#and Astra is Water/Steel

[alxtiny]

Ad Astra per Aspera

Episode 1

Pairing: Pirate!Ateez x Navigator!reader

Genre: pirate!au, fluff, angst, maybe smut

Word Count: 6.7k

Warnings: blood, blunt trauma to the head, starvation, improper jokes, hate able characters

Notes: lets see if y’all can guess who is who >.<

Playlist : asleep by the smiths | the great gig in the sky by pink floyd | under the water by aurora

Series Masterlist | Episode 2 | Prologue

"Move it, slave!” a gruff voice barked behind you, “I ain't got time for yer dainty little walk," you felt the crude shove of a sword poke into your back, the dirty steel pressing through the thin fabric of your shirt like an icicle. You stumbled forward, almost tripping over the uneven planks of the dock.

"Stop poking me!" You exclaimed, spinning around to glare at your tormentor. The chains binding your arms come up to shield your body. Your eyes were bright with fury. "I told you already, I am not a slave. I am a navigator, and I am getting on your infernal ship of my own volition. Take me to your captain; I have a deal to—"

"Quit runnin' yer mouth, lass, or I'll run you through with my sword," the crewman growled, clumsily swishing his blade around, making his inexperience known. His breath reeked of stale ale and rotting teeth, a look of disgust plastered itself across your face. His sword came to rest under your chin, pushing your face up. Exasperated, you raised your hands in mock surrender.

"Alright, alright," you muttered, rolling your eyes. With a resigned sigh, you dragged yourself up the gangplank, your boots clattering against the rough wood. The unimpressive ship seemed to loom above you menacingly, its sails furled and its deck swarming with activity.

The ship’s deck was a cesspool of filth and debauchery. Men lounged about in various states of drunkenness, their eyes glazed and their movements sluggish. The stench of unwashed bodies and rancid skin mingled with the salty spray of the sea, creating a miasma that made you gag. You could feel a dozen pairs of eyes on yourself, leering and appraising, as if you were nothing more than a piece of meat.

Around you, other women were being herded aboard, their faces pale and eyes wide with fear. Some were weeping, clutching at their tattered dresses, while others stared blankly ahead, in acceptance of their fate. Your stomach churned with a mix of disgust and anger. It was a slave trader’s ship. You had been foolish, utterly foolish, to let yourself be tricked into coming here.

It had all started at the pub, a dimly lit hole-in-the-wall frequented by sailors and all that. You had been celebrating a successful voyage, your pockets heavy with the gold you had earned as a navigator. A group of men had approached you, claiming they so desperately needed your skills to guide their ship through such treacherous waters. It stoked your ego of course, you couldn’t resist.

But it had all been a lie. They had swindled you, drugged your unguarded drink, and taken you prisoner. You had awoken, bound and gagged, surrounded by the same men who now leered at you from the ship’s deck. The gold was all gone, except a few coins you had kept hidden in your boots. You clenched your fists, cursing your own naivety.

The crewman prodded at your back again, forcing you to keep moving. You glaring back at him, he laughed as if this was all just a fun game. He was a squat, greasy man with a pockmarked face, a half shaven beard and a cruel glint in his eye. His clothes were dirty and ill-fitting, and sweat dripped down the sides of his face.

"Where’s the captain?" You demanded, your voice trembling with barely contained rage. "I want to speak to him now."

The crewman snorted, a sound that was more pig than human. "You don't make demands here, lass. You do as you're told, or you'll end up in the bilge with the rats." He grabbed your arm, his fingers digging into your flesh, and dragged you towards the stern of the ship.

Your heart pounded in your chest as you were marched through the ship's dingy corridors, the air thick with the smell of salt and rotting wood. The two burly crewmen escorting you, stopped before a large, ornately carved door. One of them knocked twice, and a muffled voice from within barked for them to enter.

You were pushed into the room, stumbling over the threshold. The interior was a stark contrast to the squalor of the rest of the ship. Rich tapestries lined the walls, and the floor was covered with a plush, but stained, rug. At the far end of the room, behind a desk cluttered with a pile of maps and papers, and an even higher pile of dirty cutlery, sat the captain.

He was an unimposing figure in terms of height but made up for it in girth. His ample belly strained against the buttons of a once-white shirt now stained with the remnants of countless meals. Various condiments had left their mark, creating a painting of greasy splotches. His bald head glistened under the lamplight, a poorly matched toupee perched precariously atop his head. A smattering of fake gold jewellery adorned his fingers and neck, clinking as he moved.

The ‘captain’ looked up from his desk, a lecherous grin spreading across his bloated face. His small, beady eyes raked over you, lingering with a predatory gleam. "Well, well, what have we here?" he slurred, his voice thick with the effects of cheap alcohol.

You could barely suppress a shudder of disgust. The smell of rot and smoke wafted towards you as he rose from his chair, his movements slow and ungainly. He waddled closer, his breath heavy with the scent of decay. You took an involuntary step back, your skin crawling as he reached out to cup your chin with his pudgy fingers.

"Oh yess," he crooned, his voice dripping with false sweetness. "A rare beauty indeed. You'll fetch a pretty penny, my dear. Or perhaps... you might be of use to me in other ways." His grip tightened, and you winced as his grimy nails bit into your skin.

"I am a navigator," you said through gritted teeth, trying to keep your voice steady. "Not a commodity to be sold or used. If you have any sense, you'll let me do my job and not treat me like chattel."

The man threw back his head, a shrill laugh erupting from his throat. His greasy face twisted into a cruel grin, his yellowed teeth bared like a predator toying with its prey.

"Oh please," he scoffed, shaking his head. "A woman as a navigator? As if." He turned slightly, gesturing to the room around him, where the other men chuckled in agreement. "Women are bad luck on ships. You're lucky you're being sold, girl. With your looks, some rich man might buy you. Keep you as a little whore, maybe."

His mocking tone made your blood boil. You clenched your fists, feeling the heat rise in your chest, but you forced yourself to maintain composure. He was trying to provoke you, belittle you, but you wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of crumbling under his words.

"Bad luck? You’re the one who's unlucky," you snapped, lifting your chin defiantly. "I’ve navigated through storms worse than your ship can survive and waters darker than that stain on your shirt. Without someone like me, you'd be lucky to avoid running aground before dawn. Sell me off if you want, but it'll be your loss when you're stranded out there with nothing but your ignorance and superstitions."

His eyes darkened, the amusement in them turning cold as he stepped closer, his breath rancid against your face. He laughed again, quieter this time, but more sinister.

"You've got fire," he sneered. "But fire snuffs out quick at sea. And I don’t need some chit telling me how t’ run my ship." He tilted his head, considering you for a moment, before his lips twisted into a nasty smirk. "Tell you what. Since you're so eager to prove your worth... If you can lead me and my crew to the next port—alive—I’ll consider giving you a job."

You felt a flicker of hope, but it was quickly snuffed out by his next words.

"Not that I believe for a second you can," he continued, gesturing dismissively to one of his men. "Put her in the chart room. Give her the old maps and tools. Let's see what she can do with those rusty relics."

His men seized you roughly by the arms and dragged you down a narrow corridor. The stench of mildew filled the air as they threw open the door to a small, dimly lit room. It was more of a storage closet than a proper chart room. Tattered maps lay strewn across a dust-covered table, their edges crumbling from age. Instruments sat in a pile on the floor, as if someone threw them in and forgot about them eons ago. It was an insult to your craft.

The door slammed shut behind you, and you were left in the damp silence. You glared at the mess in front of you, wiping your hands on your pants as you surveyed the room. Some of the instruments were so worn they might not even function properly anymore.

"These fools wouldn’t know how to chart a course if their fucking lives depended on it," you muttered under your breath, grabbing the least-damaged map from the pile. Your hands shook as you unfurled it, your mind already racing to piece together what little you could.

Your eyes traced the faded lines, the names of ancient ports barely legible. But you had no choice. You needed to find a way to navigate this ship to safety—not just for yourself, but because proving them wrong had become more than just a matter of pride.

Hours passed as you pored over the charts, plotting a course that would take them through the least dangerous waters. You marked out safe harbours and potential hazards, making notes on a scrap of parchment. By the time you finished, your head was pounding and your eyes were heavy with fatigue.

You leaned back in the rickety chair, staring up at the ceiling. The ship creaked and groaned around you, the sound of waves lapping against the hull felt like a little man hammering away into your skull. You closed your eyes, allowing yourself a moment of rest. You knew that the coming days would be difficult, but you were quite determined to survive, to find a way out of this hellhole.

As the ship rocked gently on the waves, you drifted off to sleep, your dreams filled with visions of making way to faraway shores.

Over the course of the next two weeks, you poured every ounce of your skill and determination into navigating the ship through open waters and rapidly changing currents. The vast expanse of the open sea stretched out before you, a canvas of endless blue under the watchful eye of the sun and moon, and the occasional dark clouds that wept above you. You worked tirelessly, plotting courses, adjusting sails, and ensuring the ship stayed on a safe path. You had already saved them from a deadly storm and a series of hidden reefs, but despite your invaluable contributions, you were more like a prisoner than a respected navigator.

Every night, you could feel the disgusting gazes of the revolting crewmen following you around as you moved about the deck, their crude catcalls and whistles echoing through the darkness. Their words, filled with suggestive taunts and vulgarity, went on with a break. You were tired of it all. You would quicken your pace, doing your best to avoid their lustful stares, but the feeling of being watched never left you.

Not to mention your living quarters were nothing less than abysmal. You had been given a tiny, fishy-smelling cabin barely large enough to fit a untrustworthy hammock and a simple, rickety chair. The walls were damp, the paint was peeling and mould hung around rent free. The cabin had no proper bathroom, just a cracked basin for washing, and you were forced to bathe with your clothes on to preserve some semblance of privacy and dignity. The limited water you were allotted was often murky, tainted by the ship's grime and filth.

Meals were a farce. The crew seemed to take pleasure in your discomfort, providing you with nothing more than stale, dry bread, hardened fish and tepid water, barely enough to keep you alive. Your stomach grumbled constantly, a relentless gnawing hunger that left you feeling weak and light-headed. You would sit in your cramped cabin, picking at the bread, trying to muster the strength to face another day. It was a test of endurance, a form of torture that gnawed away at your resolve with each passing hour.

Despite your dire circumstances, you knew you had no choice but to obey. Your earlier demands had placed you in a dangerous position, and any hint of defiance could tilt the balance against your favour. You walked a thin line, a weak rope that even a trapeze artist would refuse.

On your sixteenth day on the ship, you woke up earlier than usual, to the soft creaking of the ship, your senses still dulled by the fitful sleep that had become your nightly routine. The confines of your smelly, damp cabin felt more oppressive each day, the weak hammock beneath you barely providing rest. You stretched your aching limbs and splashed your face with the dull water from the cracked basin, trying to shake off the persistent lethargy that clung onto you like a second skin. The stale bread left from your last meal sat untouched on the rickety chair, your stomach too nauseous to consider eating.

You were in the midst of your daily routine, preparing for another gruelling day of work, the same work you once enjoyed now seemed like an unnecessary pain. You prepared to walk out of the cabin, dreading the unwanted attention from the others, when a sudden, deafening boom echoed through the ship. The floorboards shuddered beneath your feet, and the air seemed to recoil with the force of the explosion. For a moment, you stood frozen in place, your mind struggling to process the cacophony of sounds that followed—the clamour of footsteps, the frantic shouts, and the ominous creaking of the ship as it tilted to one side, making you stumble.

Your heart raced as you heard the muffled sounds of screaming and scurrying outside your door. Panic surged through your veins, and you moved to the door, only to find it locked from the outside. You cursed under your breath, tears welling up in your eyes. The realisation that you were trapped, powerless to escape whatever chaos had engulfed the ship, sent a wave of despair crashing over you.

“Pirates! Save yourself!” someone screamed, their voice raw with terror. The slurred shrieks of the slaver captain followed, barking out orders with a frantic urgency. “Abandon ship! No first- Get me out of here!”

Your pulse quickened as you grasped the small window set high in your door. It was just out of reach. You grabbed the chair, its legs wobbly and unstable, and clambered onto it, pressing your face to the grimy glass. You could see only a narrow slice of the chaos outside, figures darting back and forth in a desperate frenzy. The metallic tang of blood filled the air, mingling with the acrid smoke that drifted through the corridors.

As you strained to see more, a thud shook the door, and the chair beneath you wobbled alarmingly. You let out a strangled cry, gripping the edges of the window for balance. The sound of gunshots reverberated through the wooden walls, each one a sharp, violent punctuation in the symphony of terror. A thick, dark liquid began to seep through the crack at the bottom of the door, pooling on the floor beneath your feet. You felt your stomach churn as the realisation hit you—blood.

You screamed, a raw, primal sound that tore through your throat, and the colour drained from your face. You banged on the door, your fists bruising against the wood, but your cries were lost in the maelstrom of chaos outside.

Suddenly, a voice pierced through the din, smooth and chillingly calm. “Found a slave in here,” it called out, its tone laced with a seductive menace that made your skin crawl. You pressed your ear to the door, straining to catch a glimpse of your would-be captors, but your vision swam with tears and fear.

Before you could react, a hand slammed against the window, and the force of the impact sent your chair teetering. You lost your balance, falling hard to the floor, your head striking the rough wood with a sickening thud. Pain exploded in your skull, and your vision blurred. You could hear the blood rushing in your ears, mingling with the distant sound of voices and the echo of your own screams.

The last thing you saw before darkness claimed you was the vague outline of a figure moving past the window, and the door being wrenched open with a splintering crack. The scent of salt and gunpowder filled your nostrils, mingling with the coppery tang of blood. The voice, with its cruel, mocking lilt, whispered one last chilling phrase as consciousness slipped away. “This one will fetch a fine price.”

The voice, gruff and edged with impatience, cut through the haze of your fading consciousness. "Yeah, first we need to fix that nasty gash in the side of her head."

Everything went black.

When you finally stirred, it felt like an eternity had passed. Your head throbbed with a deep, pulsing ache, and your limbs felt as if they were weighed down with stones. You groaned, your voice a rasping whisper for water, as you struggled to open your eyes. The light in the room was blinding, stabbing into your skull with every tiny flicker.

Slowly, painfully, you turned your head, your vision swimming in and out of focus. The room around you was dimly lit, the walls rough and shadowed. The scent of salt and damp wood filled the air, but it was the figure by your side that drew your attention. A man stood there, dressed in a white tunic splattered with dull red and brown stains. You blinked, your foggy mind trying to make sense of it all.

"Where... where am I? How long was I out?" You croaked out, your throat dry and raw.

The man turned, and for a moment, all thoughts of pain and confusion fled your mind. He was the most striking man you had ever seen, with piercing brown eyes and a rugged handsomeness that made your breath catch in your throat. His blonde hair was tied back in a careless manner, stray strands framing his sharp features.

You let out a disbelieving chuckle, your words slipping out before you could stop yourself. "Yep, I’m dead, and there’s even an angel here to take me away."

The man's expression twisted into a snarl at your words, his eyes narrowing in annoyance. "Ain’t an angel, lass. I’m a doctor. I fixed you up, but now you’ll be sent off somewhere, I guess."

Your mind stuttered to a halt, confusion crashing over her. You’re stared at him, trying to process what he had just said. Suddenly, panic flared in your chest, and you bolted upright despite the sharp pain that tore through your body.

"Wait, what?" You gasped,your heart pounding wildly.

"You heard me," he replied, his tone flat but certain.

"But why?" you questioned, your voice trembling with both confusion and fear.

The man approached you, his demeanour calm and seemingly harmless as he carried a box filled with strange bottles and vials and a glass of water. “I dunno. My job was to patch you up, doll. The rest is up to the captain to decide.”

Your heart skipped a beat at his words. "Wait, captain? This is a ship—are you pirates?!" you screeched, your voice rising in panic. Instinctively, you shifted further up on the bed, clutching the sheets tightly against your chest as if they could somehow protect you from whatever horrors awaited.

The man laughed, the sound a low rumble in his chest. “What, you thought you were back in whatever noble house you came from?”

“N-no,” you stammered, the denial slipping from your lips before you could even process it. “Of course not, but… what do you want from me?”

The man sighed, a trace of weariness in the sound, before a small awkward smile tugged at the corners of his lips. “Let me put some ointment on your wound,” he said, gesturing to the box he carried. “Then I’ll take you to the captain. He’ll decide your fate... don’t worry, sometimes……. he’s merciful.”

A look of horror passed over your face, the weight of his words sinking in. But as much as you wanted to fight, to resist, you knew you had no choice. Once again you were trapped. With trembling hands, you released your grip on the sheet and took the glass of water he held towards you. You took a few sips before gulping it down and allowing him to come nearer.

He moved with a practised ease, gently unwrapping the gauze from around your head. You hadn’t even realised it was there, there was dull throbbing in your skull because of whatever injury you had sustained. He dabbed at the wound with a wet cloth, wiping away the dried blood, and you flinched as the cold air touched the raw skin.

When he began applying the ointment, you winced, expecting the sting of pain to worsen. But instead, a soothing coolness spread across the wound, the pain ebbing away within minutes. It was as if the discomfort had never existed.

He finished wrapping your head in fresh bandages, his hands quick and efficient. You touched the side of your head, your mouth falling open in awe when you realised there was no more pain.

"You must have magic in your hands," you murmured, your voice filled with genuine wonder. "I barely feel any pain at all."

He smiled widely at your words, a touch of pride lighting up his eyes. “No magic, lass. Just a good bit of skill.” He extended a hand to help you stand, his grip firm and steady as he guided you to your feet .

You wobbled slightly, your legs feeling like jelly beneath you, but he steadied you with ease. With a nod, he led you out of the dimly lit room, the weight of uncertainty pressing down on your chest as you headed toward whatever fate the captain had in store for you.

Stepping out of the door, you were immediately hit with a blast of hot, humid air, the salty tang of the sea filling your nostrils. The sunlight, far more intense than the dim lights of the room you had just left, assaulted your eyes, forcing you to squint against its brightness. As your eyes adjusted, you took in your surroundings, following the man down a narrow passage that led out onto the deck.

The deck was expansive, far larger than you had expected, and meticulously maintained. The dark wood beneath your feet was smooth and polished, almost gleaming in the sunlight, a stark contrast to the grimy, weathered deck of the ship you had been on before. Men moved about with a practised, almost military-like precision, their movements synchronised as they managed the sails and ropes with an efficiency that belied the chaos you had expected from a pirate crew. Voices rang out across the deck, some shouting orders, others responding with quick, sharp affirmations.

Your gaze was drawn upward to the towering mainmast, which seemed to loom over you like a giant, casting a long shadow across the deck. "We must be on the poop deck," you thought, your mind racing to make sense of the ship’s layout. Ahead of you, you could just barely make out the bowsprit extending far into the distance, the very tip of the ship. The grandeur of the ship astonished you, its size and the sheer opulence of its upkeep making you wonder just how rich these pirates must be.

The man led the way, his footsteps silent on the wooden planks as you followed closely behind, your eyes darting around to take in as much as you could. Despite the flurry of activity around you, none of the crew seemed to pay you any mind. They were too focused on their tasks to spare even a glance in your direction, as if your presence was of no consequence to them. The lack of attention should have reassured you, it was a relief from the constant surveillance you had on the slaver ship, but it only deepened the knot of anxiety twisting in your stomach.

As you reached the main deck, the man remained quiet, offering no explanation or comfort. The tension in your chest grew with each step, your heart pounding in rhythm with the ship's creaking timbers. Finally, you arrived at a small staircase that led down into another passage. This passage, in contrast to the bright sunlight above, was dark and foreboding, the walls closing in around you as you descended. The shift from light to dark was jarring, and you found yourself instinctively trying to close in on yourself, away from the shadows that seemed to press into you from all sides.

The man stopped at the end of the passage, in front of a large carved, heavy door that seemed to absorb the light rather than reflect it. “Wait here,” he instructed, his voice curt but not unkind. He pushed the door open and slipped inside, leaving you standing alone in the darkness.

You stared at the door, your breath coming in shallow, anxious gasps. "This must be the captain’s room," you thought,your imagination running wild with all the possible horrors that could lie beyond that door. The longer you stood there, the more your nerves frayed, each second stretching out into an eternity. Your mind conjured up images of what the captain might be like—cruel, ruthless, and utterly terrifying. You could almost see his large figure and barbarous appearance.

Your heart raced, the silence around you thickening like a shroud. Every creak of the ship, every distant shout from the deck above, made you jump. You fought the urge to flee, knowing you had nowhere to go, no means of escape. All you could do was wait, your ability to overthink seemed to have reached a new level, until the door finally opened and you would come face to face with the man who held your fate in his hands.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the door creaked open, and the man stepped out, his expression unreadable. He gestured for you to go inside, but you hesitated, your feet rooted to the spot. The fact that he didn’t seem to be coming in with you made your heart pound even harder in your chest. When you still didn’t move, he gave you a gentle but firm push, and before you could protest, the door was closed behind you with a resounding thud.

You stumbled into the room, your breath catching in your throat as you took in your surroundings. The space was dimly lit, casting deep shadows across the walls, but you could tell it was large, much larger than the cramped quarters you had been kept in before. The walls were lined with shelves overflowing with books, maps, and various trinkets that glimmered in the low light—treasures from far-off lands, you assumed. One side of the room was dominated by a large window that offered a breathtaking view of the endless sea, the horizon glowing with the last light of the setting sun. Just how long had you been waiting.

But what truly caught your attention was the man standing in front of the window, his back turned to you. He wore a black tunic that clung to his lean frame, the edges wrapped in black bandages that extended down to his palms. His tight leather pants emphasized his sharp, angular build, and though he wasn’t very tall, he exuded an aura of power and intimidation that filled the room. His hair was striking—half black, half white, styled into a short mullet that gave him an almost otherworldly appearance. He was nothing like you had imagined.

You swallowed hard, trying to find your voice. "H-hello?" you stuttered out, your words barely above a whisper.

The man turned slowly, revealing a face that was both haunting and mesmerising. What puzzled you most was the pair of dark sunglasses he wore, despite the fact that they were inside a dimly lit room. His lips curled into a menacing smile, one that sent a shiver down your spine. And then he spoke, his voice dripping with a honeyed malice, the same voice you had heard just before you had lost consciousness.

“Ahh, finally, the sleeping beauty is awake,” he drawled, his smile widening as he took a step toward her. His presence was suffocating, every movement deliberate and calculated. “Tell me, go ahead. Negotiate your life, beg if you must. Then we’ll see what to do with you.”

He moved to the large table in front of the window, sitting down with a casual grace that belied the danger he radiated. He propped his feet up on the table, the heavy black boots he wore catching your eye. They were stained with dark splotches of red, the sight of which made your stomach recoil.

You tried to speak, but your voice came out in stammers, very much unlike the confidence you held when you talked to the slavers. Your mind raced as you searched for something, anything, that might save you.

He lifted his sunglasses, his eyes were a striking grey, like an uncontainable storm. Suddenly the room felt even more suffocating than before.

“I said speak,” he commanded in a ruthlessly calm voice, it sent shivers down your spine. This man was something different.

You didn’t want to speak but words came out anyway, as if someone had physically forced you to. “I-I’m a navigator,” you blurted, your words tumbling over each other in a desperate rush. “I can help you—I’ve guided many ships through perilous waters. I can be useful to you. Please, if you spare me, I’ll do whatever you need. I’ve helped with multiple voyages, charted courses, and avoided storms…”

Your words trailed off as the man laughed, the sound echoing in the room like a cruel mockery. His laughter was sharp, cutting through your rambling pleas and leaving you in a stunned silence. You stood there, trembling, as his mirth subsided, feeling smaller and more like an insignificant fly everytime he looked you over.

Just as you were about to try again, the door behind you creaked open. You froze, your heart lurching in your chest as you heard the sound of boots on the wooden floor. You turned slightly, your eyes widening as seven men entered the room, including the one who had patched you up earlier. They spread out behind you, their presence like a barrier between you and the door, it made your knees weak.

The room felt much smaller now, the walls closing in on you as you stood there, trapped between the intimidating captain in front of you and the intimidating crew behind you. Your mind raced, the weight of the situation crashing down on you as you realised just how dire your circumstances had become.

You looked around, your eyes darting from one man to the next, taking in their appearances and trying to read the expressions on their faces. Each one of them exuded a certain aura, something you couldn’t quite decipher. But the tension in the room was palpable, thick enough to make your skin crawl.

The man in the centre, the one you assumed to be the captain, spoke again, his voice laced with a poisonous edge. “So, tell me, what should we do with this young lady here?”

One of the men stepped forward, his height almost matching that of the captain. He had a permanent smirk on his face, a look that immediately filled you with a sense of revulsion. “I told you earlier too—we should sell her. We’ll get paid a hefty sum for a pretty face like hers.”

Your expression twisted into one of disgust, your heart beating deafeningly at the casual cruelty in his words. But before you could react, another man spoke up, this one taller and far more muscular than the others. His broad shoulders and imposing frame made him look like a man who was used to handling trouble with his fists. “Hey, I thought we didn’t do that anymore,” he said, his tone almost childlike as he pouted, clearly not taking the situation as seriously as you wished he would.

The first man, with his smirk still firmly in place, shrugged, side eyeing his friend. “I was just joking,” he said, though the glint in his eyes suggested otherwise.

Before you could process that, a third man cut in, his voice sharp and dismissive. “It’s all a waste. Just throw her into the water for the sharks. She’s more trouble than she’s worth.”

Her heart dropped at the suggestion, fear gripping you tightly, but then the man who had healed you spoke up, his voice carrying a note of annoyance. “Hey, then what did I do all that healing for if she was just going to become fish food? We could have thrown her in before I wasted my time.”

The men began to bicker among themselves, their voices rising and overlapping as they argued over your fate. It was as if your life was nothing more than a trivial matter to be debated, and it felt like a cold wet blanket had been dropped on top of you.

The captain, watching the chaos unfold, chuckled to himself. With a wave of his hand, he silenced the room, his voice cutting through the noise with ease. “Now, now, boys, let’s not be hasty. She said she’s a navigator, didn’t she?” He turned his gaze back to you, his expression unreadable. “You see, our last man accidentally tipped over into the ocean, so we’re in need of a new navigator. Why don’t you give it a go? If you fail, well…” He paused, an innocent look spreading across his face, though his eyes remained cold. “Maybe you’ll end up with him.”

You stared at him, aghast at his words. The casual way he spoke of life and death, as if they were nothing more than a game. This was not a man who valued life—at least, not the lives of those he deemed beneath him. And now, your fate rested in the hands of this man who would as easily toss you overboard as he would give you a chance to prove your worth.

Your mind raced, a deadweight pressing down on you. You had no choice but to accept his offer—if it could even be called that. But deep down, you knew that this was only the beginning of a difficult journey, you had to play your cards right.

You agreed hastily, your voice trembling as you thanked him for sparing your life. The captain laughed again, a sound that was more chilling than comforting, before turning his attention away from you. "Someone, show her the way to her cell—oops, I meant room," he ordered, a wicked grin stretching across his face as he returned to the window, sunglasses coming back down, cackling all the way.

As he stared out at the darkening horizon, another man, much taller and with a gaunt appearance, followed him. His hair was stark white, and there was something about his hollow cheeks and sunken black eyes that made you shiver. He leaned in close to the captain, whispering in hushed tones, their conversation too quiet for you to hear. you could only watch as the two men exchanged words.

The rest of the men began to file out of the room slowly, their presence still made you uneasy in the back of your mind. In the end two of the tallest still stayed behind, one of them placing a firm hand on your shoulder and pushing you forward slightly. He seemed friendlier than the others, and he quickly said, "Let’s go," in a tone that was almost reassuring.

As you made your way out of the captain’s quarters, you noticed that his friend, who had stayed silent, was indifferent and least interested in you. He kept flipping a small, gleaming blade in his hand, the metallic click of the weapon opening and closing sending a wave of anxiety through you. You couldn’t help but wonder if he was going to stab himself—or worse, you.

The friendlier man, walking beside you, began to speak quickly, his words tumbling out in a rush as he droned on about the different parts of the ship and the engineering behind them. He spoke so fast that you could barely understand him, but at least his upbeat demeanour was a welcome change from the coldness you had faced so far. His enthusiasm, however, was lost on you; all you could think about was the blade flicking in the other man's hand and the fact that you were at the mercy of these pirates.

After what felt like an endless walk, they reached a small room, on the opposite side of the captain’s quarters and suspiciously close to the main deck. The indifferent man, his voice surprisingly deep, said, "We’re here," before pushing you inside. You barely had time to protest before he quickly closed the door and locked it with a solid click.

The cheery one spoke up from behind the door, his face appearing in the small, barred window set into it. "There’s food for you on the table, and some spare clothes in the chest near the bed. The clothes might be big, but you’ll have to make do for now. There are also spare sheets in the chest, some paper and pencils, and water, of course. The room is locked for your own safety, and if you need help, just tap loudly a few times under the flower painting over the bed—someone will come to you. Good night!" And with that, his face disappeared, leaving you alone in the room.

The silence that followed was deafening, broken only by the distant sound of boots echoing down the hallway until they, too, faded into nothingness. You stood there for a moment, shaken by the events of the day, unable to move or think. It was as if your body had finally caught up with the shock of it all, and you felt the weight of your situation settle heavily on your shoulders.

Slowly, you walked over to the table and saw the surprisingly good-looking food laid out for you. A nice bowl of hot stew, some fluffy bread, and roasted meat—simple, but more appetising than anything you had eaten in days. You sat down and began to eat, savouring every bite. You hadn’t realized just how hungry you were until now, and the warmth of the food filled you with a small measure of comfort. As you ate, tears welled up in your eyes and slowly started to drip down.

After finishing your meal, you opened the chest near the bed and found a white tunic and a pair of black linen shorts. The tunic was big, but you managed to hold it together with your own belt, and though the shorts were also loose and came down to your knees, you made do with what you had. You then lay down on the bed, the soft sheets a welcome relief against your skin.

As you stared up at the ceiling, your mind raced with thoughts of the day’s events. How easily you had been spared from death, or worse, and how it all seemed almost too simple. Was it all just to scare you, or was there something deeper going on behind the scenes? The uncertainty of it all terrified you, and you felt a pang of loneliness that threatened to overwhelm you.

But as much as your thoughts tormented you, the heavy exhaustion of your body and the gentle rocking of the ship slowly pulled you into a dreamless sleep.

© alxtiny . Do not steal, plagiarise, translate, repost, or use my works on any platform in any way.

Comment under masterlist to be added to taglist

DISCLAIMER: THIS IS PURE FICTION AND NOT RELATED TO THE MEMBERS OF ATEEZ IN REAL LIFE PLEASE DO NOT TAKE IT SERIOUSLY

Taglist: @yandere-stories @passionandsuga @beabatiny @sadtoru @pixie0627 @nagynomi98 @bunnychui @nuggiesnuggetdog04

[absol-lutely]

As someone who’s resistant to poison and has healing moves and thus came out relatively unharmed when doing idiotic things, I present:

Astra’s pokemedicine guide!

Note that this guide is directed towards hybrids and other sentient nonhumans. Those who are -physically- human should avoid potions and revives like the plague, and should anticipate little effect from more natural solutions. Stick to ibuprofen.

Let’s start with the basic pokemart otc meds

Potions - do not drink them, spray them on your mon. Please. It is both very bad for you and also, I swear on the Wishmaker’s grace, it is the worst thing I have ever consumed in my life. Yes, I did try a potion once. In my defense, I was I think seven at the time and I thought it was grape soda. I learned immediately that it was not grape soda. All levels of potion apply to this one.

Revives - do not fucking bite them. Swallow them like a pill. It’s made for unconscious patients, there’s no reason you would be supposed to bite them. To be clear, you’ll be fine if you do, but if you’re anything like me then basically your entire mouth will go numb with all the medicines that you just released straight into it. Max revives are worse for this than normal ones, but both do this. Yes, I did this too, I was a challenging child.

Next, the less common products

Fresh water, etc. - do in fact drink this. Yes, it is spiked with meds, but not with anything that’ll hurt you, it’s mostly just painkillers. They’re more effective than straight potions purely because they don’t need to be absorbed through layers of skin/scales/feathers/fur and can make it to the bloodstream fairly quickly. Note: physically human readers won’t notice a difference between these and normal bottles of water. They won’t work on you, but they’re more expensive so you’re just wasting money if you drink these.

Bitter roots and related medicinal herbs - you will not like the bitter root. Your mon will not like the bitter root. You will not like wrestling your mon to make them swallow the bitter root. They suck. I personally make them into a horrific tea abomination because at least I can load it with sugar. Your preferred method may vary. Just make sure you ingest it in its entirety, basically anything else is fair game

Berry juice - while I’m wigged out by any straight from the shuckle, it really is just the fresh water category but fully natural. Nothing special here.

This is where I do not comment on what the ancient Hisuians did because while Snowpoint is full of old women who try to teach me, I do not have historical documentation to back up what were real medicines, what was folklore, and what is probably just dementia. As a general guide to what I’ve had stuffed in my mouth by assorted grannies: if you have Hisuian medicine, assume that it’ll taste somewhat like just eating slimy leaves but you’re definitely meant to eat it and it will do more than you think it will. If you have someone who tries to hype up their Hisuian medicine, though, that’s probably just random plants they’re trying to scam you with and it won’t do much.

Then, the berry guide

Obviously you will hate some berries. Natures do that.

Nothing’s going to hurt you, but if you use them wrong they might not do anything.

For the ones that lower the damage of attacks, I consistently see folks eat them after they get hit and they’re surprised when nothing happens. Eat them right beforehand. If you have a really bad type weakness (shoutout to Carbuncle who I had to mail far too many steel-reducing berries for his fairy/rock typing) then you can just kinda munch some throughout the day. To be clear, if you eat two, they’ll only lower the damage for any given attack as much as one berry would.

Healing berries do what they’re labeled as, no notes here

Tamato berries etc. are weird, I don’t understand effort values at all, but these won’t hurt you besides reducing those slightly

Anything that deals with stat boosts is way out of my realm of expertise, I run double team/protect/wish/flash and thus really really don’t deal with attack, defense, or speed for anything in particular.

Some berries only have documented effects on wild pokemon, how those would work with trainer mons is a question for your local professor (who probably also doesn’t know unless you live in certain versions of kanto specifically if reports are true)

Again, physically human readers will, upon eating a berry, experience the following effects: slight hunger decrease, slight vitamin increase, and tasting the flavor of the berry. Yes, those are just the effects of eating fruit in general. That’s because these don’t do anything special for those who are physically human.

(Physically human nonhumans, feel free to consume anything but the revives and potions as they’re processed so thoroughly you’d get yourself hurt. Anything else is fair game)

[thepiratefish]

More popcross headcannons :D

I' find the idea of Champ just sitting somewhere after quiting his job trying to figure out what to do then 5 minutes later Calamity is holding them up like a puppy to the Sci-5,

They all made up group/Duo names for each other Sterling and Heath are Dancing Duo (Another head cannon that they both like to dance and are good at it) Tayren and Mara are anxiety Duo [They didn't understand the name at first but they both agree it fits] and ect,

Tayren probably stays up late with theorys/research and drinks alot of coffee, energy drinks to stay awake [most likely gets it from the others worlds,] Astra Benny and vasillia all had to physically restrain him from boilling Gatorade with energy. +Bonus if the only reason he allowed them to is becuase Kayla was Dead eye staring him and eventually just let them strap him to a bed.

Mara, Steeling ,Tayren and Heath all have their own bickering group called, Sff, with stands for "Study Fan Fiction" They basically make fanfics about what happening in the sharp gang or of their favorite series/Movies +Bonus Whenever Tayren gets Info about Champ and benny from Vasillia they all listen closely and take Note,

Macey is probably with the Sci-5 becuase Champ stole them, I like to think the clowns at DinocrossPark wanted to see of people could bond with Dinos and obviously Champ got mixed in with it so now he and Macey have a Strong bond.

Vasillia Benny and champ would try that one try not to laugh trend where you have water in your mouth and you can't spit it out or swallow it.

Benny Probably made a Keychain for all the sharp gang members and it represents them.[Sterling having a fire one Tayren a Book, Kayla/Charlie a rollerskate Keychain Ect]

Leading the younger ones of the sharp gang witch includes [Kayla/Charlie Sterling Mara Tayren Alexis maybe some of the B Team] To make and give him a present, SO they all make him a present they think he would like and sneak into his house at night [Kayla and Charlir would probably visited him knowing where he livrs] to leave them on the table as a surprise Anonymously (As a father day present)

BUT Benny is fully aware becuase they are not so sneaky but pretends he dosent know So he will be talking To Astra/Vasillia/Champ about how he was given a bunch of anonymous presents and saying he assumes it's from his past Clients only to hear A few hussed giggles and laughed from behind him making him smile even more.

[swldx]

BBC 0524 12 Jan 2025

7285Khz 0458 12 JAN 2025 - BBC (UNITED KINGDOM) in ENGLISH from ASCENSION ISLAND. SINPO = 35333. English, s/on @0458z with Bowbells int. fb ID, pips and Newsroom preview. @0501z World News anchored by David Harper. § Firefighters are making an all-out assault to prevent the largest of the deadly wildfires that is threatening Los Angeles from spreading into one of the city's most exclusive neighbourhoods. Aerial crews have been bombarding the flaming hills with water and fire retardant to hold back the Palisades fire, which has expanded an additional 1,000 acres and is now menacing Brentwood. The National Weather Service warned that the gusty Santa Ana winds that whipped up the fires at the outset would increase again on Saturday and into Sunday. Seven neighbouring states, the federal government and Canada and Mexico have rushed resources to California. § The Sudanese military recaptured a key city in Sudan’s breadbasket region on Saturday, chasing out a paramilitary group that the United States accused last week of genocide. If the army can hold on to the city, it would be its most significant victory since the war started nearly two years ago. Experts said it would most likely shift the focus of the war northward to Khartoum, the capital. § On Sunday, Croatia's incumbent President Zoran Milanović is set to square off against Dragan Primorac, backed by the prime minister and his government. In the first round, held on 29 December, Milanović won 49.7% of the vote against seven other candidates, just shy of half of the ballots needed to secure an outright victory. § Jack Smith, the special counsel who led two federal criminal cases against Donald Trump, has resigned from the Justice Department before the president-elect takes office later this month. According to a court filing submitted on Saturday, Mr Smith "separated from the Department" on Friday. Mr Smith's departure comes amid a dispute over the release of his report into the findings of Trump's classified documents case. § South Korea’s suspended president, Yoon Suk Yeol, will not attend the first hearing of his impeachment trial next week because of safety concerns, his lawyer has said. Yoon has been holed up in the presidential residence and protected by an elite guard force since being suspended and impeached last month following a short-lived declaration of martial law that plunged the country into political chaos. § Drones reportedly struck the Taneko Oil Refinery (Tatarstan Oil Refining Complex) in Tatarstan, Russia, on Saturday, marking a significant escalation in attacks on critical infrastructure far from the front lines of Russia-Ukraine war. The incident was reported by Russian outlet Astra and confirmed by Andrii Kovalenko, Head of Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation, via Telegram. § The Biden administration delayed until June an order for Nippon Steel to abandon its $14.9 billion bid for U.S. Steel, the companies said on Saturday, giving them some time to revive the politically contentious deal. President Joe Biden blocked the acquisition on national security grounds on Jan. 3, and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said this week the proposed deal had received a "thorough analysis" by the interagency review body, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States. @0506z “The Newsroom” begins. Backyard gutter antenna w/MFJ-1020C active antenna (used as a preamplifier/preselector), JRC NRD-535D, 250kW, beamAz 115°, bearing 103°. Received at Plymouth, MN, United States, 9763KM from transmitter at Ascension Island. Local time: 2258.

[420thewritersroom]

Warhammer/Horus Heresy Kinktober 2024

Day 27: Warbands/Cultural Differences/Mind Control

Summary: I was today years old when I learned that Warband isn't exclusive to Chaos Marines or Orks

Introducing my unsanctioned Psyker turned Sanctioned Psyker, Narcos! Having a bad time as usual :D. He has recently upgraded to Inquisitorial duty, so figured I'd write about that. Not a heavy focus on cultural differences and it's kept somewhat vague about what that means, but I had fun writing this regardless. Just a couple more days before the end of Oct and I'll be finally done! Not that this has been un-fun for me! This has been incredibly fun, but I'm also kinda ready to shelve this event lol

TW: Noncon (this is mostly story based and not very noncon, but just wanted to mention this now)

Narcos keeps his eyes steeled and steady on the subject of his attention, maintaining a mindful grasp on the investigated suspect. The suspected heretic, with eyes as blank as the void that Narcos keeps their reasoning in, looks stupidly at his companion. Their minds intertwine as the sanctioned Acolyte, with a power that dwarfs the suspect's feeble attempts at defense, weaves his way into the person's subconsciousness. Psychic walls crumble with every ethereal step until there is none left to impede Narcos from taking complete control of the woman, body, and mind.

"It is done," Narcos whispers, his own eyes whitening as the suspected heretic takes the color of his Cadian eyes.

"Good. If all goes well," his partner, an Acolyte much like himself, although they mainly specialized as the muscle, glares at the possessed filth, a threatening leer meant for the suspect, but with Narcos being able to see through the woman's eyes; feels as though they are directed at him, "And it should, we'll be able to find their den of cultist and put an end to their existence."

Narcos's body does not utter a word. In his stead, the possessed woman meets his partner's scrutinizing gaze, uttering slowly, "It will."

The perks of dominating another person's mind is utilizing their memories and past connections. Narcos strutted through the city with the mnemonic sass and confidence she used to lure weak-willed victims into her cult's trappings. The memories do not lie; she definitely is in cahoots with the workings of the enemy. He's seen glimpses of her treacherous ways, blasphemous and stinking of heresy against the Emperor. But Narcos is careful to not submerge himself too deep in the waves of the subconscious. While he will excuse his reservedness as caution against any possible trickery of the heretical mind and the possible openings to the entities of the Warp, in actuality, it's a confidence issue. Being somewhat fresh out of the Adeptus Astra Telepathica and, well, not really being graced with the most confident of personalities, Narcos dips further when he needs to. And right now, he needs the location and an easy way to get into the deepest sanctum of the cult.

Narcos walks the body towards the secret entrance of the cult, disguised as a small, out-of-the-way family diner. All he had to do was mutter the disgusting words, "little sparrow, plentiful house," and he was walking right into the lion's den. Down, down, the spiral staircase went, a haze-inducing scent messing with his senses as he delved deeper into the abyss. Narcos reserves his psychic energies to maintain his hold on the woman's mind. If anyone asks, his name is Gloria now.

Gloria did her best to confidently walk as they entered the den of depravity. The area was concealed with smoke caused by the ongoing machines that pumped out numbing gas, the people smoking from hookas, and the like. All made to loosen the mind and make one susceptible to other influences. The smell of food, exotic food, even for a former noble-born, made her mouth water, despite her best interest to stop herself from imagining the delicious texture in her mouth and ignore the rumbling of her belly. She traversed the narrowly crowded hallways with silent caution, trying to dismiss the occasional touch the writhing mass would give to seduce her into their charms.

Gloria had to stop after a certain point, her senses overloading when she entered a lounge room filled with loud, overly sensual music. Or, at least, it was trying to be alluring. She hides herself in a corner, looking for a way out or another entryway to a different room, only to be approached by a tall man.

"Hey there, darling. Good to see you again; I've been thinking about you."

Their breath stank of synthetic tobacco and alcohol, making Gloria's face contort in unveiled disgust. She tries to slide away from him, making it highly apparent she had no quarrel or business with this no name.

"Hey, hey, baby. Leaving so soon?" He blocks her way with his arm extending to the wall.

"I have other business to attend to; we can talk later," Gloria says plainly. Which, to anyone who knew the REAL Gloria, she'd be a bit more sophisticated than that.

"I'm certain they can wait, whomever you have business with. Can't imagine having a lot of important business that doesn't involve you spreading those legs."

The man slides his other hand down her waist and makes a slight grip on her hips. "Which is all you're good at anyways. And stealing from us, that too."

Gloria gives a confused look before wincing in pain as the man grabs her hair and pulls her with him. Fuck, fuck, did she, he, missed something? Gloria-Narcos-scrambles through their memories to find out what had transpired? Childhood memories of jumping from loose plank to loose plank, adult life trying to live a decent living for themselves, teenage pregnancy with a 2-year-old child, and an unsupportive mother. FUCK, what did he, she, do? Narcos thought he found the cause of this incident, anxious hands quickly trying to open a safe, possibly filled with valuables, but the context for why escaped him.

For the second he attempted to consider finding context, he, she, is thrown into another room, deprived of any necessities aside from a stained floor mattress and a couple of third parties. Narcos, Gloria, lands on the cold floor next to the bed, scrambling to her feet, but is rudely interrupted with a well-placed kick to her shoulder.

"Should've never came back, bitch. You could've gotten to the upper Hive cities if you were smart. Guess the greedy and the lustful never learn. Hold her down."

The other participants hold Gloria down, ripping at her buttoned-up blouse, sending buttons flying across the room. Fuck, FUCK! Gloria, Narcos, begins to panic. He refuses to go through this; he already got most of what he needed and seen what he needed to see for the most part. Narcos attempts to sever the connection, letting Gloria, the real Gloria, handle this situation herself and suffer the consequences, yet his vision is still crystal clear as he watches one of the men unzip their fly.

He tries to break away, not only physically but in spirit. Every attempt his mind made to slip out of Gloria's subconsciousness, it felt like chains held him in place. Was Gloria, the REAL Gloria, preventing his escape? He can't imagine so, she possessed no real presence in the Warp or psychic threat, he was able to dominate her mind with no problem. Unless it was a ruse? Or perhaps the sickening aroma of this Warp den? The effects were meant to numb the mind, maybe it had an impact on his psycher abilities? Maybe it invited someone into Gloria's being, and he didn't notice?

Regardless of the reason, Narcos was stuck as the people in the room were tearing off clothes and touching their privates, hungry, sinister looks of intent glaring down at him.

"Before we throw you to the boss, we might as well have one final round with you."

"Help! HELP!!!" Narcos, Gloria, screams, using their remaining strength to call for help, however foolish this attempt was.

"Howler all you want, love. No ones coming for you here. Probably should've thought of that before coming back here."

-

Narcos's partner, Abigail, puffed another cloud of smoke, her vox-caller giving static signals of life as her employer spoke to her. "It's been almost 3 hours now; how much longer will this take?"

Abigail looked to the side into the other room, Narcos's body twitching and flinching in pain, his eyes and nose bleeding. While his nails dug into the meat of his legs, leaving bleeding claw marks in their wake. She's seen this before, Psykers and their weird ass ability to dip into the Warp or whatever; fucking abominations. She takes another huff and puff before finally responding.

"However much longer he needs. I'm watching him, don't worry. If he was truly in danger, I would know."

-

"That's it, slut, swallow his cock like the good little cock-whore you are!"

Narcos had makeup, Gloria's makeup, he reminds himself, running down his face; mixing with his, her, tears and running nose. She, he, struggled to breathe, the one he was forced to suck the member of pinching his nose so that he couldn't breathe through his nose or mouth. He claws at the man's thighs and hips with her long fingernails as the other man rammed his cock into her aching pussy.

Fucking hell, when is Abigail going to wake him up from this nightmare!?!

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

Here's the Kinktober lists for anyone who wants to partake! Let's be extra horny this lovely October

[tweedlydumbtweedlydoo]

Investigation | Spencer Reid x reader

Requested by @maybebanks​ / Summary: The BAU is investigating you for a case against your brother and you won’t say a thing, until Dr. Spencer Reid walks in. 

A/N: Hope you like it! xx 

Warning: talks of claustrophobia 

Tag list is at the end. Let me know if you want to be added xx

**MASTERLIST**

Requests: {OPEN} CLOSED

** Rules for Requesting **

** Who I Write For **

********************************************************************************************NOT MY GIF, CREDIT TO OWNERS

“Miss y/l/n, we only want to know about your brother.” The man in front of you explains. You were seated across from him at the steel table, inside a room without windows. If you weren’t freaking out about your brother, you might have been freaking out about being enclosed in a room that you couldn’t get out of or see a way out and wonder if the walls were suddenly getting smaller. 

They’d brought you in only a couple hours ago. The BAU team had entered your workplace and cornered you at your desk, basically ordering you to come with them or you’d be arrested. So, you did as you were told. However, you’d seen this before and you weren’t going to speak to them about anything especially if it could be used against you or your brother later on. 

There were men close to your age that had turned up dead in ditches and for some reason your brother was their number one suspect because his DNA is on one of the victims. Your brother, a murderer? There was no way. He was protective of you, his little sister, but he wasn’t that protective, not a murdering type because you looked at my sister wrong kind of guy. 

“When is the last time you spoke to him?” You’d learned the name of the man across from you. Agent Hotchner. 

Your arms remained crossed over your chest as you said nothing. You didn’t even make contact with him. He’d been in here for almost half an hour and you could tell the man was growing impatient. 

He gave a hard sigh and finally stood, “Fine you won’t speak, we’ll just have to find another way to get you to talk.” As he neared the exit, he added, “How about I bring in one of your exes? James? I think he is on your emergency contact list.” And with that he slammed the door shut behind him. 

And suddenly the room grew smaller.

~ 

“Hotch, you can’t threaten her with an ex boyfriend.” Spencer defends, “That’s wrong and you know it.” 

“She won’t speak, what else am I supposed to do?” Hotch tosses the file on the table next to him in frustration, “She has to speak at some point. We have a deadline before the next body shows up and we need information on her brother to find him.” 

“Let me try-” Spencer started, but when he looked through the window into the interrogation room, he knew something was wrong. 

You were panicking and breathing heavily as the walls continued to close in. Your ex boyfriend couldn’t come here. He couldn’t know where you were. 

Spencer rushed into the room, “hey hey, breath.” He pulled you and your chair out from the table so you were in the open and facing him, “Just breath, what’s wrong?” 

“The walls. The walls are..” You choked out and Spencer knew. 

“Open that door.” He instructs the guard before turning his attention back to you, “Breath in and out with me.” Spencer takes in a few deep breaths and you follow along, finally calming down. 

“Get her some water and keep that door open.” Spencer looks you over once more, “And get the cuffs off her. She’s claustrophobic. There’s no need for the cuffs. She’s not a suspect.” 

Your grateful for the man in front of you, “Thank you.” You say quietly as he unlocks the cuffs from your wrists. 

His eyes meet yours, “We’ll keep the door open from now on. Is that alright?” 

You nod, “there’s no windows.. the room just kept getting smaller.” 

He hands you the cup of water, “I know, it’s alright. May I sit in here with you?” He motions to the free seat across from you. 

You answer with a nod and take a sip of your water. You were finally calmed enough to take in the man who’d saved you. His hair was a mess on the top of his head, but it worked for him. He wore a button up shirt with a vest and a tie around his neck. You read the badge clipped to his shirt, SSA Spencer Reid. 

“I’m Dr. Spencer Reid by the way.” 

“You look a little young to be a doctor.” You say quietly. 

He chuckles, “I get that a lot.” He points to the shirt your wearing, “Las Vegas. I’m from there.” 

“Went for my 21st birthday. My parents took my brother and I.” 

“It’s a great place. However, I’m banned from casinos there.” 

“Banned?” You laugh, “What could you have possibly been banned for?” 

“Um.. being too good at cards.” He chuckles. 

“Ah you were costing them money? Yeah I can see why you’d be banned.” 

The two of you continued to make small talk. Spencer took a friendly approach instead of Hotch’s aggressive approach and you seemed to open up more to him. From the entire 30 minutes he’d sat with you, he’d managed to find out more than Hotch did and found out that you weren’t great with men who shown aggression. He confirmed that theory when Hotch had walked in and asked you a couple questions but you’d shut down and didn’t say a word. 

“We only want to find your brother. His DNA is on one of the victims shirts.” Spencer explains as he opens the file in front of you. He wanted to get you comfortable with him before going straight into the case and it’s details,  “If he is innocent, great, we’ll prove it. But we have to find him first.” 

You nervously looked over the few photos of the men and recognized one, “That’s Brad. I went on a date with him the other night. It.. it didn’t end good and my brother had stepped in.” You look up at Spencer, “Is that who had his DNA?” 

Spencer gives a nod, glancing back at the window where the team were already listening and watching. 

“My brother had to.. he had to stop the guy. He made some advances when I got home and wouldn’t stop so my brother stepped in to help. He’d never.. kill these men.” 

“Can someone confirm that? And confirm your brother had an alibi the nights these men went missing?” 

You quickly nod, “My brother’s girlfriend and her niece. The three of us live together and her niece was there with us over the weekend. And also our neighbors. They can confirm my brother was home because he spoke with them while bringing up groceries.” 

“This is great information. Let me go talk with the team.” 

~ 

It was only a little while later that Spencer was back in the room, “You’re free to go.” 

“My brother?” 

“He’s cleared of anything. He’s no longer a suspect.” Spencer hands you your things they had confiscated at the door. 

“Thank you.” You give a grateful smile, “And for being so kind during all of this.” 

“Of course.” He apologizes for Hotch’s behavior, “he’s used to taking that aggressive approach with other unsubs. He sometimes forgets that it doesn’t work with everyone.” He motions to the door, “I’ll walk you out.” 

The two of you walk out of the room and through the police department, “Well, I hope you catch the man who did this.” 

“I believe we will. It could also be a woman. Statistically when the victims are men, 85% of the time the killer is a woman.” He notices the look on your face and blushes, “Sorry, I like statistics and sometimes I get overly excited.” 

“It’s fine.” You laugh, “I’ll see you around, Dr. Spencer Reid...” 

He watches as you walk out the door and he makes it look like he wasn’t watching you leave when you glance back at him, however, he runs right into the water dispenser, almost knocking it over. 

Criminal Minds tag list: @thelovelydreamer17​ , @la-vie-en-amour1​ , @mrs-joel-pimentel-23-25​ , @astra-inclinant-sed-non-obligant (possibly: @astra-x-inclinant​)  , @bluerose512​ , @lolychu​ , @varsityalthete​ , @televisiondreamstomorrow​ , @harry-hollands​ , @lumineshawn​ , @lyss-xo​ , @rexorangecouny​ , @sassy-hades​ , @britishspidey​ , @ateez-star​ , @l0ve-0f-my-life​ , @ceeellewrites​ , @newtkyloskywalkerstiliski , @in-some-fandoms​

All my works tag list:  @blossomreed​ , @mggstyles  , @simonsbluee​ , @thewolf-and-thesheep​ , @obxrafejjwhore​ , @abbiesthings​ , @itstaskeen​ , @reniescarlett​

[pyrasterran]

Led by Glory Guard, the Lions of Justice, the highest ranking ENU-sanctioned superhero team on Earth. The Lions are Earth's last line of defense against the most powerful of supervillains and Great Beasts.

Euryale is second-in-command, and considered one of the smartest women on Earth. Her Astral Drift is "Crux Gorgon". It allows growth and manipulation of her hair, enhancing them on the molecular level to be able to camouflage in her surroundings, block gunfire and pierce through steel. The individual hair follicles are toxic, and when used to pierce human flesh can release a paralyzing agent into the body. Euryale is in her element as a stealth operative, using subterfuge to confound enemies and complete mission objectives.

Psynopsis is, in terms of firepower, the weakest on the team. Nevertheless she is crucial to the effectiveness of the team and singlehandedly responsible for many of their past victories. Psynopsis' Astral Drift is "Review Absolute". With enough time, Psynopsis can analyze a target and gain a general understanding for a wide variety of attributes about them. Their past, what they may be hiding, even their Astral Drift and possible weaknesses eventually become known to Psynopsis after enough analysis. As supervillains will do what they can to keep their Astral Drift's weaknesses and properties secret, and Great Beasts are certainly not going to explain their reasons for rampage, Psynopsis' analysis on the field becomes the lynchpin of nearly all successful missions. With unknown machinery and equipment, with enough analyzation Psynopsis can get a general idea on how to operate them (or whether doing so could lead to a trap). An advanced HUD added to her mask lets her pick up even more beyond her regular sight, augmenting her Astral Drift further. Combining her healing talents with Review Absolute's ability to analyze injuries, poisons, etc. also makes her the team's go-to medic. 

Magi Rosa is the newest member of the Lions of Justice. As arguably the team's flashiest member, ranks as most popular tied with Glory Guard. Her Astral Drift is "Element Rose". Just as the name implies, Magi Rosa can conjure roses and thorny vines of either fire, water (or ice), or electricity. Their sizes and properties between these three states can vary as she deems, so a fire rose can simply be a torch or instead be a bomb as she wills it. Magi Rosa can also command and convert these elements on the field into new roses for her to command, making attacks of fire, water, ice or electricity null against the team. With her mastery over the three elements, Magi Rosa both a swiss army knife of combat capabilities and a massive boon during natural disaster missions. Fires, floods, live wires, all become fuel for elemental roses, eliminating hazards that can harm civilians.

Beedrive is the team's fastest member. His Astral Drift is "Hymenoptera Rex". Beedrive is able to command members of the Hymenoptera family, including wasps, bees and sawflies. Beedrive can command clouds that can cover buildings, and see through their eyes. The insects' scouting and infiltration potential are obvious as is their ability to overwhelm many villains, but on top of this, Beedrive is able to imbue the cloud with his Astra, fortifying the insects' bodies and granting them his speed. Practically, this allows the cloud to keep up with Beedrive as well as make beeline tackles that hit like bullets, giving Beedrive effective long range firepower against many supervillains. Beedrive's scouting synergizes with Psynopsis' Astral Drift, while his superspeed makes for effective defensive support (able to move teammates out of the way of attacks swiftly and safely) and distraction tactics against stronger opponents. Against Great Beasts, however, his options are limited, and he generally focuses on search and rescue in such situations.

Thundercrash is the second strongest member on the team. His Astral Application has fortified his defenses to be nearly as durable and strong as Glory Guard. Thundercrash's Astral Drift is "Rude Vibrations". Thundercrash can vibrate his own molecules to either allow himself to phase through solid objects or generate powerful sonic turbulence, strong enough to create sonic booms with a thought. With this much power in his hands he is frequently out in the front lines with Glory Guard against Great Beasts and the toughest supervillains. These frequencies do not have to be purely explosive, however; Thundercrash can adjust the frequencies of sound coming off his vibrations at such fine degrees that he can make them imperceptible to his opponents, yet still cause them vertigo as their inner ears are attacked and their equilibrium rocked. Thanks to his Astral Drift combined with his fortified body and enhanced strength, Thundercrash has received the nickname "Earth's Greatest Duelist" able to defeat most opponents in a one-on-one fight through the combination of his debilitating sonic frequencies and super strength. Were it not for his lack of flight, he might have been the number one ranked hero instead of Glory Guard. 

[mk-writes-stuff]

Okay here goes. Sorry it took so long :)

Izjik: Great Tusk. I went through every fighting type in the Pokédex for her before deciding on this one. It’s exclusive to Scarlet (there are two variants of each game and each one has a few slightly different Pokémon and NPCs) but I figured this one would count. It’s a ground-fighting type that’s a massive ancient elephant and focuses on physical (rather than special/magic) attack and defense. It looks like this:

Sepo: Skeledirge. I knew immediately this one had to be his. It’s a fire crocodile whose signature move is a fire song called Torch Song. This boy is a fire-ghost type that focuses on special attack and every time I think about it I regret not getting one. It looks like this:

Twenari: Terapagos. I spent several minutes trying to pick a magic special attacker for her and then I saw this one and I knew. Terapagos is from a DLC and it’s pretty balanced between physical and special moves, but it’s a legendary (a unique creature that there’s only one of in the Pokémon universe) and it’s the central link to a quasi-magical phenomenon that takes place in this region called Terastalizing. It also has its own unique terastalizing type that only it gets naturally. Twenari is a nerd, she would be fascinated by this thing. It’s a normal type and it looks like this:

Djek: My standards for Djek were “looks really cool” and “fast” because he feels like a speed man and I think he’d really want a cool-looking one. So I’ve picked Dragapult for him. Dragapult is a dragon-ghost type that’s super fast and pretty physically powerful and is styled after a torpedo launcher. It can also get an ability called Infiltrator. I think he’d love it. It looks like this:

Astra: I took one look at Astra and I just know she’s a steel-type user. So I looked through the steel-types and eventually picked out Copperajah for her (although she had a very close runner-up, as did Djek). Copperajah is a massive copper elephant with a very cool rust patina, and it’s a steel-type that focuses on physical attack. It looks like this:

Mashal: He would totally be an Ogerpon guy. Ogerpon is a legendary from the first DLC and (spoilers) she’s a sweet little ogre whose trainer was killed and whose magic masks were taken from her by a group of other mean Pokémon. I think Mashal would love her and want to help her so bad. Ogerpon is a grass-type physical attacker who can change into a grass-water, grass-fire, or grass-rock type with her masks. She looks like this:

Ivander: This is a hard one. I think Ivander would be a Corviknight guy. He also strikes me as a steel-type kind of guy, and Corviknight is imposing and dignified-looking, which I think he’d vibe with. He would definitely have a shiny (a hard-to get alternate colour set) just to flex. Corviknight is a flying-steel type focused on defense and its abilities are both about intimidating the opponent. It looks like this (although its shiny form is more silvery):

Elsind: Elsind seems like a fairy-type user to me because they seem like they’d love pretty things. I picked Florges for her because I think she’d find it gorgeous. It’s also focused on special (magical) defense and attack which I think would be Elsind’s style. It’s a pure fairy-type and it looks like this:

Avymere: I struggled on this one for a long time but I’m going to go with Ting-Lu. It’s a legendary which I think Avymere would like because I think high society would find that very cool, and it’s pretty neat looking. It’s also very defensive which I think would be Avymere’s style - it has high HP and physical defense and an ability that lowers opponents’ special attack. It’s a dark-ground type and it looks like this:

These are just their partner/signature Pokémon - the ones they’re most known for and would like… take photos with if asked for a photo or walk down the street with. Most Pokémon battlers have a team of six, but I don’t have the team composition know-how or the time to design a decent team for all of them.

Anyway I hope you like them all! Feel free to ask questions on why I picked them or offer criticism - if you think one doesn’t suit I’m happy to try to find a replacement :)

🐹 for the OC ask game?

Confession: I've never played a Pokémon game in my life. I just had the cards as a kid cause I thought the art looked pretty, so I'm not really sure how to answer this one.

In lieu of that, I'm gonna answer about a game I know way too much about: dnd!

🎲 If your OC played a pen and paper RPG, what class would they pick? Warrior, mage, thief, ranger, cleric, paladin, druid, necromancer, bard (or other, if that’s not enough).

Izjik would be a gloomstalker ranger with a 3 level dip into battlemaster fighter to help facilitate that melee build. She'd have good strength, dex, and con, but abysmal everything else. Her maneuvers would be tripping attack, goading attack, and ambush.

Sepo would be a swashbuckler rogue with expertise in stealth and intimidation. His charisma would be high just for that intimidation, and his panache ability would just be him giving people a death glare. He'd duel wield daggers.

Twenari - despite being in Illari terms, a sorcerer who gets magic from her blood - acts much more like a wizard in the practical sense. She'd be an evocation wizard with the warcaster feat. Later on, she'd probably take a dip into artificer.

Djek would be a thief rogue/shadow sorcerer multiclass with high dex and charisma, but low strength and con. I thought about making him an arcane trickster, but he does damage with his magic that would fit closer to a sorcerer. He'd definitely be higher into rogue than sorcerer.

Astra would be an artillerist artificer, despite fighting like a full caster, rather than a hald caster. The arcane cannon ability could be reflavored as her ribbon coat, while her infusions are all the gadgets she makes. She'd probably take the skilled feat.

Mashal is pure battlemaster fighter. He has high strength and con, but utterly terrible wisdom. His maneuvers would be bait and switch, disarming attack, and riposte. He'd also have the mage slayer feat.

Ivander would have one level of celestial warlock for flavor, then the rest would be in inquisitive rogue, as he doesn't really use magic all that much, but he is one hell of a detective. He'd abuse tf out of steady aim and probably take the gunner feat.

Elsind's main battle strength is being slippery and they fight without weapons, so I guess that makes them a monk? I'd say way of long death monk because they're pretty tanky, but he's too nervous to do much fighting.

Avymere, as much as I love making fighters, fits way too well to be anything but an oath of devotion paladin, even if they have no divine magic in the actual story. I feel like they'd have the sentinel feat as well.

Thanks for the question, and forgive me for derailing it, I just love talking about dnd :)

[aeonborealis]

Movies/Shows Spectra

Cowboy Bebop FLCL Neon Genesis Evangelion Princess Mononoke Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Adaptation Being John Malkovich Minority Report Waking Life 2001: A space Odyssey Parika The Matrix Blade Runner Alita Battle Angel John Wick 1, 2, & 3 Inception Clock Work Orange Good Will Hunting Apocalypse Now The Godfather The Dark Knight The Green Knight Pulp Fiction Fight Club The Empire Strikes Back Se7en Interstellar Spirited Away Leon: The Professional Alien Momento Django Unchained Joker Synecdoche Jurassic Park Akira The Grand Budapest Hotel World War Z The Big Lewbowski Logan Terminator Back to the Future Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse Dune PK Her Donnie Darko 12 Monkeys Ghost in the Shell Soplaris Elysium Cowboy Bebop: The Movie Children of Men Brazil Rogue One Big Hero Six Moon Serenity Predator E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial Fantastic Planet Gravity The Girl Who Leapt Trhough Time Ex Machina The Fifth Element Guardians of the Galaxy Watchmen 28 Days Later Robo Cop Close Encounters of the Third Kind Godzilla: Shin Source Code Doctor Strange Contact Total Recall Tenet I Origins Cloud Atlas Looper Limitless K Pax 2046 Pi The Shape of Water Black Panther I Am Legend A.I. Artificial Intelligence Treasure Planet Starship Troopers The Andromeda Strain Robot and Frank Dredd 9 A Scanner Darkly Blade Oblivion The Adjustment Bureau Passangers Independence Day Starman Finch Another Earth Primer Flight of the Navigator Repo Man Altered States Chappie Cypher eXistenZ Spring HarcoreHenry Venom The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Resident Evil Short Circuit The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Idiocracy Titan AE Ad Astra Space Jam Lucy Alien: Covenant The Cell Dune Solaris World on a wire Le Jetee Kamikaze 89 Liquid Sky Aeon Flux Reign the Conqueror Megazone 23 Neo Tokyo Class of 1999 Crime zone AD Police Files Circuitry Man Cyber City Oedo 808 Hardware Megaville 964 Pinocchio Until the End of the world Wax, the discovery of television among the bees Fortress Freejack Nemesis Machine Girl Mimbo: The Subtle Art of Japanese Persuassion Prototype Shadowchaser Split second 8 man After American Cyborg: Steel Warrior Ghost in the Machine TC 2000 Crystal Fortune Run Cyber Tracker Cyborg 3: The Recycler Armitage III Automatic Cyber Bandits Cyber-Tracker 2 Cyberjack Hackers Johnny Mnemonic Nemesis 2: Nebula Screamers The City of Lost Children Virtual Combat Nemesis 3: Death Angel Omega Doom Rubber's Lover Gumo My Own Private Idaho Full Metal Gokudo Gattaca Andromedia The X Files Webmaster The Thirteenth Floor I.K.U. No Maps for These Territories Thomas in Love Vritual Nightmare Avalon Electric Dragon 80.000 V Reboot: Daemon Rising Reboot: My Two Bobs Xchange Dead or Alive: final Resurrection of the Little Match Girl Returner Teknolust Natural city Paycheck The Animatrix Appleseed Casshern Cyber Wars The Bottled Fools Immortal Malice Doll Automatons Puzzlehead Chrysalis Vexille Sleep Dealer Technotise: Edit & 1 Tetsuo: The Bullet Man Tokyo Gore Poilice

[talesofsonicasura]

Stone Novas

Ch 4: Exposition

Astra's secret is revealed to Team Monkie Kid much to her dismay! A challenge is wagered, plots are formed and soon wills shall be tested. CH3 CH5

Megapolis' Docks, Secret Base

To say Astra was upset would be an understatement. She was thoroughly pissed off for one good reason. Sun Wukong, Monkey King and 'Great Sage Equal To Heaven' didn't know how to keep his mouth shut. And the feeling to flay him grew as Mei poked at the Frontier Brain.

All of them had hustled back to the Secret Base after MK had blurted out her otherworldly origins. Luckily, no one else was there to hear it. When the young man had accidentally sent himself flying out of the Weather Station, not only did Wukong appear to take away his invulnerability but also told him about her Battle Observatory.

He didn't mention Macaque oddly enough or her taking his clothes, no doubt to keep some of his pride. The reactions from Sandy, Pigsy, Tang and Mei were expected once they got back into the base after a silent ride. Dumbfounded disbelief from MK's boss, curiosity from Tang, awe and wonderment from Sandy, as for Mei…

"Are you human or is this a disguise?! Wouldn't that make Bao Chang, Lupe, Mars, and that giant bird Siegfried alien animals?! Are there any dragon Pokemon where you're from?" A thousand questions alongside her wild poking and prodding. Astra didn't mind someone being curious but this was aggravating.

Having enough with the mildly rude treatment, the redhead grabbed Mei's hand tightly. "I would love to talk if you stop scrutinizing me like a Noctowl pellet." Astra let the raven quickly scoot away, slightly embarrassed but still had that same vigor. The Frontier Brain massaged her head, carefully picking her next words before speaking.

"I am human but from an alternate Earth. Instead of demons, we have Pokemon that can be found everywhere whether it be land, sea, sky and even space itself. During my free time, I usually explore various worlds by traveling through Ultra Space but I am actually the Frontier Brain for the Battle Observatory."

Mk had heard about the facility Astra owned from the Monkey King although neither of them knew what it really meant. Picking up on the young man's confusion, the ginger continued her explanation. "Where I'm from we have something called Pokemon Battles."

Mars connected his tail into the base's computer, the screen switching to display a battle between two trainers and their respective Pokemon: a bipedal rhinoceros covered in orange stone plates and a smaller bipedal chinchilla with large white fur that curled like locks of hair.

"Trainers bring out their Pokemon to battle and give them instructions. When all Pokemon on the opponent's team is unable to battle, the Trainer whose team is left standing wins. No Pokemon are forced to battle without their consent and no killing is allowed." The chinchilla-like Pokemon took down the much larger opponent with a strong blow to the head, spirals appearing on the eyes of the knocked out rhinoceros Pokemon.

Mars then changed the screen to display six different buildings, one of them being the Battle Observatory. A picture of Astra stood in front of the observatory as a shadow silhouette stood at the other 5 facilities. "There are tournaments that test the mettle of both Trainers and their Pokemon, the Pokemon League but we'll be discussing my domain, the Battle Frontier."

Battle Frontier, just two words that sent a shiver down the spines of everyone in the room. MK, unlike the rest of his companions, had a look of determination but also hope in his eyes. Something that made the redhead smile brightly.

"Trainers have to face the Frontier Brains, powerful trainers and their Pokemon that can rival the strength of the Champion for each respective region. Those who defeat a Frontier Brain, earn a symbol of their success, a badge for that gym. If someone manages to collect 5 of these badges, then they can become a Frontier Brain for their own facility. This is my badge, the Nova Badge!"

Astra then took something out of her pocket. It was a metal badge that resembled a fiery meteor from the red flame locale surrounding the yellow star shape and the center was a gray X bearing sharpened edges similar to a stake.

"Only those with conviction to face the burning flames of tribulation and strife can earn this badge. One of the reasons many trainers call me the Battle Frontier's Shooting Star." The redhead didn't even flinch when MK and his companions had suddenly gotten into personal space.

"Woah! That is the coolest thing I have ever seen. It looks really well made too! I wish I had my own badge but I really don't like fighting." Sandy stated with mild disappointment. Astra patted the big aquatic demon on the side and gave him a kind grin. "I can make you a custom badge if you want, Sandy. Send me a design and I'll have it ready in a few days."

The redhead chuckled at the sudden bone crushing hug she had gotten from a very happy Sandy. Pigsy was a bit indifferent to the whole otherworld thing. "As long as you come in peace then I don't really care about your origins. Plus you have a good head on your shoulders considering what happened back at the Weather Station."

Every member of the Monkie Kid team knew where the restaurant owner was getting at. All of them would've been captured by Red Son after MK got taken out of the fight. They couldn't forget about the people that might have been hurt or worse without Astra's intervention.

Something that raised a question for a certain bandana wearing young man. "Hey Astra, can I talk with you outside for a moment?" The Frontier Brain gave MK a confused look before nodding. Mars could fill in any questions the rest of the group had anyway. Neither of them said a word until the two adults were back on the boat.

It was here that Astra saw the brunette's carefree attitude dissolve into disappointment and shame. She had a bad feeling about this. "Do you think I'm worthy enough to be the Monkie Kid?" Now the Frontier Brain really hated where this was going.

"Back at the Weather Station, I was practically useless during the whole thing. I hurt Sandy with the staff and nearly got everyone captured because of my invulnerability ego. I even flung myself out of the building with my own weapon! Sometimes I feel like being able to pick up the Monkey King's Staff was a huge fluke. I…"

MK didn't get to finish when Astra gently caressed his cheek, a warm motherly expression on her face. "It's ok to feel like this, MK. You are new to this whole experience but I know for damn sure that your achievements aren't fake! I read about you saving the city from that huge Demon Bull King fiasco some time ago."

She pulled him into a side hug and turned to the open ocean. "When I first started out as a trainer, sometimes I doubted if I could even become a Frontier Brain. There were times that I wanted to give up but my friends and my Pokemon gave me the courage to keep trying. Look at me now, I achieved my goal alongside my faithful partners. Remember that 'the strongest mountain started as a stone.'"

MK then felt something metallic in his hand and stared down in shock to see a colorless Nova Badge sitting on his open palm. "I want you to hold onto this badge, little Kubfu. When you have found and mastered your full potential, face my team to fully complete that badge. If the Monkey King's training isn't sufficient, I won't mind stepping in for some proper training."

Astra's grin sharpened, the sun making her apple green eyes glow like emeralds and her flaming red hair burn like fire. "I might not have magical powers but I definitely can teach you how to wield a staff. A lot of my Pokemon would also love to help you master your newfound magic. What do you say MK? Want to take your training to the next level?"

The young man looked at the Frontier Brain. His uncertainty became hardened determination. "Please teach me how to become stronger!" MK bowed his head in respect, a sign of a student ready to learn under their master. Astra's smile grew from the young man's response. Now she had a few things to do before she started training MK.

Flower Fruit Mountain, Water Curtain Cave

Siegfried let out a mighty caw as he soared through the air. The Frontier Brain was currently seated on the Raven's Pokemon back with her goggles keeping any volcanic ash away from her eyes. All of the monkeys who saw the large Steel/Flying Type quickly scattered or watched Siegfried fly through the curtain of a waterfall.

This particular waterfall was shielding a cavern that held a small wooden shack within its stone walls, Sun Wukong's home. Once Siegfried landed and was recalled to his Pokeball, Astra went over to the house. She had spotted a large ancient mural to the side depicting Wukong alongside three other people.

A pig demon, fish demon, and a human monk riding on the back of a horse as Wukong sat on top of his cloud with a fillet on his head. It was quite eerie but not for the soft golden glow that lined the characters. No, it was the fact that they looked too much like Pigsy, Sandy and Tang that unnerved the redhead.

Astra walked up to the door of the small home and gave it a hard knock. The door opened to show a disgruntled looking Monkey King who was probably asleep earlier from the yellow pjs decorated in peaches. The demon quickly straightened himself upon seeing those apple green eyes glare into his own ambers. "Fancy seeing you here, Astra. Want to come in?" Wukong nervously laughed, he knew he was in hot water.

"You told MK about my origins WITHOUT my permission, jackass! What in the absolute Distortion World were you thinking?!" The redhead harshly poked the monkey's chest, every word burning with rage. The Monkey King raised his hands innocently despite Astra looking ready to skin his hide.

"I can't keep such information from my successor! MK had the right to know and I trust the kid to keep a secret." Wukong took a step back when the Frontier Brain snarled and dragged him down by his pajama shirt so they were at eye level.

"You are an idiot of the highest caliber and a poor teacher! I read the story about MK fighting that giant bull demon and saw him recklessly using your staff back at the Weather Station. Have you even given him proper training at all?!" Astra hissed, glaring daggers into the demon's fiery amber eyes.

Wukong nervously smiled at the accusation which didn't help with what he said next. "The kid did defeat Demon Bull King and came out of both fights completely fine. We've been practicing some hand to hand combat too. MK just needs to believe in himself, even just a tiny smidge." The Monkey King's world turned upside down in seconds as he hit the ground.

Astra sat on top of him, her legs straddled between his so he couldn't move while she held him up to her face with an iron grip. "You are an incompetent fool that clearly doesn't know what he's doing! Did you know MK asked me if he was even worthy of being your successor? That he thought of his achievements as a mere fluke, you insufferable Stunfisk?!"

Wukong's smile dissolved into a shameful frown. Did he really make his student believe that he was a failure? The mere thought made his heart sink. "I'll be taking over MK's training from now on since it's clear you are ill suited for the task." He instantly froze. Did she really just…?

"What do you mean you're taking over?" A look of anger and shock crossed Sun Wukong from the Frontier Brain's words. Astra didn't seem to care about the Monkey King's growing temper. "You heard me. Unless you start taking MK's training seriously, then my Pokemon and I will do it instead. I may not have powers but I can teach him to wield a staff. My team can handle the magic part since you're shit for this job."

Rage boiled underneath the demon's skin. What gave this human the right to say he was an unsuitable teacher? It's his powers and his staff! Who did she think she was to say that to the Monkey King, Great Sage Equal To Heaven, Sun Wukong?!! He'd- The monkey demon immediately stamped that thought before it could continue and instead turned his head away.

This wasn't about him. It was about his student MK. Astra had a point, the young man wasn't ready at all and if a tougher opponent came along… The look of remorse on Wukong's face was enough for the redhead's rage to slowly simmer down.

"How about a compromise? If you are that serious about helping MK, then battle Bao Chang." Sun Wukong immediately looked at the human woman in surprise. "It is said that someone's true intentions can be revealed in the heat of battle. Clash with my darling Monferno at the Battle Observatory on the morning of next week and show me how far you will truly go for your disciple."

The redhead got off the Monkey King so he could get back onto his feet. He could see in those apple green eyes that Astra wasn't fooling around. His only chance. "Alright. I'll accept your challenge. Where do we meet up since we're going back to your world?" Wukong's question only got him a chuckle from the Frontier Brain.

"Ask your apprentice, he'll tell you." With that said, Astra walked away from his home leaving the Monkey King to his thoughts.

Megapolis, Astra's House

The sound of a hammer hitting steel echoed across the small forest. It was from Bao Chang who was fastening a brand new windowsill to the upper floor of the old house, a paintbrush wrapped around his tail too. Astra and some of her Pokemon decided to fix up their brand new home after returning from Flower Fruit Mountain.

Bao Chang worked on replacing the windows, Lupe disposed of any garbage he found, Mars scanned for any issues with the infrastructure and Siegfried helped transport any of the heavy goods such as furniture or any stuff that can be exchanged for extra cash. Aniani kept watch in case of an accident or intruder, as for Astra…

"Sticky Web, Arachne!" A large blob of webbing struck the worn pillar. The substance slipped it into the cracks with the wood, Astra then placed a large metal sheet onto the sticky goo. "El Dorado, melt that metal a bit with Incinerate!" Quickly stepping back as a stream of fire hit the steel plate.

The intense flame caused the alloy to slowly curl around the pillar's surface until it was fully enveloped. Another stream of fire went down where the two ends to the sheet metal converged, sealing it together. With a short inspection of the plating, Astra gave a thumbs up to the two Pokemon responsible.

One Pokemon was a shockingly large black spider around 12'3 in size, six long yellow legs with the bottom half black that had medium sized water bubbles on each joint, a big water bubble that encased their head, two large blue eyes bearing light blue horizontal wave shaped pupils with three smaller triangle blue eyes on the forehead, four large fangs at the bottom of the head, a vertical tannish brown streak with two horizontal ones on the top of the abdomen and a small yellow stinger on their rear.

The other one was a 1'3 dark gold gremlin, eyes were light gold diamonds cut in an hexagon shape, two fin like ears bearing two points on each side of their head, a small emerald on their chest alongside a small jade and light gold crystals on the back, three fingered claws, three fur like spikes on the elbows and three toed bearing sharp claws. On their left arm was a dark violet wristband that held a black, red and violet jewel inside.

"Looks pretty stable. Got a few more support pillars to go, think you can handle it Arachne and El Dorado?" Astra first looked at the large spider then to the small gremlin Pokemon. The large spider Pokemon named Arachne did a small nod while the little gremlin El Dorado gave a thumbs up.

The Frontier Brain shortly paused as a serious expression overtook her face. Her focus was on the corner of the room that was unnaturally darker than the others. "Arachne, Bubblebeam over there!" The large spider took a deep breath before letting loose a rapid stream of dark blue bubbles.

In seconds, a purple outlined shadow cudgel emerges and promptly bursts every single bubble with a single swing. Macaque took a step out of the shadows, clearly impressed from the fang filled grin on his face. Astra only sighed at the sight of the shadow demon.

"I guess you do have some decent senses to detect me. Nice improvement on this dumpster pile by the way." The Frontier Brain rolled her eyes at the intruding monkey, both Pokemon beside her had their guard up. A sight that made Macaque chuckle.

"Usually I am not that defensive unless near a potential threat. I just didn't know that you used to eat humans before we met." Astra spoke, her arms crossed and an offensive edge to her voice. Dismissing the shadow cudgel from his hands, the demon gave the redhead a mischievous look.

"I knew you overheard me and Sun Wukong the other night instead of going to your room. Had me surprised when you still treated my wounds while keeping calm from your steady heartbeat. Pretty brave and bold, Apple." Macaque walked closer until he was standing in front of the Frontier Brain.

The demon could still hear her heart remain steady despite their close proximity, a thought that made his tail wag happily. "What do you want, Macaque? Because I'm pretty sure spying on someone isn't a proper visit." Astra didn't feel like playing around at the moment. One demon had already gotten on her nerves, she didn't need two.

"Straight to the point I see! What I want is to train under your tutelage." Astra looked at the shadow demon like he was crazy. She let Macaque continue with his explanation. "My clash with the Monkey King proved my training methods are ineffective, training dummies can only do so much. What's a better sparring partner other than a Frontier Brain?"

The redhead kept her eyes on the monkey as he circled around her, Arachne and El Dorado stayed silent. Both Pokemon were waiting for any sign of a threat. "So how about a deal? I help around your observatory and you let me battle your Pokemon in exchange. I can even help fix up this rusty junk heap as a bonus." Macaque offered, a calm yet manic grin etched on his face.

Astra mulled over the proposition in her head. She wasn't stupid or naive. Macaque and Wukong had a nasty history paired with a mile wide grudge. There was also the chance of manipulation for the Frontier Brain since the monkey demon might have abandonment issues, inferiority complex and probably low esteem.

Taking his offer could lead to two scenarios. He'll end up taking revenge on Sun Wukong, possibly dragging anyone associated with the Monkey King into it. Or two, she could learn their history and might be able to help both demons before their sour relationship leads to a much bigger problem down the road.

Whatever the case, these two needed help. "Fine but you must listen to what I say and respect any rules that I make. By the way, if you try to use whatever you learn against some innocent soul…" Astra's eyes sharpened, her teeth on full display from the huge snarl and a dark aura came off the redhead in waves.

The sudden malice was enough for Macaque to take a step back in instinctual fright. "I won't hesitate to show you why I'm the most feared amongst my peers in the Battle Frontier. Angels, demons or gods, nothing will save you from my wrath. Got it, little Alolan Rattata?" The shadow demon quickly nodded at the Frontier Brain's threat.

In seconds the frightening aura quickly vanished as Astra clapped her hands happily. "Splendid. For now, you'll be helping El Dorado and Arachne with enforcing the support beams. Arachne is my dear Araquanid while El Dorado is my sweet Sableye." Both Pokemon waved a hand or leg in Arachne's case in greeting to the demon monkey.

Macaque was about to say something when the redhead threw two small cards at him. Quickly catching them, dark amber slightly widened to see they were Pokedex Entries for the two Pokemon before him. Although the one for El Dorado looked different since the Sableye in that picture was violet instead of gold.

"'Araquanid, the Water Bubble Pokemon. Bug/Water Type. The water bubble around Araquanid's head can be used to carry Pokemon they consider as friends to safety or drown potential prey. It has a habit of storing things it likes in its water bubble so their trainers have to be extra careful to not get dragged in. This Pokemon likes to savor its meal and can also launch the bubbles from its legs as another way to capture live prey.'" Macaque looked warily at the giant spider before reading the other card.

"'Sableye, the Darkness Pokemon. A Ghost/Dark Type-'" The demon monkey went silent for a few seconds. 'What in the absolute hell?' Macaque shoved the thought in the back of his head before continuing his low mutters.

"'-It digs up gems with its sharp claws then uses its sharp teeth to devour them in the deep darkness of caverns. This diet caused Sableye's eyes to become gemstones and some of that material to float to the surface of their bodies. It's feared for the misconception that these Pokemon can steal the souls of people when their eyes glow a sinister color in the dark.'"

The shadow demon paused to look at the card then the small Darkness Pokemon. He blinked a few times before pocketing the Pokedex entries into his jeans. Macaque had a feeling this won't be the only time Astra decides to make him feel uneasy. Shrugging his shoulders, the monkey resigned himself to his fate and got to work with the repairs.

Megapolis, Flaming Foundry

Deep underneath Megapolis, there laid a massive factory unknown to others. This facility was the Flaming Foundry, where every mechanical creation was manufactured to assist the Demon Bull Family. A family of three who seeked to rule the world in an age of darkness and fire: Princess Iron Fan, her husband Demon Bull King and their child Red Son.

Standing in front of a large screen was Red Son alongside two others. One was a huge minotaur type bull demon around 15 in size, powerful bulging muscles to red violet fur that seemed to almost synthetic, bottom jaw covered in a heavy steel plate with similar steel under burning yellow eyes, a gold bull nose ring, gear similar to that of a barbarian: steel pauldrons, multiple straps on the chest that held a gold furnace like slot at the center, dark grey pelt around the waist similar to a barbarian's, slightly long tail, sharp clawed fingers, large fangs and strong gray hooved feet.

The other was a woman about a ft taller than Red Son, soft tan complexion, two large black horns on both sides of her head, long raven hair, red lipstick on full lips, thin but buxom form hidden under a beautiful red traditional Chinese dress, and heeled sandals. They were Red Son's parents, Princess Iron Fan and Demon Bull King. Red Son seemed mostly healed from his encounter with Team Monkie Kid minus a few bandages.

All three of them were watching the large monitor, it was on the news which covered the Weather Station. The broadcast was about none other than two of Astra's Pokemon rescuing civilians who were trapped inside. "-No one knows what these strange creatures were but the families of those who were trapped inside are truly grateful for their assistance."

Red Son then changed the feed to camera footage from the Weather Station, most of the audio was fried courtesy of Mars' hacking the mainframe earlier. "I can see why your plan went asunder, my dear son. You said this woman's name was Astra?" PIF questioned, looking at her only child.

The red haired demon did a short nod before answering. "Yes from what Noodle Boy called her during our battle. All those creatures appear to follow her command; unlike Noodle Boy's group, she's very competent in both strategy and execution. The marks of a tactician."

DBK looked inquisitively at the footage. His attention darted from Bao Chang tearing apart their soldiers using various elements, to Lupe destroying his troops with powerful acid then blasting his son away in a giant laser, Mars stealthily hack into the Weather Station's mainframe and finally Astra's conversion of a broom handle into a weapon that melted through titanium steel. He's seen that type of cleverness before, it got him trapped underneath a mountain for 500 years.

"It appears the little thief has made a powerful and dangerous ally. Get as much information on this 'Shooting Star Astra' and 'Battle Frontier'. Even better if you somehow manage to capture her." DBK glared at the Frontier Brain's picture, a dark grimace on his face.

"This human woman could change everything."

And that's it! Sun Wukong has been challenged by Astra while Macaque and MK are accepted for training as things slowly begin to change in the background with some of the LMK villains.

Astra isn't someone who would beat around the bush when seeing a possible problem. Especially considering her status as a Frontier Brain and just how dangerous this new world is proving to be.

She is the type who wants to be prepared for the worst. To her, Sun Wukong and Macaque's 'relationship' is an issue just as bad as MK's current training routine.

Moving onto Astra's Pokemon, her team is the Pokemon she had caught during her journey to become a Frontier Brain, not exclusively just six Pokemon. Her Pokemon has two different movesets which is reserved for either exploration or gym battles. I'm bringing this up now to not only clear up any confusion but especially for upcoming chapters.

And for anyone questioning why Astra didn't do anything to Sandy for hugging her, it's because only touches with any romantic sort of sense are a trigger. Stuff like hugs don't bother Astra.

Next chapter is the battle with Sun Wukong! Before I go, I am currently working on a story for my Broken Toys AU! Someone asked if I was going to release all the information first before writing it.

The answer is actually no. I will be posting some stuff for the au like the monsters MK has and his relationship to them but the really juicy ones will be coming once a few chapters are posted.

Until next time folks, see you back in Megapolis.

New Pokemon added! El Dorado the Sableye and Arachne the Araquanid

Astra's team: Bao Chang (Monferno), Siegfried (Corviknight), Lupe (Garbodor), Aniani (Necrozma), Arachne (Araquanid), Mukasa (Zarude), El Dorado (Shiny!Sableye).

[labyrinth-runner]

“Are you scared? Don’t be. ‘ll protect you from today onwards.” For Obi x Reader please?

Title: King of Hearts

Summary: When you’re sent to a neighboring kingdom to marry the king, things do not go as planned. Warnings: None. Word Count: 5400

Tag List: @blackirisposts, @star-whores-a-new-hoe, @nerd-without-a-cause, @all-hallows-evie, @darthserling

As always, thanks to @the-mandalorian-clone-lover for being a low-key Beta.

You could hear the sound of the wheels running over the forest floor. It had been hours since your carriage had set off on its journey towards the kingdom that was to be your new home. Your legs ached from being in the same position for so long, but there was nothing you could do. Stopping now was out of the question, as you had driven into enemy territory an hour ago. Your guards had even advised against looking out the window. After all, the Princess of the neighboring kingdom would be a prime target for the warlord ravaging your kingdom. That was why it was imperative that you got to your new kingdom in one piece. Your marriage to the King would unite your two kingdoms and act as an alliance that would hopefully end the war. 

Resting your head against the wall, you absentmindedly played with your pendant as you tried to picture the man you were to marry. You’d met him once, a long time ago. The two of you had both been young when his father, Qui-Gon, had come to your kingdom for a summit. You couldn’t have been more than ten at the time. You remembered meeting an awkward teenager who would talk you out of all the mischief you had planned. He was so serious, with those crystalline blue eyes that looked like they were wise beyond their years. Most of all, you remember he was kind, having an affinity for animals that led him to spend most of his visit in the menagerie.

Now, you wondered what he was like, having been King for a few years since the death of his father at the hands of a warlord. Would he still be kind? Or would years of a harsh life have turned his heart cold? A sigh breezed through your lips as you tried to stretch in the small space. 

Thwip.

Thud.

Screaming.

You froze, hearing the unmistakable sound of an arrow being loosed into the air, and the carnage that it no doubt had caused. The horses were startled and strayed from the path, causing the carriage to run over a boulder. It started to list to the side until it was tumbling. You braced for impact as the carriage landed on its side. Peeking out of the window, you noticed you were at the bottom of a ravine. 

“I’m a sitting duck,” you realized in horror as you struggled to get the door open, let alone crawl out of the carriage. Part of you wanted to stay put, to play dead, but you knew better than to trust your attackers with your body. If they were thorough, they would finish the job. With that knowledge to steel your nerves, you used all the strength in your arms to pull yourself up through the doorway.

Once on the other side, you closed the door so that it would take them a while to notice anything was amiss. Swiftly, you moved across the clearing towards the tree line. You could hear running water nearby. If you passed through it, then they would loose your trail. Your feet propelled you further and further, vowing to yourself with each step that you would not die here, that the hope of your people’s salvation would not die here, alone, in the forest. 

The water was cold on your calves as you plunged into a running river. It was deeper than you expected, but nothing you couldn’t handle. Wading through the waist-deep water, you trudged to the opposite bank and pulled yourself up.

The foliage on that side of the river was dense enough to conceal you from your attackers. Your heart thudded in your chest as you listened to the sounds of footfalls. Through a gap in the trees, you watched as men in dark cloaks came into view, searching for you. When they passed by without incident, you released a breath that you hadn’t realized you were holding.

On the horizon, the sun was starting to set. You knew you couldn’t stay in the woods forever, but you couldn’t travel as you were either. Your clothes were much too rich for the area. No, you’d have to go back to the carriage and hope to salvage some of the clothes that your maid had packed.

Mary, you thought sadly. She had been riding on the front of the carriage when you were attacked. There was no way she would have survived. A pang of guilt washed over you, but you had to shove it aside. Your feelings, as valid as they were, would not enable you to survive if you dwelled in sadness. 

Somehow, the water seemed colder the second time around. It felt like tiny knives stabbing into your skin as you made your way back, retracing your steps as best you could in the falling darkness. 

Eventually, the carriage came into view, it’s dark form rising out of the shadows. Your luggage was strewn across the ground, with some crates leaking fabrics. Surprisingly, your treasure was untouched. 

“So it was never about the money,” you sighed, “It was always about me.”

With a shake of your head, you started to root around for a plain outfit that would be warm enough in the cool night air. You found a blue servants gown and a brown wool cloak that would suit you nicely. Quickly, you changed into it.

Laying on the ground a few feet away was a crumpled body of one of your soldiers. With some care, you removed his dagger and attached it to your own body. You hoped you would never have to use it, but you would rather have and not need, than need and not have.

Lastly, you took your pendant in your hand, a wedding gift from your fiancé. On it was his crest along with your family’s motto on the back. Ad astra per aspera. You tucked it under the neckline of your dress before looking up at the stars. Giving the guiding lights a resolute nod, you started to walk.

You walked for what felt like miles with no end in sight until dawn started to break over the horizon. Streaks of light cut through the canopy overhead washing everything in a warm amber glow. The trees started to thin out and a small town could be seen past the fields and farms on the outskirts near the forest. To your dismay, you could see that the town was crawling with enemy troops. You pulled your cloak further down your forehead to hopefully obscure your face. As much as you just wanted to walk past the town, your stomach was growling and would not be ignored. 

Trudging into the tavern, you slipped into a seat in the corner hoping to avoid detection.

The gods were not smiling upon you.

As soon as you sat, a group of soldiers sauntered over towards you.

“Well, sweetheart, aren’t you a new face?” one of them purred as the barkeep placed a bowl of soup in front of you.

You pointedly ignored them, hoping they would take the hint and leave.

Instead, another soldier sat across from you. “Are you traveling alone? You know that’s dangerous with a war on. Wouldn’t want someone as pretty as you to get caught in the cross fires.”

“You know, when a lass ignores you, that’s usually a sign that you should stop talking,” a man said from behind them.

“Yeah? And what are you going to do about it?” The soldier taunted back.

“This,” the man simply stated before punching him in the face.

A brawl soon broke out in front of you. With a sigh of annoyance, you picked up your bowl of soup and side-stepped the kerfuffle to finish eating your soup at the bar. 

The men continued to brawl until the owner kicked them out. Then, the owner turned towards you, “And you, too.”

“But I-” you started to protest.

“Out! You’re bad for business,” he said sternly.

You sighed. At least you’d finished eating. It was time to move on from here, anyway. Pulling your hood back over your head, you made your way out of the tavern and into the street, seeing the man and a younger boy nursing their wounds as the soldiers stalked off down the road.

“Are you alright, lass?” the man called out. He looked like a farmer, based off his clothing. The boy with him must be his farmhand, you surmised.

“Yes, but you didn’t have to do that. I was capable of handling it myself.”

“Were you just going to sit in silence and suffer their presence?” he asked, a slight smirk tugging at his lips. He had a scruffy beard, but the most amazing eyes. 

Your face felt hot as you looked away, “I suppose I should thank you, then. For saving me the trouble of their company.”

“You’re welcome,” he said with a kind smile. “Where are you headed, lass?”

“Stewjon,” you said before pausing. Thinking on your feet, you came up with a reasonable lie. After all, you weren’t sure how they would treat the princess of a neighboring kingdom, even if they had just defended your right to eat in silence. “I’m an ambassador from a neighboring kingdom looking to bend the king’s ear.”

It wasn’t exactly a lie. You technically were a representative of your kingdom, and you were hoping the King would listen and help his new wife’s homeland. You absentmindedly played with your necklace while you waited to see if he’d accept your lie.

The farmer nodded, “We’ll take you there.” He cast a suspicious look at the pendant in your hand, squinting at it slightly. 

Quickly, you tucked it back into your neckline.

They started to walk and you followed them in silence, sizing them up. The two men seemed to have an unspoken language between them, knowing how the other would tackle the stumbling blocks in the road or which path to take to get to the right place. Their’s was an easy companionship from what you could see. Every once in a while they’d crack jokes when they tripped or slipped.

“No wonder you aren’t a knight, if a tree limb can trip you up,” the farmer teased.

“Better me than you,” the younger man quipped. “I don’t know if your old bones could handle a tumble.”

The man thwacked him up the side of his head.

“Ow!” the boy complained.

“Respect your elders,” the man simply stated, sending you a wink.

A chuckle breezed through your lips at their banter.

“See? Even the lady thinks you’re a fool,” the farmer smirked.

“Or maybe she just happens to find my antics amusing,” the boy straightened. “After all, she does have Anakin Skywalker at her service.” He affected a low bow, waggling his eyebrows at you as he looked up.

You giggled, “Lovely to make your acquaintance, Mr. Skywalker. And you, Sir?” you turned towards the farmer. “I should like to know the name of my savior.”

“Oh, should you now?” he asked, his smile slipping slightly. “It’s Ben.”

You nodded, “Ben and Ani.”

Ben looked up at the sky and cursed, “We’ll have to make camp.”

“But it’s midday,” you replied.

He pointed towards the horizon, “Those clouds spell a storm. We’ll want to find a nice, dry cave to stop in until it passes.”

“There’s a mountain ridge up ahead,” Anakin added. “There should be a cave there.”

“The river’s a bit to the south. If the lass wouldn’t mind getting some water?” Ben asked, handing you a canteen.

You nodded, taking it from him going off towards the direction he indicated. You could hear Ben ordering Anakin about as you left.

The stream wasn’t too hard to find, and it was significantly less cold than the one you had found yourself in the day before. As you dipped the canteen in the river to gather water,  you caught sight of your reflection. There were trees in your once-neat hair, dirt was caked on your limbs, and bits of blood were dried here and there from where you had been nicked by brambles and branches.

Casting a look from side to side, you realized you were alone. You may not get another moment like this, and you certainly did not want to show up to the palace in such a state. In moments, you had undressed and waded into the running water. Taking a handkerchief from your clothes, you used it to scrub yourself clean, marveling in the fresh feeling of once again being spotless. You leaned back, floating for a moment as you let yourself relax.

“Lass, we found a cave,” Ben called out as he came trudging through the bushes. Then, he caught sight of the clothes on the riverbank and his eyes briefly flicked to your floating body before he averted his gaze.

You straightened immediately. “I’m sorry. I-”

“Please, don’t apologize. I should have been more discreet. I averted my gaze as quickly as I could,” he replied, keeping his back towards you as you got out of the river and dressed.

“How far is the cave?”

“Not very far,” he replied.

Gently, you took his hand to hide the look of embarrassment. His hand was warm around yours, comforting. “Lead the way.”

Soon you found yourself standing at the mouth of a cave. Inside, Anakin had started a small fire and spread out their cloaks to cover the ground to make it softer.

The three of you sat as the start of the storm could be heard outside.

“I guess you were right,” you murmured.

“He’s always right,” Anakin said pointedly.

Ben rolled his eyes, “I just had to learn this from my father at a young age.”

“Because of working in the fields?” you asked.

He blinked, “Y-yes.”

You stared out the mouth of the cave at the steadily growing storm. “Can you tell me a bit about the king?”

“Haven’t you met him before?” Ben asked.

“A long time ago,” you said wistfully. “It’s been a while. People can change. Life changes them.”

“He’s a hard ass,” Anakin smirked. That earned him another thwack from Ben. “Alright, I lied. He’s kind. He’s a real people’s man.” The younger man laid down on his cloak and turned away from you. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to take a nap.”

That just left you and Ben.

At first, the silence was deafening, but then the ice broke and conversation became easy.

The two of you talked for hours about anything and everything under the sun, from childhood experiences to the things you did for fun. There was so much that you two had in common, and talking to him was so easy. You’d never felt more at ease. As you talked, you noticed little things about him. The crinkle near the corner of his eyes from smiling was your first observation. Then, it was how beautiful the color of his eyes were. In the back of your mind, you wondered how soft his beard was. Still, all the while you kept swapping stories and learning more and more about this handsome man who had rescued you. When you woke up on his shoulder later on, you didn’t even remember falling asleep.

“Morning, sunshine,” he murmured. 

The rain had stopped, leaving a clean smell hanging in the air. Anakin was snoring softly across the cave. The fire casted Ben in a warm amber glow that you found entrancing. Gently, you reached up to smooth a piece of hair out of his face. His eyes softened as he looked down at you. He leaned into your touch, eyes closing as his cheek pressed into your palm. Your thumb caressed the edge of his beard as you found your eyes settling on his lips. In the back of your mind, a voice said you probably shouldn’t be doing this, but you found yourself leaning in anyway. Your lips connected with his, pressing firmly against him. He kissed back almost immediately, slipping his hand to your neck as his fingers snaked into your hair. The cave was suddenly warmer than you could handle and you pulled back, eyes wide at what you’d done.

Anakin stretched behind you, waking up. “Well, I suppose we should start walking again?”

Ben answered, not taking his eyes off you. “Yes, we should. Then we’ll at least reach the city limits by daybreak tomorrow.”

“We’re going to walk through the night?” you asked in dismay.

“It’s best that we make haste,” Ben replied, getting up and pulling his cloak back on.

“R-right,” Anakin seconded, his brow furrowed as he glanced between the two of you.

“If we make it to the city limits by dawn, then we’ll be able to rent a horse for the last leg of the journey,” Ben added, as a consolation. 

You nodded, getting yourself together to follow them out into the late afternoon sun.

The walk was harder now, with the ground slick with wet grass and mud. It was slower going, and somehow you managed to hold onto Ben’s hand the entire time. He kept you from falling, and pulled you out of the mud when you got stuck. He barely looked at you as you went until you needed help. Then, there was concern in his eyes as he steadied you, an extra hand on your arm to make sure that you were in fact alright. 

It confused you. You were to be married to a man you hadn’t known in a long time, and yet here you were falling for a farmer who couldn’t even look at you for longer that ten seconds since you’d kissed. Still, you knew that nothing you’d have with the King would ever be as easy as with this farmer, but there was nothing you could do. Your kingdom needed this alliance. However, that didn’t mean you couldn’t stumble or slip a bit more so that you could spend more time with the farmer. All you were doing was prolonging the inevitable, you knew that. Yet, you wanted to do it. You were enjoying this sense of freedom before being bogged down with the needs of a kingdom again.

As night drew nearer, you held his hand tighter, not wanting to get separated in the dark. Ben gave your hand reassuring squeezes intermittently. Once, although you could not see it, you felt him bring your hand to his lips and kiss it when you’d stopped at a fork in the road.

Somehow, they knew the way in the dark. It was almost as if they’d spent years traveling these roads, which you thought was odd for a farmer. Then again, he probably traveled to sell his wares. As it got darker, it grew colder. That was when you felt a cloak being dropped on your shoulders. You nestled into it, squeezing his hand in response. 

Your feet were so tired you felt like they would fall off of your body and abandon you. At that point, you realized that you had been walked the majority of the way to the palace, a trip that took about six hours by carriage, but a day and a half on foot. You wanted to stop. You wanted to rest. But, you knew that if you were tired, then so were they. Yet, they kept going to get you to your destination. They didn’t give up, and neither would you.

Finally, dawn started to break. You’d broken out onto wide open road a while ago, but now in the early morning rays, you could see the city sprawling before you and the ocean beyond it. You nestled further into your layers as the sea breeze ruffled the fabric. 

“Is that...?” you asked.

“Yes,” he said with a fond smile on his face as he looked at it. “That’s Stewjon.”

“It’s massive,” you breathed. 

“Which is why I said we’d get horses to take you to the palace,” he winked. “Besides, the best way to tour the city for the first time is on horse.”

“You’re going to give me a tour?” you asked, unable to keep the giddiness from your voice. Perhaps you didn’t have to say goodbye so soon, after all.

“If that is alright with you,” he grinned.

“You two go on ahead,” Anakin yawned. “I’m going to go home.”

Ben shot him a glare.

Your brow furrowed. Home? But they were farmers. There were no farms around the city.

“I mean... I’m going to find some lodgings,” Anakin chuckled nervously. “You know, my brain is so tired I should get some sleep so I can start making sense again.”

You raised a brow as the boy awkwardly backed away.

Ben gently took your hand and tugged you towards the stables. “Wait here.”

Bouncing on the balls of your feet, you waited for him to return with a horse. He helped you up into the saddle before climbing on behind you. His body was warm against your back and you found yourself leaning into him, resting your back against his chest.

He set the horse into a slow pace, pointing out various businesses and places all over the town. People waved to him as he passed and he waved back.

“You’re quite popular,” you teased.

“Nonsense,” he murmured, “They’re just friendly here.”

“I hope I’m well received,” you sighed.

“I’m sure you will be, lass,” he whispered in your ear.

His voice sent a shiver down your spine in a way you’d never felt before. As you closed your eyes, you pictured what it would be like to have him whisper sweet nothings to you in the dark of your bedroom. His hands were warm around yours as he held onto the reins. They were large and calloused. You couldn’t help but imagine what they would feel like against your skin, fingers splayed as they trailed up your sides.

Reluctantly, you opened your eyes, severing your connection to your daydream. You couldn’t be thinking like this. Not now. 

“Take me to the palace, please,” you said with a sad smile.

“Of course,” Ben replied, but you thought there was a slight twinge of disappointment in his voice.

The rest of the ride was silent. He put you down in front of the palace steps. Each step up them put more and more distance between the two of you in more ways than just physically. With every step, you tried to wall up your heart to protect you. You didn’t dare to say goodbye for fear of not being able to let go. You felt foolish, loving a man so easily and so quickly, but it felt like you’d know him for years, not mere days.

You placed your hand on the door, fingers spread and pushed it in to enter a grand hall. A woman quickly flitted over to you, giving you a hard appraisal.

“I’m sorry, but the King isn’t seeing to the townspeople today.”

“Oh, I’m not....” you trailed off, trying to think of the best way to explain yourself as the woman raised an eyebrow at you. “I’m the King’s betrothed. My carriage was attacked and I had to walk the rest of the way here.” You dug out the necklace that the King had sent you as a gift and showed it to her.

Her eyes lit up in recognition and she curtseyed, “Of course, your highness. My apologies. My name is Padmé Amidala. I serve as an advisor to the King. Please, allow me to show you to your rooms.”

“May I not see the King first?” you asked. “I’ve traveled all this way.”

“Wouldn’t you like to make yourself look....presentable first?” 

You looked down and took in your appearance. “I suppose I ought to.”

Padmé nodded and led you towards your rooms. They were grand rooms, richly furnished with all the finest pieces and fabrics. Yet, they lacked the warmth and familiarity of yours back home.

Servants came to draw a bath for you. Once it was full, you dismissed them and sunk into the tub. It’s nice to bathe in warm water again, you thought as you leaned your head against the rim of the tub. 

Your eyes cast a critical glance back and forth as you took in your surroundings. As nice as the rooms were, part of you wondered if it were only a temporary arrangement. After all, you’d have to move into the King’s room eventually once you were married.

Quickly, you sunk below the water at the thought. Sharing a room with another person? Hell, sharing a room with a man? The thought was overwhelming.

When you broke back through the surface, you noticed that the sun was starting to set. It was then that you realized just how much time you had spent with Ben around town. It had gone by in the blink of an eye.

Your fingers started to wrinkle from the water and you decided to emerge from the tub. Wrapping a robe around you, you padded back towards your bedroom to find Padmé waiting for you.

“Your highness, we must take some measurements for your wedding dress,” she informed you as a group of handmaidens swarmed into the room. 

You were guided up onto a pedestal and turned this way and that as they draped a gown around you, pinning and stitching things in place. 

“How soon will this be finished?” you asked.

“Don’t fret, your highness, I’ll have the dress finished in time for your nuptials tomorrow,” the seamstress said as she packed up her things.

“Tomorrow?” you asked incredulously. It was so much sooner than you thought.

“Of course,” Padmé smiled, “The King will want to marry you at sunset tomorrow, as is tradition.”

“Isn’t that... quite soon?” you asked.

“You’ve known each other for years, have you not?”

“Well,” you sighed as you pulled your robe back on. “May I at least speak with the King first?”

“I’m afraid not, your highness,” she said with a sad smile, “His majesty is in a meeting with the war council tonight. It’s to go over plans for reinforcing your father’s troops. I don’t think he’ll be out any time soon.”

“I see,” you said, a frown of disappointment apparent on your face. “I’d like to enjoy dinner in my room tonight, Padmé. There’s no sense in eating in the dining room if I am to be eating alone.”

“Of course, your highness,” Padmé nodded, ushering everyone out the door. She paused in the doorway before turning back to you. “If it helps at all, your highness, please know that his majesty is a kind man. He is just as nervous about this as you, but I can promise you that everything he will ever do is to protect you. When you were late in arriving.... well, I have never seen him more distraught. I was sure he’d scour the kingdom just to find you.”

“I see,” you murmured, looking out the window at the vast kingdom. “Thank you, Padmé.”

She left without another word.

When dinner arrived, you hadn’t realized how hungry you were, but then you remembered that you hadn’t eaten since the tavern fiasco. Regardless of whether or not it actually was the best meal you’ve eaten, your hunger made it so. 

By the time you’d finished eating, the sky had turned into the indigo depths of a lightless ocean. You settled on the window seat and opened the window to feel the chill night air on your face. Your farmer was out there somewhere, with his eyes like the sky in the morning when you have a whole day ahead of you, bright and nary a cloud in the sky. As you closed your eyes, you pictured his face, his strong jaw, his beard as it brushed the shell of your ear during the tour of the kingdom, his strong arms as they wrapped around you. Never had you felt more safe. 

You fell asleep on the bench, dreaming of your farmer. It wasn’t until much later that you woke up to a pair of arms carrying you to bed.

Fluttering your eyelids, you noticed a shadow holding you. Your first instinct was to push back as you gasped in fear.

“Shhhhh, lass,” a man murmured as he tucked you into the covers. “Are you scared?” He gently smoothed your hair out of your face, “Don’t be. I’ll protect you from today onwards. Always.”

In your heart, you believed him. You couldn’t make out any of his features as he retreated towards the hall, but when he opened the door, the candlelight reflected off the crown on his head. By then, you could barely keep your eyes open and let yourself succumb to sleep.

Padmé let you sleep in the next morning, having guessed that you had been through quite the ordeal and were thoroughly exhausted. When they finally woke you up, it was around noon and they started to get you ready for your wedding.

It was all a blur as you felt your nerves begin to rise, settling into your chest like a weight. You couldn’t eat, instead just allowing yourself to be taken over by the process and trusting your new handmaidens and Padmé completely.

Soon, you found yourself at the chapel as the afternoon sun started to set, swathing you in colorful light from the stained glass. Your hand came up to squeeze your pendant in your hand, wishing that your father could have been there. Ahead of you stood a man with his back towards you, a crown nestled in his auburn hair. Part of you wondered if you could really go through with this, but then you remembered that this was for the good of the kingdom. Your life was never just yours. You lived for your people, and what your people needed was for you to solidify this alliance. For your own sake, you hoped that love would come later, once Ben was long forgotten. If you could ever manage that.

You walked with a measured gait towards the front of the chapel, coming to rest next to the man that would be your husband. Your heart was thumping in your chest, but then he turned to you and time stopped.

He watched with a smile as your eyes widened and your mouth parted slightly. He was so very handsome. His beard looked incredibly soft. His eyes were a brilliant blue and you were certain that you’d drown in them someday. He was your farmer, and here he was holding his hand out for you to take.

“I don’t understand,” you murmured as you took his hand.

“When you didn’t show up as expected, I had to go searching for you. We traveled the main road and found your carriage. Then, Anakin and I broke off to find you,” he explained.

“But I thought-”

“That I was a farmer,” he grinned, “I couldn’t put a target on my back when there was already one on yours. Traveling the way we did was better for all involved.”

“You could’ve told me,” you replied, squeezing his hand.

“I hadn’t seen you in years. I wanted to know you just as you are, and for you to know me in the same regard,” he replied, kissing your hand.

“And the name Ben?” you asked.

“A nickname from an old friend who lives in a cloister,” he explained.

“I love you,” you told him earnestly.

His hand came up to cup your cheek, “I love you, too, lass.”

The bishop cleared his throat in front of you and you both shared a wide grin before turning back towards him to finish the proceedings.

For the entire ceremony, you were thinking of the man standing next to you and how you knew that no matter what, everything would be alright. You recited your vows, exchanged your rings, and turned back towards each other.

“I now pronounce you man and wife. Your majesty, you may kiss your bride,” the bishop grinned.

Obi-Wan’s eyes trailed down your face towards your lips as his arm wrapped around your waist to pull you close. His other hand came up to tilt your face towards his. Gently, he stroked his thumb across your cheek. 

You swallowed the lump in your throat as you settled your hands on his chest. 

He leaned down to kiss you, pressing his lips against yours. To your surprise, he dipped you back, causing you to chuckle against his lips as he straightened the two of you out. Then, he scooped you up and carried you towards your castle so that you could live happily ever after.  

[figitorynonsense]

fr omg and holy crap astra. if she really wanted to she could give herself a second dragon form. a werewolf form a manticore form whatever she feels like she needs HELL she can give herself foresight for all i know and indeed with the powerhouse thing cause she could easily work as most support and offense roles that the others could easily fill in

from what i know if the sharp gang was violent they have virtually every advantage in combat

speed: mara, heath, kate (these three seem to be a common name), astra, and virtually everyone

agility: vasilia, astra, and once again mara and kate and mostly everyone since theyre pretty well trained (and alexis too, controlling boulders is a feat yknowj

defense: ana's phasing, sterling's steel, alexis's durability, mara and heath, kate's simply lack of care for pain,

weapons: champagne, benny, sterling's flames and steel, alexis's rocks. dresden's skin, mara's shifting demon matter, heath's electricity, vasilia's werejaguar claws, astra's freAKING DRAGON FORM, scythe (skinner's symbiote), and charlie

(battle) IQ: benny, champagne, tayrun. charlie, vasilia, kate, alexis, sterling, once again virtually everyone

and how do they fare against superpowers?

Fire resistance? no problem get wacked with steel

durability? you cant possibly handle a couple dozen demon storm smashes

air manipulation? youre making this too easy for a DRAGON

fire manipulation? snuffed put with ROCKS

water manipulation? we have a fish person

just re-watched this episode

[bottlecaprabbitgames]

So, with all this talk of pokemon... What kind of pokemon trainers would the ROs from TIT be? Like they favorite type of pokemon, are they a traveling trainer or local? Gym leader? Team Rocket? Etc.

Hmmm... I'll answer this with MG too for funsies

TIT:

Zed: Fav is probably dark and fighting types, with his partner being an Umbreon and his second fav being a Lucario. He's definitely a traveling trainer, very likely someone who also puts a lot of his earnings into Pokemon rehabilitation centers!

Astra: Astras fav types are Ice and Fairy, with her partner being a Froslass! She's very likely one of the strongest Gym Leaders in a region OR one of the Elite Four.

Seth: Seths fav types are probably Dragon and Water. His partner is a Hydreigon and he's definitely a hard-to-find trainer who lives well away from society that you find and has special knowledge about Dragons, Water Pokemon, and Pokemon history.

Cal: Cal does not have a fav type and is eclectic in taste. Their partner is a Dratini they won after betting some commission money to get enough to buy one! They are a traveling trainer who challenges Gym Leaders all over the world.

Azeri Ren: Azeri Rens favorite types are Ghost, Psychic, and Poison. Her partner is a rather insidious Malamar and she's probably one of the brightest minds in a criminal organization working for the "betterment of humanity and Pokemons futures".

MG:

Adontis: Adontis's favorite type is probably Flying! He has a partnered Pidgeot and is a casual trainer who explores the world to learn more about Pokemon and is actually probably a Professor who hasn't set down roots yet!

Blake: Blakes fav types are probably Fire, Electric, and Rock. His partner is a Golem who he found as a Geodude he accidentally stepped on. He's likely in a Biker gang somewhere in the Pokemon world.

Fawn: Fawns favorite types are Psychic, Poison, Ghost, and Dark. Her partner is a Bannet, and she's likely a Gym Leader or someone who cares for a Pokemon burial ground.

Freja: Frejas favorite types are Water, Ice, Flying, and Grass. Her partner is a Walrein she's used to win multiple competitions world-wide, and is a big competition/contest star. She was once a Gym Leader who then became an Elite Four member and eventually a Champion for a while until she grew tired of seeing the disappointment on people's faces when she bested them.

Loche: Loche's favorite types are probably Dark, Normal, and Steel. Their partner is a Liepard. They tend to be a local trainer who runs a rehabilitation center for Pokemon!

Iri: Iri lacks a favorite type like Cal. Their partner is a rather rambunctious Ludicolo and Iri spends their time as a traveling Champion trying to help stamp out the remnants of criminal organizations that threaten the world alongside the Looker.

This was super fun to answer!!!

[sailing-elitsha]

Carrebeean, Here we are!!!

As I said before: 5783 nautical miles we sailed towards this little paradise where we are still on quarantine anchorage. Waiting on the PCR result is always making me a bit nervous, especially this time. If we are tested negative, we have the chance here in Grenada to get the AstraZeneca vaccines and we will travel much freer than we do now.

But no boredom: a little leak in the hand wash basin, try to clean the mud off ELITSHA, friends and family to speak to, small other repairs, taking the lead in UBUNTU again since we have full and unlimited internet on board, planning and booking Zora’s and Su’s tickets towards us, baking bread again and of course swimming and snorkelling.

 But let me talk first a little bit about Suriname and our short sail to Grenada. Suriname was for a long time a Dutch colony. Since 1975, this country is the smallest independent state in South America. The previous president unfortunately abused his power and all the resources the beautiful country has, for example gold, aluminium, oil, bananas got exported unwisely and the profit went into the presidents and his friend’s pockets. That is what Surinamers were telling us. In the meantime, there is a new president, but there is Corona as well. The ECO tourism, Suriname was good and well known for, stands still and the country is in a bad state and shape. At the banks of the Suriname river, entering Suriname, you see big and then I mean really big villas. According to the locals they belong to friends of the former president and to drug lords. A very familiar story to us South Africans. The Netherlands is still involved and helps where they can, but a few days after we left Suriname they closed the country: total lockdown. Just above 500 000 people live in Suriname and most of them in and close to Paramaribo. People are currently getting infected and dying in huge numbers from Corona: not enough hospital beds, not enough vaccinations, not enough oxygen……… not enough doctors and nurses. Their rainy season is terrible this year due to the ELNino effect and its really tuff for the poor population. After a good week in the Marina and a road trip through the rural part of the country to a big dam where people are searching for gold, visiting banana plantations, visiting Paramaribo with a lot of rain we said goodbye to the populated part of Suriname together with Elitsha and we sailed into the Commewijne river. This was so romantic and special. The jaguars, caiman and anacondas were too scared of us, hahahahha. We did not see them, but we heard and enjoyed the voices of the jungle, saw and heard millions of birds, parrots and all kind of other noises. It was magical.  Three days we were totally one with nature, did not see any human being, together with Elitsha.

Coming back from Commewijne river was coming back to happy reggae life. Looking for a spot ashore to get our dingy on board for the trip to Grenada, a fisher of New Amsterdam waved us to come next to his fisher boat. Loud reggae music and a very friendly crew invited us for coffee, tea and biscuits……….and dagga and rum………..Unfortunately, we had to say thank you no (dagga and rum out of question, of course). The threat of getting infected just before we go back to sea again for a couple of days made us kindly refusing the offer. Even though we chatted a while with them and they helped us to get the dingy motor on board. And that’s how Surinamers are, chatty, always happy to assist and help, curious and interested about who you are. As I mentioned before people told us in advanced, that coming to South or Central America or the Caribbean with a South African flag would ask for problems. That was one of the reasons why we registered Elitsha in Germany. But we always say that we are from Cape Town, we don’t hide that and up to now we had no bad experiences. People are impressed that we come from that far to visit their small country and want to know if we like it. They loved the fact that we speak Dutch, because Dutch is still the first language in Suriname. Anyway, after chatting to the fishermen, we tied everything nicely, slept a short night and left New Amsterdam and Suriname at 6 am on the 25th of May.

Aware of the thread of Venezuelan pirates (Surinamers and NOON site (cruiser website) informed us about it), we sailed at a safe distance from the coast. Even though we choose to pass trough the Galleon’s passage between Trinidad and Tobago, but we choose to pass it close to the Tobago side,  away of the Venezuelan coast. On our way we saw a fair number of oil platforms, huge ones, with huge flames, we could see from far. This was also a bit spooky. We had 35 to 40 knots of wind and a good speed to leave the oil area and the Galleon’s passage behind us. I think, pirates do not like rain. We had tons of rain and no pirates though……..although: Dick told me later, that 40 miles out of both coasts, the Grenadian and the Tobagonian, a fast open boat with 3 men in it sped past us. We think they were checking us out, how rich we are. The stretch between Tobago and Grenada apparently is also declared as an unsafe area. That is what we heard later when we arrived in Grenada. Our neigor, Steve, always has a gun with him. Happily, with enough wind and a strong currant we passed Tobago at 4:30 in the morning and arrived safely in Grenada at 17:00 on the 28th of May.

Close to the harbour at the quarantine anchorage we spoke to our South African friends of the Aventura, a young couple with 2 dogs and his parents on their way to emigrate to Panama. We saw them in every harbour we visited up to now. They left Suriname a few days earlier then we did. They craved for blue water and thought jaguar, caiman and anaconda would perhaps love their dogs too much. In any way, nice to see them again. They explained the Grenadian procedures to us and on Saturday we went ashore to register with the health department. We inhaled the positive and relaxed Grenadian vibe immediately: steel drum music from the taverns, people on the streets, Corona is almost dealt with.

And in the meantime, 1 week in St George, we are declared negative and are allowed to explore the island. Paul, a registered tour guide grabbed his chance. Slandering around the harbour he almost forced us to have a tour with him.  The cruise ships are missed by restaurants, tour guides…not by us. Paul told us, that they on “good” days had 6000 tourists from cruise ships ashore. Dick and I were quite happy to escape these “good“ days. Pity for Paul, that’s why we went with him on a long trip through St. George at noon and let him earn some ECDs.  Hot and up and down, I was exhausted at the end. We didn’t walk much for the last 2 months at least..

Grenada is the spice island: nutmeg, gloves, cinnamon, and other spices grow here. They have a golden waterfall and many more attractions. We will explore them all and share with you. For now, we experienced the spicy side of the island by drinking shandies with nutmeg, eating ice cream with nutmeg and gloves and some other weird things you would think its really ugg, but in reality it’s absolutely amazing.

We are registered for Astra Zeneca vaccination and yes, we are in a marina with a nice club house and WIFI and not on anchorage or at a mooring buoy. For the first time in almost 3 months, I am able to go and stay where I want on my own. For somebody like me, who likes her independence, its heaven. Opposite of our little paradise, there is another marina, posh and expensive and not really our style. Elitsha, would feel a bit lonely between all the posh-million dollar-yachts. I don’t know, if I mentioned before, that a lot of other cruisers, have fancy and well-equipped boats with freezers, bread baking automates, washing machine, water cooker……. you name it. Our only luxury is a fridge, a BBQ and a good stove with oven, cosy and exactly what we need no more and no less. Anyway, Elitsha got a good clean-up. Sticky, a local guy, Dick and I made her looking pretty again. The water of the Suriname river was dirty through mud and chemicals, they use for the gold extraction industry, we learned. And this was very difficult to get off the hull-0987654Qasdfuiop[.

My home office is in the marina’s clubhouse, with more than brilliant views!          Unfortunately, UBUNTU for Africa’s operations manager, who took over financials and admin of the NGO from me, resigned a few days ago. That’s why I am back on the job and working every day for an hour or 3. Alene Edson Smith, local social worker, who was already involved in the family program and took over my job at Kronendal Primary, is doing the hands-on jobs, where you have to be involved personally onsite, like team meetings, meetings with principals etc. For now, we won’t have stretches which will take more than 3 days and we have internet and WIFI. No problem to work though. I love my work as much as I love cruising. To combine both is absolutely great.

For the rest the NGO is in good hands, with our after-care team, Barbara Heye, who is mentor to a single mother with 3 kids. And as I mentioned before Alene Edson Smith, well known in the valley through her involvement through her own NGO, Serenity, took over the reins at Kronendal Primary from me and is mentor to 5 families in our NGO. We share the lead of UBUNTU for Africa. What I can do, I will do, where personal presence is needed, Alene will be hands on. She will lead the sound and music studio, which will release their first CD soon. Lelo managed to get 2 new volunteers into this project, for marimba and music production. Ricardo will remain taking the lead on Silikamva side and Alene will have a firm look and hand on the project.

After care is just running. Andiswa and her team also get support from Alene. But this team of 5 is just doing what they can do best: love our children and supervise, support, teach them and make sure that they are safe.  

 Questions for the kids:

1.       How many kilometres did we sail from Cape Town to Grenada?

2.       Which language do the people speak in Suriname?

3.       What kind of currency do we used in Suriname and which one in         Grenada?

4.       Please explain, what the modern pirates of the Caribbean are up to.

5.       What is the name of the small entrance to the Caribbean between Trinidad and Tobago?

 Sponsor sail:

For the ones who want to take part in our sponsor sail: We have sailed 1812 nautical miles. You can donate a cent, a Rand, a Euro or whatever per nautical mile. We are sailing for these amazing schools: every nautical mile and each Rand counts. To UBUNTU for Africa,German  NGO.                                                                                                                                                                   

The money will go to the UBUNTU for Africa projects: after care at Hout Bay Primary School and the music project at Silikamva High School. This organisation I started 12 years ago (www.ubuntuforafrica.com) Of course, you will receive a tax certificate. 

Ubuntu for Africa-Kinder-, Jugend und Familienhilfe in Südafrika                         

Volksbank Boenen e G                                                                                           

IBAN: DE91 4106 2215 0054 5799 01                                                                  

For South Africans and others, who want to donate directly to South Africa (also with tax certificate): please donate to Kronendal Primary School (www.kronendalprimary.com). I worked for 10 years at Kronendal Primary as a school counsellor. This school struggles financially due to the consequences of the Covid Pandemic and deserves our support.                                                   

KRONENDAL PRIMARY SCHOOL trading as CUIM (“the account holder”) holds the following account with                                                                                       

First National Bank, a division of FirstRand Bank Limited (“FNB”): Account Type BUSINESS ACCOUNT

Account Number 53452884035                                           

Branch Code 204009                                                                                         

Branch Name HOUT BAY 345                                                                               

Swift Code FIRNZAJJ                                                                            

[orkzrul3]

nasha's journal #1

Today is going to be good I think it's been A little under three years since I have set off on my own Venturing from settlement to settlement. As of currently I'm staying in the step right inn Located in the Port City of Briar Glen. I was feeling a little tired today as I could not sleep great the night before .So for my workout today I only did 100 push-ups 100 sit-ups and 100 squats Instead of my regular 250 Of each.

Then I went downstairs And had breakfast 12 pancakes with all the usual dressings like always. After a hearty meal I usually like to Take a walk down by the pier and look at all the passing ships. After a time I had decided to go down to the shopping district And Look at the plate Armor on display in the blacksmith It is polished to a mirror shine and I can see my orcish features in the steel. Steel so well Smithed that nary Bastard Sword or arrow and all of the land of Azrael Could Pierce its exterior

But alas 1500 gold pieces is far too Expensive. I'd wager to bet if I were the best adventurer in In the city It would take me an entire year so that kind of coin. Just as that thought crossed my mind I had realized that I was getting hungry. So I had decided to stop back in to where I was staying to eat lunch They they were serving mutton so I Ordered the largest Leg They had.

After that it was around 3 p.m. so I had Decided to Go up to my room And pray for Thor's blessing. After that it was about 3:30 And My throat was getting dry So I had decided to go downstairs and quench my thirst at The bar. It was Quite busy at the inn People were bustling about enjoying late lunches and early dinners; I walked up to the bartender a man by the name of Gregory And requested the strongest drink he had.

And for any Tips on where I could find Work he kindly directed me to the job board across the room from the bar.

Just then An Athletically built Elven woman had walked Up to the bar and I ordered a cold glass of water She then proceeded to drink it like a shot. I said I “Wow...I like your style ,my name is Nasha What is yours?” She said her name was Astra And explained that she was also a woman of the cloth Who worshiped Helm

Just then we Had both noticed a rabbit Folk Who seemed to be very hyperactively Hopping around the Inn bothering many of the patrons. Just then I approached her which Seemed to make her nervous. Although she was very interested in my Winged helm. Which I was gifted by The clergy of my temple When I had set off on my adventure. In addition to my Warhammer Which I had learned that I had a natural ability with from an early age. She was Wielding a Quarterstaff And as she was presenting it a sharp blade of ice formed at one end And I stepped back a little bit in Surprise.

All three Of us had seen a job posted by the golden Covenant which entailed going to the town of Farwater A small fishing Village Which Had been experiencing Bandit attacks for one reason or another and doing away with said Ne'er-do-wells.

Just then the guild leader of the golden Covenant Walked into The very same inn that We were staying at her name was Hollan A stunningly tall and Incredibly muscular Breathtakingly beautiful half-orc Woman Adorned in shiny golden plate armor. And Tado had the Brilliant idea Of bothering her while she was enjoying a drink at the bar. I quickly stopped this and Barely manage to get out a very shaky apology.

Hollan asked If we were interested in the job I said yes again Very shakily My voice trembling with every word. That feeling was a very strange mix of desire and intimidation Something which I had never Felt before. I decided it would be preferable to Hide myself behind Astra To save myself at least a tiny bit of embarrassment and leave with A shred of my dignity intact.

And so we Headed out And Took a wagon provided by the golden covenant about a day and a half during which time we made light conversation and got to know each other eventually made it to The town of farwater proper. As soon as we did however we were accosted by a Duo of Bandits Although Astra punched one of them out and I had scared the other one off.

When we got there The streets were completely empty the marketplace that was usually bustling with activity was Barron and cold breeze blew in and took a tumble weed with it which is weird because We are nowhere near The Crimson desert.

All three of us had decided to take different routes Astra had decided to shout And call out for a residents. Tado Had thought it wise to Go from house to house wrapping on every door. As for me I decided It might be a wise idea to Check out the town hall.

As I proceed very cautiously I saw a small face peeking out of one of the windows Just Then tado Thought it might be a good idea to Ram The door full speed with her staff Although she stopped short and the door opened to reveal a Halfling Woman by the name of Vaora Hillbough Who was the mayor of the town.

Her voice was shaky and she was reluctant to give us information she said that Bandits were Ram sacking The Village and they must have been looking for something in one of the shipments but she Did not have the foggiest idea of what. We explained we were with the golden Covenant and she opened up almost immediately she said that the bandits were holed up in a cave a little ways from town And that we should head there if we wanted to put a stop to them Vaora Said that anything we needed they'd be happy to give us. Tado asked if there was any candy the closest thing this town had was fish on a stick tado being Vegetarian of course turned It down Although Astra and I, Took two of them out of politeness.

As soon as I took a bite though I threw up a little bit in my mouth Although our elf companion seemed to be enjoying hers and asked if I was going to finish mine I handed it to her and then we set off.

Singing old folk songs about Dungeons And the dragons that could sometimes be found inside of them as we walked. Just As we had finished singing the one about how scary the Demogorgon is we made it to farwater cave. We hear faint voices from inside Astra almost announces our presence but before she can I put my hand in front of her mouth and put a stop to it. And then Tado as an actually brilliant idea And she stomps her foot faster and louder than I have seen anything of her kind do before so it was so loud in fact that it created a thunderous boom which bounced through the Narrow Chamber Of The Cave entrance and took out at least three of the bandits.

Before I enter the cave I also have a moderately smart idea The pendant around my neck begins to Glow and a thick sphere of fog emanates from it. as all three of us cautiously enter we are then confronted by An additional Trio of Marauders. Several events happen in quick succession first Tado Used her druidic magic to freeze the water in the Mist into ice freezing the criminals in place. Secondly Astra used Powerful fists to a dispatch one of them in a singular blow

Sensing what was about to happen the evil-doers tempted to free themselves from their icy prison but were unsuccessful.

Thirdly I Bashed Brains using my beautiful boisterous Wonderful Warhammer. And Finally Tado cast ice knife As these Blades of cold and frost sunk in to the Flesh of this Bandit and then exploded outwards viscera flew everywhere and flecks of blood got in Todo's Soft brown fur and as I gazed into her eyes the only thing I witnessed was Pure unfiltered Delight.

As we move through the cave we heard sounds of Someone searching for something faster and faster Their motion is getting more and more frantic and panicked as the three of us moved closer. Hold up my shield as we Very deliberately move through An area with several bedrolls. We make it down another narrow passageway to the final chamber of farwater Cave.

What We find in this room is the Bandit chief she is a man very frantic in his mannerisms and action he looks incredibly focused on finding whatever he's trying to fight and I walk out to him and say "looking for something”? Understandably he gets quite frightened by my presence From there Astra Scoops him up and puts him under her arm key is thrashing and trying to escape very desperately I say listen either way can kill you right now or if you can tell us what's going on here and we can bring you back to the golden Covenant for Hollan to deal with. So he explains he's looking for an orb Some “kind of magic” he says He explains that She is worried that they are going to get his family also she would not explain who They were exactly.

Just then Astra finds that there is a secret compartment under one of the chests. she opens it To find an orb it Floats inside of container glows blue And Sparks a bit. Just then we hear the clatter of two sets of bony fish walking toward us two skeletons with evil grimaces and glowing green eyes Paralyzed us with some kind of poison darts Slaughtered the Bandit Chief In Cold Blood and make off with the orb.

So currently I am sitting paralyzed In between a very Punchy elf and a sort of bloodthirsty rabbit And I don't know where the rest of my day is going to go from here guess I'll find out soon enough.

[friendly-local-bardtender]

Bad metaphors about the sea

hey I wrote a thing for Life of the Party. Never actually posted anything I’ve written like this before now but I !!!! Love them so here’s a happy beach trip thing :)

It’s times like these that he likes the most. He wouldn’t say it out loud, it’s grossly sappy, and it’s not that he doesn’t like the action. The planning, the dramatic silences, even the fighting at times. But now, when they’re all calm and fed, it’s a reminder that they don’t stick together through the desperate times. He’s looking out over the beach, filled with strangers and his friends. Elyse and Sariel sitting just where the water meets the sand, talking quietly as the waves roll up over their legs. Elyse’s clothes are in a pile behind her, dry and safe, the beg he knows contains the arcane focus on top, while Sariel is still fully dressed. He would question it, but she doesn’t seem to mind. 

Boblem and Astra had walked straight to the far edge of the short pier, dropping their things there and jumping into the waves, laughing loudly as they swim circles before climbing up and jumping again. Jocelyn and Aerenthias followed soon after, starting a play fight in the water. His eyes dart over to them ever so often, but their heads and shoulders are always above the water. It looks like it’s shallow enough for them all to reach the bottom and stand securely, no current threatening to take them away here. But he still watches. 

He’s sitting on his own, his feet bare and the legs of his trousers rolled up to his knees, legs crossed beside one of the ladders leading up from the water to the solid wood beneath him. The pier is floating on the surface of the water, sturdy poles keeping it in place against the bottom of the shallow sea. He’s stripped out of his armor, leaving only the shirt and his mask. He thinks about how he’ll probably burn, but that’s fine. He’s alright here. Cassian had taken more care than the others, folding most of his clothes into a neat pile and dropping it beside Vanden without a word. He doesn’t like him long cassian stays under the surface, his own heart jumping into his throat whenever he sees that dark hair disappear. Once in a while he’ll pop up beside the pier to place a smooth rock or some shells on the edge, before kicking back again and just floating for a minute. 

He looks like the ocean itself. Vanden knows Cassian is as tumultuous as a storm at sea, as calm as the small waves crashing against the shoreline here, and as easily turned as the tide. But it doesn’t scare him like the water does. It’s infuriating, definitely, but not frightening. And when their eyes meet, he can’t help but to think about how dark hair falling over shoulders resemble waves, how gold henna is like the sun glinting against a still surface in the morning, and how he would follow those lips to the bottom of the sea. He shakes his head and makes sure his expression isn’t as dreamy as his heart has decided to be when Cassian walks toward him. 

“Not getting in, your highness?” It’s not really a question, because Cassian knows the answer. No, his expression says it’s a challenge, and Vanden isn’t rising to the bait. He’s standing about five feet away, water just about reaching his knees asd wet fabric clinging to his skin. The droplets falling from his hands and hair look like diamonds in the sunlight, creating little ripples on the surface when they break it. Vanden puts his hands on the edge of the wood, looking down at the water. It’s not still, too many moving bodies creating waves around, but it’s clear and shallow and doesn’t look threatening. He knows looks can be deceiving. 

His eyes focus on Cassian again, that bloody smirk on his face and he just can’t help it. He takes a deep breath to steel himself before unclossing his legs and swinging them over the edge, easing forward. The water is warm and welcoming, reaching his ankles. His calves. His knees. He���s standing on sand, and gritting his teeth he lets go of the pier. Cassian’s face is unreadable now, and he forces a smirk onto his own, taking small steps forward until they are standing nearly chest to chest. His is rising and falling quickly, while Cassian’s is as even and calm as the salty wind against their skin. His heart is fluttering like a desperate fin in his chest, and he has to clear his throat to be sure his voice won’t break when he speaks. “Stop calling me that.” The smile he gets is white and any seashell and he’s filled with such a rush of emotion when Cassian takes his hand that he thinks he might drown, even with his head far above water. He wants to laugh when he thinks that that might not be so bad.