of distance, through missing my Midwestern roots while living my dear dessert life in Nevada, through being married...

“I can’t come home, I’m stuck in a phone booth again. But once in your arms, we’ll rise above the ground. You and me, and the beautiful aerial view… I’m never coming down.” — Collect from Clark Kent

A short departure for a story of a different tone, yet related…

When I was making my move from Las Vegas to Chicago during June of 2007, I stopped in Rock Springs, Wyoming. It was on the way and I had to pee. I also was jonesing for a small town beer. Preferably a draft. I found what I considered a local-enough tavern to piss and throw anchor in, and steered the VW into the small parking lot. I too my piss, drank my beer and scribbled in my notebook. Those writings are somewhere, actually close to me in a well-disheveled filing of notebooks in my desk just to the left of this very keyboard. I’ll spare you the contents of that bar top writing because it’s not good. At least not without music to it…

Point is, while I was drinking and writing, it dawned on me that Braid had recorded a song about Rock Springs, Wyoming. It’s called I Keep a Diary, and as I realized that, I recognized that was living out a song I loved. For I, too, was keeping a diary. Bonus: The date of the diary entry in that song is my wife’s birthday. How about that?

“Ten-ten, ninety-seven… Rock Springs, Wyoming hotel. As far as I can tell, I just don’t miss you anymore.” — I Keep a Diary

OK. So here we are, 20 years later. I embarked on my career, I poured through and over girlfriends, I bought a house with a pool, I lost my virginity, I bought a boat — sort of — I got married, I became a dad, I bought another VW Golf then a VW GTI, I got some cancer, I became a scotch drinker.

The thing about our formative years is that they’re always formative. We don’t grow out of who we were when we were angsty, emotional, needy, angry, confused, certain, brilliant, and dumb-as-fuck teenagers and twentysomethings. That is our base. All of us. That’s why our record collection, and collecting, caps out around the time between our teenage and late twenties years. Unless you’re a music critic or seriously committed to avoiding atrophy in spite of the certain emotional disappointment new music will bring your aging ass, this is true.

But Braid keeps on.

Never mind that the band got back together. Never mind what members went on to do in subsequent years. Never mind that Bob Nanna — guitarist and vocalist of Braid — went on to write — for hire — our wedding song. Yeah, it’s pretty fucking cool that my rock ‘n’ roll emotional hero knows my dog’s name!

How does one reconcile fandom with heroism. I see these guys at shows… they are cool enough and real enough to be friends but incredible enough to pass me over as a passing piece of late ’90s and early 2000s dust. Except that we’re all part of the same thing… The Scene, the listening public. And wouldn’t you know it? My wife hired Braid’s lyricist to pen our wedding song.

Jesus Christ.

The frame… the canvas… it’s still so real and so important.

And if Bob, Todd, Chris, Damen or Roy happen to read this… Thanks. Next time I see you at some show in town, the drinks are on me.

#Braid #David Himmel #Emo #Frame & Canvas

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