#and re-read our RP from last spring

[alabyte]

«Promise me»

They knew what the chips were made for. And they knew something was wrong with Crosshair. AU, where Bad Batch were able to escape Kamino in full after Order 66, but the chip issue remained unresolved.

Word count: 1 683 Warnings: angst, implied character death, implied fratricide, severe emotional distress, Tix was trying to cope with S2 finale Together with @heksahela

The ruins of the old, abandoned base rattled with metal, creaked and howled with the damp whistle of the wind, bringing snow into the crevices of the corroded walls. The two sat in the darkness of the flimsy shelter.

— According to my preliminary calculations, we'll be in a more stable condition by the end of this rotation, which means we'll be able to get to the main facility. — Tech's voice sounded almost mundane, echoing off the metal walls and interrupting the crackling of the small fire. — We have to prepare, take the necessary resources and tools, but we'll have to go light. Until then, your helmet needs repairing.

The collapse in the sector they were exploring took them by surprise and forced them to change their mission plan on the fly. Hunter, Wrecker, Omega, and Echo, as those who had managed to get out without major injuries, went on a reconnaissance mission. In the snow, they were to find the entrance to the complex they had been unable to reach. And the two of them, injured and frozen, were left here to nurse their wounds. Dislocated joints, broken bones, bruises — at a time when the twins should have been more of a burden and a hindrance to the group, they had nothing to do but wait and replay thoughts that made them anxious, bitter, and almost nauseous. The cold and howling of the blizzard reminded them too much of Kaller.

To Tech's usual monotonous monologue about their plan for the future, the sniper just nodded a few times and stared blankly somewhere in front of him. He looked lost, not even thoughtful — as if he was lost in his own head, aimlessly twisting his helmet in his healthy, unstrapped hand and feeling its surface. There was an impact dent here, a few scratches and chipped paint there, and the visor dangled almost lifelessly somewhere in the mount. Crosshair doesn't immediately notice that his brother has offered (or insisted) on helping to fix it, but then, with some delay, he nods again and passes the helmet into the other man's hands. For a few seconds there is silence in their empty base. It was either embarrassing or oppressive.

— Tech.

One of them almost jerks when the silence is broken by Crosshair's voice. For all his taciturnity, it wasn't hard to notice when his silence became strained, almost tortured — especially considering there had been reasons for it in the last few rotations.

— I need you to promise me something.

Tech looked at his brother expectantly, studying and somewhat concerned, without lifting his head. So much so that he even stopped his repairs.

— I can't promise you anything, — the intelligent clone objected in his usual tone, though it was noticeable how the intonation had changed to a more ingratiating and cautious one, — Not until I know exactly what the request is.

Crosshair's choice of words was painful, difficult, unfamiliar to him. Normally he didn't have to search his own mind to find a clear and often witty answer, but now he needed every fiber of his being that wasn't occupied by the aching pain of the fracture and the swirling pack of thoughts that kept him busy. It was proving more difficult than he would have liked. It was noticeably alarming.

— If something goes wrong, — Sniper's voice was slightly hoarse, as if the words were sticking to the walls of his throat and getting stuck halfway down it. And so it happened — he stopped speaking halfway through, pressed his lips together and frowned, looking down at his feet. He had one last chance to turn this into a joke, to brush it off and pretend he was just worried about their new mission. But he wasn't even worried about going to the surface if they risked not coming back. From the first day he'd learned about the chips, he hadn't been able to escape the idea that he was a wild animal with a faulty shock collar — that he was a danger not so much to himself as to everyone around him.

In general, he didn't care about almost anyone around him. But the thought of any incident affecting his brothers — his family — was devastating. It made him want to bury himself in the snow and never come out.

— Do what needs to be done. — Sniper finally finished his sentence and lifted his gaze to his brother — hard, serious, almost pleading. There was not a shadow of the usual sneer, not a hint of sarcasm or joke to be seen. — Everything that must be done to protect the others.

He rubbed one temple with his fingers, pensive and tense, as if trying to feel the damn chip through his skin, skull and brain membranes. His head hurt more than ever after the crash. He wanted to believe it was a concussion.

— Please.

Tech didn't answer right away. He stared silently into Crosshair's eyes, trying to see a shadow of sarcasm there, or at least his usual sneer. Nothing, just the realization that there was a time bomb in his head and every second could be the last time he would make his own decisions. They had reason to believe that something was wrong. They both realized that.

— I… — He started to speak, but stumbled over his own words, leaving them unspoken. Clone closed his eyes and bowed his head, adjusting his glasses. — I understand why you ask, but I don't agree. We'll take care of the chips. I promise. But I… — It took him a moment to find the right words.

A long time ago, when they were still cadets, Tech had suggested that the squad develop internal protocols for various situations. At first these were situations they had encountered as cadets, then these protocols, which they eventually called plans, evolved into their missions, which they had successfully completed time and time again. They used many plans and solutions that only they understood, but there were also those, just a few, that they hoped never to have to use.

And now, without speaking directly, Crosshair was asking him, in case he lost control, to turn to something that none of the squad ever wanted to think about. And to be honest, they didn't have a plan for situations like this, because none of them had even considered the possibility of such events.

— I'll do my best, Crosshair.

The sniper could only wipe his face with his fingers, shaking his head slightly. As much as he wanted to deny it, there was no one else Crosshair could ask. He trusted them all. But he trusted Tech more than anyone, knowing that he wouldn't put fear of loss before saving his brothers.

— Tech, — The words about how they were sure to handle everything made him want to chuckle ironically. It was a necessary self-deception, but so irrational that he couldn't even believe it was Tech who had uttered that line of reasoning, — We're not going to be able to figure it out. We're stuck here.

The truth was bitter but factual. They were stuck on a snowy planet in the ruins of an abandoned base, on the run from the Empire, with almost no supplies and no place to go in this galaxy, and in the mind of at least one of them was a ticking time bomb counting down the rotations, hours, or even minutes until a switch flipped. The switch that would determine whether Crosshair or CT-9904 was with them. Tech fixes his gaze on the osprey mechanism of his brother's helmet, trying to hide in repair from the brutal truth.

— I know you can find a way out of almost any trap, — Sniper shakes his head slightly, nervously fingering the cloth that held his broken forearm around his neck with the fingers of his healthy hand, — but there may be no way out of this one. It's a dead end. We don't know if we have time.

He could trust Tech. He knew he would put the team ahead of emotions or sentimental attachments - even if it had to be done the hard way. Even if it cost someone's life.

— It won't be me anymore anyway, — Cross exhaled, lowering his gaze to the frozen metal floor, — There's no point in feeling sorry for him.

Every second of silence echoed in Tech's mind. They were both silent for as long as it took each of them to find the words to tell the other more in thought than they could say out loud.

Tech couldn't maintain eye contact for long and eventually turned back to Cross' helmet. He disassembled the visor, perhaps held in place only by the Force, repaired it, adjusted it, and put it back on, replacing the mount with a suitable part he had found earlier. He checked the settings once more with the datapad, and only when he was sure that everything was working properly did he hand the helmet back to the sniper with a brief nod. In that nod, a perfectly tiny and imperceptible gesture, was the gravity of acceptance. He had been trusted, and the price of that trust was that he would kill someone who had been at his side all his life, since his earliest days, if circumstances demanded it.

If it's best for everyone. If it suddenly turns out that death for his brother would be a more humane release than being locked in his own head while the blood of his own family is spilled by his own hands.

Crosshair picks up his helmet in silence. Until the others return, the whistling of the blizzard is the only sound that breaks the silence of the shelter, and the sniper utters only one thing:

— Thank you.

It echoes like a blaster shot in the snowy desert at the forgotten compound. It leaves bloody streaks in the snow, scarlet furrows and a scattering of droplets. It remains the last thing Tech ever hears from someone who was once his brother.

The barely audible «thank you» became the unbearable cost of a promise he had to keep.

______________________________________________________________

I thought it was going to be a couple line note BUT WHATEVER. @clownery-and-fuckery you thought I was bluffing? I wasn't. That's our ultimate Fuck-up AU.

[the-mandawhor1an]

6 months later...

TLDR: it's Zaddy's and my RP 'anniversary'; artworks; Wolke being emotional about her Tumblr experience; and a fluffy one shot/drabble at the end of the WAY TOO LONG POST

I've alluded to it before, I've commissioned some artwork of the two lovebirbs and they just so happened to get finished this week. Huge thanks to @kenobiwanx for making the two come alive 😭 I can NOT stop staring at them.

LOOK AT THEM 😭😭😭

Yes these are spoilers for upcoming events but I just 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

@zaddymandalorian Überraschung!

Back to the actual point *wipes tears off her face*

Let's set the scene...

My dearest Zaddy and I reconnected in November of 2023 as I had been on a work trip at that time and I needed someone to talk to. We'd been talking on and off for the last months, mostly smalltalk and sometimes me complaining about stuff. Worth mentioning is also that I sent her my Maia fanfic back in June. First person to read it besides myself. I've known Zaddy since spring of 2016 ish (which also means I've known her longer than my husband – fun fact) so I felt comfortable with her reading my extremely self-indulgent shit. Everyone needs friends like that ♥

We mused about the roleplays we lost to forum admins being ruthless in their inactive-thread-deletion efforts every 4 months. We had barely started a Witcher RP and I'm sure it would've been awesome if we had continued. We literally stopped 7 ish posts in so nothing had happened really. – Why was it inactive? Well I took a 14 month roleplay hiatus due to me being chronically fatigued. The joys of working a stressful job and being severly anemic. Oops.

I tested the waters and made an offhand comment about maybe giving in and asking her to plot something with me.

This is a very convincing re-enactment of what happened: (translated because we're German potaters)

Well... and that's when the fun began

I, being a total Pedro fangirlie, asked if we wanted to just take the synopsis of my fic and run with that. She agreed, I was happy, she was happy.

So it's been 6 months.

OH. MY. GOD.

I did not think I had it in me to be consistently posting daily for 6 months. We've laughed, we've cried, we've lost sleep over it. We've grinned into our phone screens like maniacs at work and luckily no one asked

And now, 260k words later, I'm still in love with the babies. In fact I'd say I love the little blorbs even more now. Maia has a face, she has outfits (multiple!) she has a family and a story (that's only about 1/3 written so whew we might make it to a million)

Of course I also love Zaddy very much (and I will keep lovebombing your ass, bitch 🖤💜)

You know what, fuck it, I'm mentioning more people. Buckle up! Wolke spreads some love!

@immarocketman for being the first person on Tumblr that I kind of clicked with because we share a love for Pedro and the color purple 💜

@roughdaysandart for 1) allowing me insight in her creative process making a Fanfic comic and b) doodling Maia basically as soon as she made an appearance in text form 💜

The moots: @thefrogdalorian @djarins-cyare @djarins-wife @pedroswife69 for interacting with me, commenting on my posts and being real cute in general 💜

Everyone that ever interacted with me on here has been nothing but friendly, I feel extremely welcome over here. Everyone who liked/reblogged or commented on my posts, thank you so much. 💕💕💕💕💕💕

Now that the sappy whining is over, who wants to read something actually interesting?

In spirit of me being overbearingly loving, I've typed up a bit of fluff from the lovesick fools™ of Clan Mudhorn. Unbeta'd.

It was early in the morning, the sun barely over the horizon and engulfing the room in warm orange light, when Din awoke, a soft and warm body nestled into his side. She let out the softest little hum when he buried his face in her hair, wrapping his arms around her to hold her close.

"Sleep," he purred into her hair, placing a kiss on her forehead when her face turned towards him. Again, with a quiet hum, she buried her face in the crook of his neck. "How am I supposed to sleep when my husband has his hands all over me?"

"I'm sorry," he apologized and gently stroked her hair. "Why are you awake anyway?" she asked, finally raising her head so her sleepy, green eyes looked into his. "Hey mesh'la," he greeted her with a smile, placing a gentle kiss on her lips. "I don't know. I guess the sun woke me up, it's too bright in here." He sighed. "I miss the hut on Nevarro, it was always dark in there." "Come on, it's not that bad here. We needed more space anyway."

She pulled away from him, rolling over so she was on her stomach, hugging the pillow underneath her to get a better look at her everything. "Is the sun too strong, my warrior king?" a grin crept onto her lips as her eyes blinked slowly. Clearly this was way too early for her liking. To be fair, last night went on for longer than anticipated. "Are the little troublemakers awake yet?" She raised her head and turned to face the door. For now it seemed peaceful and quiet in the adjacent rooms.

Knowing well she would rise from the bed to check if he didn't stop her, Din hoisted himself over her body, practically pressing her into the mattress with his body weight. "You're not getting up to check on the kids now, cyar'ika," he muttered, peppering kisses along her shoulder. A chuckle escaped her lips as she rotated her head so she could see him in her peripheral.

She was so glad the mattress was soft enough to just give in under the weight, forming a perfectly human-shaped dent to make way for her body. "Whatever you say, great Mand'alor." For just a second she could feel him grind his pelvis into her butt.

He kept on pressing kisses on her neck, her shoulders, slowly crawling down her spine, kissing every little scar he found on his descent. "You really have to stop saying it like that." "Like what?" "With the bedroom-voice." He stopped to crawl back up to her head and leaned forward, giving her the chance to look into his face. His eyes were darkened, one of his eyebrows twitching upward.

"You're insatiable," she laughed, shaking her head. He slowly lifted off of her, immediately wrapped both arms around her and pulled her onto his chest. "That's your fault, my love." His voice was warm and silky, the vibration in his chest making her shudder. "My fault?" "You're just too beautiful so I can't keep my eyes or my hands off of you for long." "Di'kut" "Gar di'kut, forever." "Forever is a long time," she said softly and ran her fingers through his hair.

"And I'll be happy to spend every minute with you. I love you so much" he took her hand in his and softly kissed her knuckles. She sighed and watched him kiss every finger, eyeing her intently. She was mesmerized by his eyes, almost hypnotized by the dark brown, with the orange light surrounding them it reminded her of embers, glowing and warm.

Forever was a long time and although it didn't feel like it, time was progressing, evident by the threads of silver that sparkled in his dark brown curls. And although she felt like she herself was showing signs of ageing, he always told her she was as beautiful as the day he met her. "I love you more, mesh'la," she replied and rested her hand on his cheek.

"You and the kids are everything to me. I would die for you," he mused, closing his eyes as her finger brushed over his beard toward his lips. Her movements halted and the dark brown eyes reopened, scanning her features for signs of her sudden stop. The small crease on her forehead was enough for him to know exactly what was troubling her.

"Look at me," he pleaded with her, cupping her cheek in one of his hands now. "I know that look on your face. I would doesn't mean I will. Stop thinking about it. I'm here and so are you." Her hand slowly retreated to rest atop of his, thumb brushing over his warm and tanned skin. "Thanks to you, I am. You've saved my life once, I hope you don't have to do it a second time." She smiled warmly and nestled her face further into his hand.

Din grumbled and pulled her face closer, peppering it with kisses wherever he could reach. "I've saved your life twice. But it doesn't matter, you've given me more than I could ever imagine. I have a family now. And the most amazing wife in the galaxy." "I love you." "Until the end of space and time."

Both flinched when they heard a noise outside the bedroom. Instantly both heads were turned to the door, listening for more noises. One of the kids must've woken up, maybe their voices were too loud.

"Any guesses?" Din asked his wife, once again burying his face in her hair. "My gut tells me it's your mini-version," she suapected, turning her head to kiss him gently. "Your gut? Or your Jedi magic?"

Din rose from the bed, stretching his muscles in the morning sun, stared at by his better half. "And you say I'm insatiable." A sly grin appeared on his lips as he put on a shirt, his shoulders and bicep stretching the fabric just enough to make her hum. "The faster you check on the troublemakers the sooner you can come back to bed. Hurry, I'm not done with you."

She didn't have to tell him twice.

Translations:

mesh'la - beautiful

cyar'ika - darling

di'kut - idiot

gar di'kut - your idiot

[paradise-of-guilty-pleasures]

Shattered Reflections {21}

[Helsa RP- Fanfic]

Fandom: Frozen

Genre: Post-Frozen/ Canon Divergence

- Hurt/Comfort, Drama, Romance

Pairing(s): Hans/Elsa, Kristoff/Anna

Previous Chapter: 20. Boys’ Night A/N:

More Helsa heavy chapters to come

21. Nonchalant

The girls' night concluded after plenty more sisterly bonding after their tea party. The parlor which had been in a state of disarray, because of the construction of the pillow fort, was reverted back to its original state. It was put together rather quickly thanks to the help of Kristoff who had returned before bedtime like promised. Elsa was in charge of the last chore, returning the borrowed pillows and blankets, they'd offered to help her with that task, but assured them it was best if she did it herself since she knew exactly where to return the items. Elsa said she'd head to bed after finishing her errand so they all wished each other good night and were off in opposite directions. 

 Elsa had returned the other items rather quickly and now she hesitantly stood outside Hans' door firmly hugging the pillow across her chest. Maybe it had been a bad idea to take his pillow in the first place. She was starting to hope that room would be vacant once again, though she knew that would likely not be the case this time. Something about having her hair down made her extra anxious (even though Anna said it made her seem more relaxed), Kristoff had seen it of course, but that didn't bother her, he was already like a brother. She knew she couldn't stall forever; she had left a note after all. She held her breath as she opened the door. 

 When she entered she saw the next best thing she could hope for, which was Hans already laying down in bed asleep, in a rather strange position but in bed nonetheless. The breath finally escaped her lungs in relief, one less thing to worry about she thought. Now all she had to drop off the pillow by the bedside.

Hans was not a heavy sleeper. He had twelve brothers, he couldn't afford to be. But he was also a man of deception, so he remained still, and measured his breathing as she neared, listening. Footsteps too light to be a guard, so it had to be Elsa, only confirmed by the slight chill in the room. He opened an eye carefully, under his arm, with just enough gap to see her by. 

 "I never thought I'd live to see your hair down." He murmured, before he could stop himself. Maybe he'd had more than he thought, but surely it would have worn off by then. Sleep dulling his senses, perhaps? "I suppose now I can die happy." he added, entirely as a joke. He'd already alerted her that he was awake, may as well toss subtlety out the window and make it humor instead. He was good at that. Somehow referencing his depression and making a joke all at once seemed to be sort of a trend for him.

His voice resonating in the silence had completely startled her. She let out a yelp and before her mind could fully process his words, her body practically moved on it's own, tossing the pillow at his face out of pure reflex. 

 Elsa let out a nervous laugh. 

 "Oh, you're awake," her voice higher pitched than usual. "I'm so sorry!" she panically stated, realizing the pillow left her grasp. Good thing she'd thrown the pillow at him instead of ice, though it was possible the pillow was at the very least slightly frosted over.

Hans laughed at the pillow throw, downright giggly at the sudden pillow fight.

  "Well I can't say I didn't deserve that." He admitted through his fit of laughter. Maybe it was the drinking, or the evening before, but he found it easy to laugh that night. "No need to apologize, I startled you, and I should've known better. Perhaps I should be grateful you didn't hit me with a snowball." He proposed sweetly. He nonchalantly shifted down to reclaim the pillow (which had bounced off of him and flopped off the bed) and got back up to put it behind his head, though cringed a little. His wound was still a little sore. 

 "Today was a lovely day on my part, I hope yours was as well." He hummed, laying back again as nonchalant as ever. If not moreso. He had never been one to sit or lay while others stood, but her being there so frequently and him being so injured so often (and the drinking didn't help here), he didn't seem to mind it this time. Or maybe it was just to illustrate to her that she wasn't a bother to him.

Elsa's face was florid from the embarrassment of being caught by surprise, and with her mind finally settling and registering what Hans had murmured surely didn't help diminish the bloom of her cheeks. She definitely took notice that Hans seemed a bit more laid-back than usual (both figuratively and literally), but it was more than his posture that cued her in, the subtle difference of his laughter had also caught her attention. 

 "Yeah, so-," she caught herself from apologizing again. "I don't know if I can say the same about my day as a whole, being busy and all, but my evening was indeed a lovely one, spending some much needed time with Anna," she affirmed with a smile. She hadn't noticed but she was fidgeting with her hair. Holding and sliding a long lock of her hair in between the first three fingers of her alternating hands in a repetitive motion. Elsa normally didn't wear her hair down so it made sense that she'd subconsciously want to touch it in one of her anxious mannerisms. "I just came by to return your pillow like promised."

"Promised?" He hummed, seeming somewhat bewildered. "Ah, was that that scratching?" He reached behind his head and looked for whatever he had felt, before uncovering the paper. "I admit, I was tired and didn't think to care what I landed on. Rest assured, the pillow wasn't particularly missed." He assured, with an amused look. He almost seemed like a different person when he was smiling, to when he was sad. But he could change between the two so very quickly. 

 "I meant what I said, you know. Your hair is beautiful when it's down. It always is, but especially when it's down." He occupied himself reading the note, then idly folding it. He seemed to be doing it to some purpose, but not really for something grand. Just a thing to play with. He didn't know why he was telling her that, but it seemed so simple now. So easy. He would undoubtedly hate himself for saying it later, but why not take the chance while he didn't feel bad about it? 

 "The Captain of the Guard and I were drinking, don't pay me too much mind, I'm sure I'll make even more a fool of myself. But I suppose that's my official title these days." He hummed. He finished toying with the note over the course of a few moments, and presented her with the result: A little paper frog. Not perfectly folded, a bit wrinkled from being slept on and from his own failed folds (as he only half-remembered how it was supposed to be done), but it still had a little bit of spring in its feet, and could sort of haphazardly hop when pressed down to the table (even if it might typically fall on its back). Simple and silly.

"I-Uh...Thank you," she acknowledged rather shyly, the crimson continued to suffuse her cheeks at his repeated words of praise. So he'd been out drinking, that would explain a lot, inebriation (as well as drowsiness) were surely the reasoning behind his more mellow mood. Having a more airy Hans was far better than a somber one, even if it caused some awkwardness. She definitely wouldn't be able to easily ignore him even if it was just tipsy babbling. Elsa smiled at the paper frog, it was a cute little craft. She tried pressing down on it herself. 

 "It must have been nice to finally spend some time outside, instead of being confined to this room," she said. A slight shiver crossed her body as memory of her own confinement momentarily re-emerged, she quickly shook her head and got rid of it. "Hopefully your wounds didn't give you too much trouble today." Elsa showed concern about him like always, he had regained a lot of his mobility, but he wasn't completely out of the woods just yet he still had a bit of healing to do. "It sounds like you're already getting along quite well with the Captain, that's good to hear," she commented. Hans and the Captain would have together for a while with the training regimen, it was good that they were already becoming chummy enough to warrant going out for drinks.

"My wound hurt a little, but only because I did something stupid, as men are wont to do. I took it easy after that, rest assured. Training the men got more physical than I had intended, I think I'll try to stick to paperwork for a few more weeks, much as it pains me." He hummed. "I got to see Sitron at the stables, after drinks. I ran into Kristoff and Olaf, and Sven, and we had a fine time." He had to pause to remember the reindeer's name. "Sitron seems cared for, but he needs more riding time. If it's alright with you, I may take more time out with him." And there was the crux of it, 'if it's alright with you'. It wasn't bars or locks keeping him where he was, but her wants.

"Oh?" Hans' forthcoming was surprising, yes, but him willing to refrain from being stubborn and allowing himself to heal, was even more so. Maybe he finally discerned that if he was to remain patient for a little while longer, he'd be able to heal up much faster and no longer have to be shut up in his chamber for most the day. Elsa smiled at the fact that he was going to try to take it easy, for the time being, well at least as easy as Hans would allow himself to be. "Of course, I don't see why not. I'm sure Sitron misses you and he could really use the exercise," Elsa affirmed giving him a warm smile. Hans knew how to best care for him and she surely wasn't going to keep a man from his horse.

Hans smiled a bit at that. "He did. We were both excited to see each-other. I'm afraid I distracted all of us from our outing to go see my horse, and groom him. Sitron has always been a friend to me, and I do look out for my friends and allies." He hummed. "And, whatever we are." He glanced at her, a curious look in his eyes. "I still find it difficult to discern, to be honest. I don't think of you as an enemy. I never have. But I'm not sure you would appreciate me calling you a friend, either. Especially not while Anna still hates me -as she rightfully ought to, I suppose-. If anything, hers is the most sensible reaction I've seen from me. The guards murmured a bit, but I won them over quickly. Captain Johannes told me some still have doubts and that they haven't forgotten, I'll believe it when I see it." He felt it easier to talk to her that evening. It didn't feel like it was because of the alcohol, but maybe it was. It just felt like... he wanted to talk about it. It didn't feel like a bunch of secrets, it felt like things she must have already surmised. Like friends discussing a nuisance of one's day, not dissecting his character.

Elsa glimpsed back at him. She let a titter escape as she combed her hair atop her head with one of her fingers. "Yeah, it really is hard to know where exactly we stand, given the odd circumstances." Elsa concurred. "You know, I was also wondering about that myself, being able to consider you a friend, I mean. I wasn't sure if I could call you that, and not because of Anna or that I don't want us to be friends, I was just uncertain," Elsa expressed and paused biting her bottom lip a bit. "Because to tell you the truth, I don't have many friends, and I don't know if I can count Anna since she's my sister, so as you can imagine I'm not very good when it comes to that sort of thing," Elsa explained. "The Ice Queen, still having trouble warming up, big surprise. Thirteen years of isolation surely didn't help in that regard,"she huffed. "Though Anna seemed to have gotten the hang of it unlike me, but then again she's always been amiable, social and striving to connect with people," she recognized. She paused once again getting lost down memory lane. 

 "It's silly but, I didn't have a companion like Sitron or Sven, instead for the longest time, since I couldn't interact with Anna, I had a Sir Jorgenbjorgen, he was a little stuffed puffin doll I would talk to," she reminisced. "Had I known sooner that I had the ability to bring my creations to life, I might have tried to make myself a friend," Elsa considered, lost deeper in her thoughts. There was one last pause before she noticed. "Oh, sorry, I'm getting carried away." Elsa realized she had gotten a bit too caught up in the friend talk, maybe she was being too chatty herself, but since they were already opening up to each other, might as well just say what was on her mind, just because it felt right to do so. "Anyway, I don't know what else we could deem ourselves if not friends." She didn't address how others might feel about Hans, because it was pretty obvious how she felt herself, if she was considering him her friend.

Hans looked up at her, with perhaps a bit of hope in his eyes. "Do get carried away more, it's easier to converse when both sides are chatty." He pointed out with a little smile. "Friends, then?" He asked, almost wary. She may have been isolated for years, but Hans was familiar with backstabbing and attempts to be perfect. Elsa may have been slow-melting ice, but Hans was more of a doe, listening for trouble and leaping away at the first movement, even if it was from a future friend. "I like that your puffin was a sir. That's cute." He hummed. "I had my journals, why wouldn't you have a doll? I had to be wary of echoes, you had to be wary of living things. I can't imagine being afraid to touch life. I suppose we were both prisoners in our bedrooms in different ways. You to hide from yourself, and protect others; me to hide from others and protect myself. At least I could wander out, most times." He seemed less than comfortable thinking about it, not quite frowning, but not looking happy. "I'm glad you can still love your castle and kingdom. I can't." He would visit home if someone was dying; but he had no further desire to. He doubted they kept his things in his room. He was only a prince in name so he could visit the dying, because they knew his father wouldn't live long. "Ah, there I go, turning grim after we were having such a lovely day before. I didn't mean to bring us down." His tone was lighter and apologetic, to make up for his gloominess. Even though it may not have been him starting the gloom, he blamed himself and his mercurial moods.

"Yes, Friends," Elsa replied with smiling eyes. It felt good to finally have a bit more clarity on the relationship between them. "I'm sure it was my doing this time, I have a knack of turning things sour without wanting to," She assured, remembering how well the conversation with Anna went before the fun finally started. "Let's see if I can just as easily divert it back to being lovely again," Elsa affirmed, taking a moment to ponder. "Oh, I know! Aren't you the least bit curious as to know what the pressing matter that required me to borrow your pillow?" She asked. It was going to be a bit embarrassing to admit, but it got the conversation to revert back into something more pleasant. It didn't really matter.

Hans looked up at her curiously, and grinned playfully. "Missed me that much?" He proposed, with mock flattery and a playful smile. She looked ready to go to bed, with her hair down. He had to be careful not to think too much about that all at once. "Alright, I'll bite, why borrow my pillow?" He had guesses (after all, how many reasons could there be?) but he participated for the sake of the conversation. The longer it lasted, the more time he spent in her presence, and could admire her beauty while he thought she wouldn't notice.

She giggled a bit. Even though Hans himself was joking it technically wasn't far from the truth, she had indeed wished to see him, though she wouldn't actually admit it and she hadn't playfully denied it either. "Well, how else would we construct Arendelle's most extravagant pillow fort? " Elsa laughed followed by a sigh. "Childish I know, and most unbecoming of a Queen, but I must admit it was rather fun, doing things with Anna we never got the chance to do growing up."

Hans smiled a little, especially in his eyes, where crow's feet would form well before any other wrinkles made themselves prominent with age. "Now if we can't spend our adulthood being childish, whatever did we grow up for?" He joked easily. "We're both rather giggly tonight. I quite like it. And I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one with a penchant for childish behavior. Olaf got me to smile earlier with bad puns, and the time at the pub-- well I think the Captain thinks of me as the obnoxious young recruit more than a trainer to his troops, but he reminds me of the Captain of my ship, in spite of being much younger. I wouldn't have it any other way." He hummed. He sounded as if the day had overall been quite positive, even if -for a time- he had been quite melancholy. It seemed that was his natural state of being, and happy any time someone got him out of it.

"It is rather nice," Elsa agreed as a grin crossed her face. The two of them sharing a moment in good spirits was very pleasant. "I may not be able to indulge in acting childish often, but I won't deny it's enjoyable to do so," she laughed a bit more, the laughter sure seemed to be contagious tonight."I'm glad you were able to have a nice night out."

"Hmm, why not? Perhaps you simply need to take more time to be a child." He suggested, gesturing to the little paper frog he had made. "I learned to make those in Japan, then promptly forgot. With a little struggling I can get them almost like they're supposed to look. And that's one of the easy ones. Some people can make flapping birds,dogs, cats, all out of folded paper. It's a mystery to me, I guess I just don't have the mind for it. But I like the little hopping frog fold. Simple and cute."

Elsa smiled at the frog, poking it once again. "I don't think it would make the right impression if I was regarded as 'Elsa the Childish Ice Queen of Arendelle'," she jokingly remarked with a snort. "Actually, I've already planned to make more time, I promised Anna to try doing more fun things we didn't get to do together."

"Hmm, I try on titles and attitudes like most try shoes. Something different for any occasion, no need to let one define you. Why bother? Of course, I'm hardly the picture of mental health." He remained casual, leaning back, though he propped himself up a little more to converse with her. Maybe he just preferred there to be a power imbalance. It made him less of a threat. Especially with his sword still on the bureau. "My moods change faster than the tides, as does my personality and my behavior, if I could do anything else as fast, I'd be a much more productive human being. But it means I have the freedom to be a different person to everyone I meet, if I choose to be. I'd say it doesn't change who I am at heart, but I'm not convinced there's a layer deeper than that. I'm still a mirror, I am whatever others want or need me to be, and that's why I get all the titles. My favorite so far was Admiral, but my second-favorite is Fool. I suppose it's the only one I gave myself." He mused. He didn't really have a singular purpose to mention it, he just found it intriguing. "At any rate, you can have more time to be a child, and not be defined as childish. Even kings and queens must laugh."

Elsa didn't care too much what people thought of her, but then again she was a Queen and a big sister, two titles she felt didn't allow freedom to be carefree, responsibility seemed to have been engraved as a part of her personality from a young age. She might have seemed serious and resolute in remaining regal, but she didn't really mind being like that, actually she preferred it, it was essentially how she was in character, she could never be abundantly energetic like Anna that was way too draining. 

 "Adaptability isn't necessarily a bad attribute, sounds exhilarating having that freedom explore the infinite possibilities, instead of being set in stone." There was a part of Elsa wished she wasn't bound by the expectations (that she'd mostly placed on her own shoulders) and she could have the freedom to be that flexible. "I guess you're right, even I deserve some fun," she answered. 

 Elsa then pursed her lips and pondered. 

 "Do you think I'm too serious? I know I can be a bit of a stickler," she wondered. All this talk made it sound like she was normally no fun at all, and maybe that was true, she was rather duty driven. Perhaps what she was really trying to ask was what was his impression of her.

Hans considered her question a bit. "Seriousness is a necessary evil, especially as a royal. You need to be able to be serious when the time calls for it. But we can't stop enjoying life, else there's no reason to have it. I adventure and enjoy wordplay, that's how I enjoy life. You're dutiful, but I think you're serious for work, and very human otherwise. You laugh and smile and tease. Some military men seem like they hold onto their frowns and barked orders like a man holds to a life raft. Those types of men tend not to like me, because I refuse to take them seriously." Hans smiled to himself, ever the young rogue. "People like that tend to demand respect they haven't earned with me, or expect me to follow them because I'm young. Ah, but alas, I suppose I am a follower again. My highest rank now is 'Queen's Fool'." He smiled a little to himself just the same. As far as it was from 'prince', he still had an inordinate fondness for the title. At least in part because nobody really hired fools anymore. "Very human, hm?" she repeated in a murmur. She smiled, that really was a compliment to her, since she often tended to forget that. "That's quite the title, the highest ranking Fool in the land, a very rare achievement indeed, I can see why you are quite fond of it," Elsa playfully teased.

Hans laughed a little, smiling at her. "Well I can't think of a better kingdom to be a fool in. Careful, I might start asking for pay. Though, if I keep playing cards with the men I'm training, I might need one anyway." He laughed. "I wonder how the history books will write about me. 'The fool who trained the Queen's Guards, a failed treasoner and prince of a foreign land', I like the reverse-ordering. I'm sure they'll gloss over the admiralty, history books always seem to miss the important bits." He chuckled and shook his head. "Of course it's only by the treason I'd have made it in, anyway." He shrugged. "Glad it didn't work out, though. In spite of all my pains and injuries, I am glad life has brought me to where I am. I just wish it had taken a somewhat different path to get here."

Elsa smiled and laughed along with him, up until the treason talk. "I'm glad you're here too," she reassured softly. "It might not have been the preferable path, but life might not have granted the same possibilities any other way."

  "There're so many good things that might not have happened had we not gone down the paths we’d chosen."

"Just so." Hans hummed. She brought him a sense of peace, even though he felt somewhat trapped there in his room. Even healed, he tended not to explore the small space. 

 "Not the preferable path, indeed. If I'd have known about your powers, maybe we could have been friends. I certainly would have been a lot more careful." He thought about it a moment, then waved the thought off. "Best not to think about 'what ifs', they only lead to sadness, I find."

He seemed to be right, the unattainable 'what ifs' did indeed only tended to bring sorrow of how things might have been. She was melancholy for a moment as she let out a sigh. Then a strange concept crossed her mind.

  "That seems to be true, but what if," Elsa giggled a little at the way she started that statement. "Instead of thinking of the impossible 'what ifs' of the past, we think of the potential 'what ifs' of the present and the future." She suggested. "I think those are far less gloomy since they are still probable prospects." 

 "Like what if I did officially grant you the title of fool?" That part was of course just another joke, but certainly not out of the realm of possibility.

Hans chuckled. "Embarrassing, truly, yet charming. I imagine my family would never understand that I'd sooner be a fool in Arendelle than a prince in the Isles." He admitted idly. "Well then, what if my work here somehow encouraged the Isles to give back my titles? Then I would be a fool admiral and a fool prince. What a combination. One confusing hierarchy of titles. My mother would hate it, therefore I'm for it." He chuckled dryly.

Elsa wasn't sure if she should ask the next question, but the 'what if' of returning titles made her curious. After a brief hesitation she decided to ask. 

 "What if you were given the opportunity to sail again, would you?" She wondered, wringing her hands. Her crimson nails contrasting her porcelain skin. It was a bittersweet question even for a hypothetical, since she wouldn't want him to leave, yet she knew how much he loved the sea and adventure and was rather curious to find out if he would. She'd asked him a similar question before about why he'd returned to Arendelle instead of sailing away. She wondered if his answer would differ, given other circumstances, such as regaining his admiralty.

He thought about it a bit. "Of course, I do love adventure; but I must return to a friendly port now and then to rest and restock and call home. I would sooner that be here than the Isles, if Arendelle would have me. I daresay the Isles has no need for me now, if I'm no longer an Admiral, and not counted in the line of succession. I have nowhere I must be but where Her Majesty assigns me." He gestured to Elsa, not toward home. His mother was Queen Consort and had no true say in the running of the government.

His answer had put her mind at ease. Elsa smiled a bit. "But of course, if you are indeed considering yourself my fool it's only logical that Arendelle would be your home," she affirmed. It felt a little strange to call him her fool in the possessive especially out loud, but she was in fact the Queen and he was her fool. It did embarrass her a little to have said after the fact, even if it was only meant to be playful banter.

Hans smiled a little at the thought. He was welcomed there, even if it was only as a jester in her court. "I could always be considered the Guard Trainer or whatever official title that would be. In the Isles, we had the Swordmaster, who taught us boys to swing a sword, but that was a bit of a different job." He admitted, considering the thought.

Oh, right his real official title, she had practically forgotten about that and it made her fluster a bit more. 

 "Yes, definitely," she nodded."I'm not quite sure of the official name yet either, but we'll figure it out soon enough." She assured him. 

 "Hmm, what about Combat Consultant? It has a nice ring to it, but I don't know. Do you have any other ideas?" Elsa suggested and asked him for his input. "Oh, and before I forget since we're on the topic of training. Kristoff might be the one watching over us while you're training me." She informed him.

"Oh that does have a nice ring. 'Consultant' sounds a bit like desk work, though. There must be a term for the one who trains the guards, that isn't 'captain'. I'd hate to dethrone the captain we have, after all." He chuckled at the thought. He would absolutely tease the Captain about it if it happened, but he thought it might make a bit of a sore spot. "Ah, we'll figure it out." He shrugged. 

 "That's fine with me, Kristoff is a nice young man, dutiful and level-headed. Hell, he can join, if he likes. Give you someone to vent to when you both get tired of hearing me quote 'A Treatise on The Swordsmen of the Southern Isles' at you. It's not a common book, probably doesn't exist outside of the Isles. If it does exist in your library I'll be surprised, but feel free to read it in advance, if you do have it. It's a written explanation of the 'implied sword-culture' of the Isles, and goes into detail about why we give up swords, what it means, all sorts of minutia you might not care about. And some things that might actually help swordplay, occasionally." He chuckled a little. It was clearly a favorite read of his. One of those books, not read for entertainment, but guidance; as a man reads a bible.

"Yeah, we'll figure it out later,"she concurred. Elsa really didn't want to step on anyone's toes, by making Hans the new captain, so she hoped to come up with a suitable solution without having to resort to that. "Oh dear, are you going to make me regret acquiescing before we even begin?" She giggled. "I'll be sure to check the library, I doubt we have a copy, but you never know."

He chuckled a little and shrugged. "I have a fondness for my country's 'sword culture'. It's one of the few parts of it I like. But that's mostly fluff. Cultural details that won't necessarily apply to you, though you may gain an appreciation for how and when I carry mine. It's perhaps the political equivalent of a lady's fan-language, or perhaps that's an odd English trend. I never bothered to learn whether ladies truly bother with communicating with coquettish fanning. It seems a bit silly to me. I'd say I'm more straightforward than that, but you and I both know that's a lie." He laughed dryly. He was a man who chose his words carefully, most times. Still, he seemed to be learning how to be more casual with her-- for good or ill.

"I would actually like to try to understand that fondness, as well as the significance behind the swords, it honestly sounds like an interesting topic, besides I don't mind a history lesson," Elsa smilingly nodded. It was true, Hans seemed to take his sword culture seriously, and if it was something important to him she wanted to learn more about it to know why, believing that it might give her a better idea of who Hans was at heart. "As for fan-language I wouldn't know too much of that myself either, I never learned any of that, there was really no use for it, considering," Elsa did a quick demonstration of her magic, in the palm of her hand."Nor was I ever interested in that sort of thing, so it was for the best. I also think it's rather silly, though I'm fairly certain Anna knows how to do it, she's always liked things like that, and think I've seen her play around with a fan. Seems unnecessary complicated to me, just like a certain person I know," Elsa giggled, she was kidding of course, playing along with what he'd said before.

"All too complicated." He agreed with a smile. "If you can get a copy of the book out here, it's a thin one, if dense. If not, I'll likely cover most of it while I teach you, anyway. Just as soon as I can do that without injuring myself." He touched his old stab wound. It hardly needed bandages, but it was still scabbed and occasionally spotted blood. It would heal soon.

"I'll see if I can get my hands on one, though it might be better to just wait and hear it from you, your way with words is certainly a lot more vibrant than reading them from a book, that's for sure" she acknowledged. "Yes, please do heal up first, we wouldn't want to keep you trapped in here, because of yet another injury two is more than enough."

Hans chuckled a little. "Much as I've managed to enjoy my confinement, it will be nice to get out of this damned bed, at least." He admitted. "I don't mind being in a cell or a room, it's not being able to move around that bothers me. You never know how much you gesture when you talk until it hurts to move." It was strange, he still felt their relationship was nebulous. Friends, yes, and friendly. But... more, perhaps? Was it possible that they could be? Or was he just fond of her, and it was all one-sided? He could never admit it to ask, surely. "I'm at least dimly aware that Anna doesn't trust me, and I don't blame her in the slightest. Am I permitted to move about the castle, though? I'll accept any restrictions, or a no, but I am curious. I never bother to check outside my door for guards, I just assume they're posted." Because at heart, he thought of himself still as a treasoner. It had been as deeply ingrained into him as the scars across his back.

"Oh, there aren't any guards," she stated, shaking her head. "You're free to leave your room if you desire, though Anna probably wouldn't be too thrilled if she caught you roaming around. Hmm. I think this whole corridor is probably safe though, I'm sure she doesn't come this way at all, just to avoid bumping into you. There are some places that are likely to always be unoccupied because they mostly go unused, like the music room and ballroom for example. I think the only area of the castle that I would really consider off limits is the upstairs level, where our bedrooms are, I think Anna would be rather upset if she saw you around there, she'd likely see it as an invasion of her personal space. As for the other parts of the castle, are pretty much open to you, if you wish to visit, all I say is go at your own risk and can only suggest that you proceed with caution."

Hans nodded thoughtfully. "I'm uncertain how to feel about that." He admitted. "Ah, but I got stabbed defending the kingdom. The Captain tells me I should give myself some credit for that. Though I am about as eager to run into Anna as she is to run into me. I'm quite good at not being found when I don't want to be. She won't hear from me if I can help it, let alone see me." He had quite enough interaction with Anna for one lifetime. No man scared him, but he would sooner fight pirates than deal with Anna calling him useless again.

 "It didn't make sense to keep guards posted when you are no longer my prisoner," she expressed.

 Hans considered that thought. "I suppose not." He said, but didn't seem to quite believe the idea. "I suppose it would look bad if the man training your guards needed a guard presence, himself. So... if I'm to live in Arendelle, if I'm truly to be a citizen here, should I save for a home here? I imagine I probably won't be asked to stay here when Anna is so upset with me. And I don't exactly have family money anymore in the Isles. But I don't mind the idea of having a humble home here. As long as the people of Arendelle don't feel like lynching me in the night, anyway. Thankfully I seem to be winning people over easily enough." Though he wasn't sure if that was truly a good thing.

Elsa didn't know how to answer that, she hadn't really thought of him leaving the castle. She opened her mouth to speak but remained silent for a little while longer. 

 "I-Uh, I...I really don't mind having you stay here in the castle myself,"she began in a soft-spoken tone. "but I know that's not really fair to Anna. She really only seemed alright with letting you stay while you heal." She admitted with a sigh. "You could probably stay at the barracks for a time," she suggested. "And if you wished to build yourself a home in town in the future you're welcome to do so."

"Hmm, building a home." Hans mused, seeming new to the idea. "I wouldn't have the faintest idea how, what an intriguing thought." He remarked, sounding more excited by the prospect than anything. "I may have to get a uniform if I'm to work with the guard staff. Wouldn't be my first, though the least likely, I'd wager. Perhaps when I'm fully ready to train them? I always was in favor of living alongside the men I work with." He didn't mind that any. But perhaps most importantly, she wanted him there near her. That was a sweet idea. "I might have to save a long while. Perhaps I'll find a place near the fjords someday. Near the ships and the sea. Near the castle." For her, not for anything else. The only reason he had to put his feet on dry land anymore was to visit her, really. He could have left, could have returned to sea life. But then what? Just be a midshipman? A sailor with no rank or renown? He could have, perhaps, joined Arendelle's navy, but why, if not to stay at her heels? "I suppose I have more options than I've had in a while. I'll have to think about life and consider them."

[sullybot]

Fragile Flower - Oberyn AU part 1/?

Hey guys! My friend @okamixkeshin and I like to RP a lot of different things, and recently we have been REALLY obsessed with Pedro Pascal and his many roles. So, here are a few pages of our GoT AU where Oberyn lives. It is in RP style, so it can be a little rough to read, but I don’t have the time to re-edit and make it more streamline, so. Enjoy!

There will be smut. You have been warned.

“You know what it means to be a noble lady, Audra.” Tella, her mother, explained as she brushed through the long locks of silky auburn locks before carefully weaving her fingers through for a five row braid.

“Yes, mother.” Audra replied quietly, wincing slightly at the brush through her hair. She usually loved it when her mother did her hair instead of one of the handmaidens, but not today. Over the past year since the war for the Seven (now six) kingdoms had ended, both of her older sisters had been married off. Magdalene was married to Sandor Clegane, originally it was going to be Jon Snow, until he was banished. Ophelia, to Gendry, the last of the Baratheons. Audra was the youngest, having turned fifteen just the spring before. It was peak summer now and warm. Not too hot. They were the family of  Pink Lady, near Clegane’s keep. Further North than King’s Landing, so it wasn’t quite as hot, which she was thankful for. She wasn’t one who did well in heat, not with her fair complexion. That made her nervous, also. The suitor supposedly picked for her was a Prince from Dorne, a man she’d heard of, but never seen. Oberyn Martell. She knew very little about him, other than his previous partner (they wouldn’t call her a ‘wife’, which made Audra dread meeting him) had died during the war, as well as all of their children (who were bastards, though, no one called them such).

She had no idea what to expect, only what was expected of her during this meeting.

“What are you going to do?” Tella questioned gently. She really did hate having to marry off all of her daughters like this, but what was she supposed to do? She had barely any footing, and what she did have was entirely because of how she’d assisted the North during the war.

“I am going to do what is expected of me.” Audra answered before letting out a long breath and continuing, “I will do everything I am able to, and do my best to seduce the prince of Dorne… He does not need to wed me, only bed me and leave me with child. If I have his child, you will speak with Queen Sansa of the North to allow the child to take our name so that we may secure ties with the Dornish, while also ensuring our family will have an heir.”

“That’s my girl. Good. They’ll be here before night fall. Make sure you see your maids and get all of your womanly needs situated before the Prince gets here. If he’s anything like he was before the war, he’ll bed you before morning.” Tella said, placing a gentle kiss atop her daughters head and smiling, “I love you, very much.” She said before leaving the room. “I know…” Audra said softly, closing her eyes and doing her very best not to cry.

Oberyn had long suffered through the war. After narrowly escaping one bad situation after the other he had returned to Dorne to ride out the rest of the godforsaken war. Now the war was over and things were calm, and he had been invited to spend a few weeks with the gracious Pink Lady family. He was looking forward to his time there as he had heard rumors of the family trying to marry him to one of their young daughters. He was a cobra and a resourceful spy. His people were the best in the business.       So when he arrived he graciously retired to his room and took his dinner there after briefly greeting the lord of the house, claiming that he would dine with everyone in the morning. Satisfied with that he ate his dinner peacefully in his room and began to get ready for the night, changing into a pair of silk pants and sitting down on his bed with a lamp on the nightstand so he could read for a little while.

        Audra and her handmaidens but so much effort into her that was ultimately, for the day, a complete waste. All of their Dornish guests retired to their rooms upon arrival and Audra had never even been given a chance to introduce herself. During dinner, all her mother did was lecture her about how she needed to find a way to meet the Dornish Prince and get him to bed her. Dinner was also full of 'delightful' tips for now to please a man, which Audra would rather have heard from literally anyone except her own mother. Knowing that her mother did these things made her lose her appetite.         After dinner, she'd taken a candle to roam the halls, to find the room her mother had given to Oberyn for his stay. She stood outside the door quietly, her evening shawl wrapped over her shoulder. A shimmering midnight blue over the lilac of her day dress. She lifted a hand to knock on the wood, but her heart rate quickened and she couldn't. She couldn't muster the courage to do it and she turned, fleeing down the hall, up the stairs and into her own room. Tomorrow would be a new day.         Tomorrow was just as awful, if not worse. Her mother did her hair while lecturing her again, but much earlier now. Before the sun was up, to make sure she was proper for when the Princes awoke. She was in a pastel yellow dress now that laced up the front. It was tight, but the fabric was thin and flowing, showing as much of her womanly shape as possible. She stood in the great hall with her mother as they waited for breakfast, her blue eyes; exhausted. They were now waiting for the Martell's so they could all dine together this fine morning.

Oberyn had expected someone to slip into his room in the night, but aside from the soft footfalls that he heard outside his door before he retired to sleep, he didn’t hear anything else. He woke peacefully and well rested when the sun was just barely starting to show tendrils of light. No matter where he was, he always managed to wake before dawn. Years of training. He ventured through the palace and found a courtyard where he could train. He spent an hour there until the sun was finally peeking over the horizon and then returned to his room to wash up and change. He wore golden robes with yellow, red, and white embroidery, the signet of Dorne on the lapels and the back. Doran, his brother the first Prince, wore similar clothing though in purples and blues, and Oberyn took the challenge of wheeling his brother’s chair down to the dining room where people were gathered waiting for them. “Good morning to our gracious guests. I apologize, for neglecting you last night, but the trip was a very arduous one, and we thought it best to greet you all fresh faced.” Oberyn said with a soft forward bow before locating the spot meant for Doran and lining his chair up with the table before moving to the spot he was guided to.

        "Mother, really?" Audra whispered as the two Dornish men entered the room, her eyes focused on the man in the chair and dreading every moment of her life that lead to this moment. This was the man she needed to bed? How cruel and unfair the gods were. She paid little attention to the man pushing the chair, though he is the one who spoke. Surely no one of great importance would have such a task. Tella grabbed Audra’s arm hard enough to make her wince and then slowly lead her over to the table.         "Take a seat, Audra. Don't keep our guests waiting." Tella said, sitting Audra down across from the younger man who had been pushing the wheelchair. Tella took her own seat across from the chair bound man. "It is a pleasure to have you both at our table. Things have been quite lonely here in Pink Lady since the war. I am so sorry for your losses that you've suffered. I lost my husband and both of my sons, so I feel your sorrow."         "My mother is correct, it's very nice to have company." Audra spoke, finally looking up from her plate. The man across from her was beautiful. Strong, well dressed, a kind face and beautiful dark hair and sun kissed skin. She wished her skin could look like that, but it only turned red with too much sun, and she ended up with more freckles when the stinging skin healed. Her eyes then traveled to the other man, who looked a few years older but had longer hair with streaks of gray. "My mother had hoped that having the company of strong men may make us feel less vulnerable in these trying times. It's a pleasure to meet you, Prince Oberyn."         Doran simply looked at her and chuckled softly to himself with a small shake of his head. "Someone must have gotten confused. I am Prince Doran." He said, lifting a hand to point over at Oberyn, "This is my brother, Oberyn."        "W-what." Audra smiled, trying to hide the confusion and panic on her face as she looked up at Oberyn with wide blue eyes.

Oberyn took his seat after the women took theirs, pulling his chair up to the table silently and settling down with one hand resting on the table casually. “It is good to visit our allies, even in times of peace. Dorne is a close friend to those of the Pink Lady, and are always glad to pay you a visit.” He murmured, nodding his head gently to the two women, though when the beautiful young girl sitting across from him called his brother by the wrong name, a devilish grin crossed his lips, and he let Doran handle the interaction. “I do believe… that is the first time anyone has mistaken the two of us.” Oberyn mused, glancing over at his brother and chuckling softly before he turned his attention back to the girl across from him. “You are the youngest of the daughters, yes? Lady Audra, it is a pleasure to meet you.” He said gently, his smile gentle and disarming.

        "We would love for you to stay as long as you see fit. We have our Summer festival in a fortnight and we would be honored if you would stay long enough to attend. It's quite the ball." Tella said with a smile before it quickly faded as Audra very spectacularly made a fool of herself. She only turned to look at her daughter to see how she would handle the situation. She didn't want to step in if she didn't have to.         "Yes, I am." Audra responded with an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry. I wasn't told anything about which of you was which. I'm sure that if I hadn't missed introductions yesterday when you arrived, I wouldn't have made such a foolish error. Please, forgive me. It's a pleasure to meet you as well, prince Oberyn." She said before looking at Doran, "And you as well, Prince Doran. It's an honor to have you as our guests. If there is anything we can do for you." She said before looking at Oberyn again and speaking a little more slowly, more sultry, "anything at all… please, let us know."

Oberyn chuckled gently and raised one shoulder lightly as she apologized, “There is no need. We decided that greeting everyone with fresh faces was more important than getting names right. It was an honest mistake.” He assured her, taking a few items from the center of the table and putting them on his plate, doing the same for his brother who couldn’t quite reach the items he wanted. He took a slow drink of juice from his goblet and set it down to look at Audra quizzically at her sultry offer. It made him wonder if the steps outside his room had been hers last night. “I will remember that. On our way through town I heard mention of market day, and I thought it might be interesting to venture down to the city to explore it.” He mused, “Perhaps you will accompany me, Lady Audra?” He asked, spearing a piece of sausage with his fork and taking a bite without taking his eyes off of her.

        "I would love to show you around our palace and our town." Audra said, keeping the smile on her face. She was feeling more and more uncomfortable as his eyes never left her. It was like he was trying to look inside of her, into her head to see what she was up to. Surely he didn't have that sort of power. She managed to look away from him and grab her fork, starting to slowly eat some of the food on her plate. Though she didn't look at him, she could still feel his eyes on hers.        "I've heard rumors that your eldest, Magdalene, is with child in Clegane’s Keep. Do you know anything of this, Lady Tella?"         "Yes." Tella said with a small chuckle, "I received the raven last week sharing the good news, though I hadn't told anyone else yet. I'm surprised it took so long, really. They've been married almost a year. I had thought for sure she'd have been with child within the first month. Can't imagine he was the kind of man to wait for her comfort." She explained with a weary smile, "the letter was her handwriting, and I think she's excited. We are going to see her when you gentlemen head back to Dorne. Don't make that affect how long you'd like to stay. Children take nearly a year."         "Maggie is with child, and you didn't tell me?" Audra said, looking up from her plate and turning to look at her mother. She remembered what The Hound looked like and it sent a chill down her spine. Her sister had to bed that man, probably often. Oh, poor Maggie…         "I didn't want to tell you prematurely. Much can happen during a pregnancy." Tella said calmly, not looking at Audra. "I suppose now I'm only waiting on you and Ophelia to have children."         "You'll be waiting for a while, mother. I'm not married yet. There aren't even any suitors lined up for me. There are so few families left." She said without thinking about who their guests were, for just that moment. "I'm sure Ophelia won't be far behind. She seemed to like Gendry."

“That is wonderful news. It is nice to hear of children to be born, after all the violence that the world has gone through.” Oberyn mused as he lowered his fork back to his plate and instead focusing on his food from where he had been staring at the young woman across the table from him. He needed to get his mind off of her. Despite the last interaction, and the footsteps he had heard the night before, it was highly unlikely that she was the one he had been expecting. A light chuckle left Oberyn when Audra protested, “Present company not included?” He asked teasingly, one of his dark eyebrows raised as he leaned back in his chair and took a long drink from his goblet again, having finished the food he had selected for himself. “My brother has two capable sons, and I am currently unencumbered. While I take no stock in rumors… I had heard some whispers that there was talk of a formal alliance with Dorne? Though my unreliable sources did not mention specifics.” He questioned playfully.

        Tella opened her mouth to speak, to try and gently bat away his probing question, but Audra beat her to it.        " Formal alliance with Dorne?" Audra questioned with one eyebrow raised. "I can assure you that my mother and I did not consider our customs when it comes to dealing with the Dornish." She said with a small shrug of her shoulder. "You seem mildly offended, 'present company not included', since when has a Dornish noble married? Let alone married outside of Dorne?" She questioned with one eyebrow slightly arched. "No. We hadn't considered Dorne, but if you're looking to make an exception, based upon what you see." She added, looking herself up and down before looking back at him, "Surely we would be willing to listen to what you had to offer."         Audra could feel her heart beating as if it may crack her ribs, but her face was calm. That's what mattered. She couldn't see her mother's face, but Tella had never been more proud.

Oberyn grunted in amusement, “You wound me.” He joked lightly, enjoying the banter that she was engaging him with. She was amusing, and fiesty. It was a nice change. “I will have to take that into consideration.” He admitted and glanced at his brother, who was trying not to laugh into his breakfast. It was good to see his brother so amused with his younger brother's discomfort. “You have a very skilled negotiator for a daughter, Tella. You should be proud.” Oberyn praised her and set his glass down beside his empty plate. “I like her.” Doran chuckled into his breakfast, “She’s not afraid of you. Most women are too intimidated by your beauty to retaliate.” Doran snorted and took a drink.

        "I am proud of all of my girls. They've grown up to be brilliant young ladies, as well as beautiful." Tella said with a bright smile while she spoke to Doran.         Audra finished her meal quickly and looked to her mother, "I'm going to go prepare for the tour for prince Oberyn." She smiled, "may I be excused?"         "Of course you may. Take the horses, why don't you? It'll be easier on the feet."         "Of course. I'll saddle them myself." Audra smiled before standing. "I'll be in the stables whenever you are ready, Prince Oberyn." She smiled before walking out of the dining hall and outside to the stable to prepare for her day.

         "I will be there shortly." Oberyn agreed with a slight bow of his head and excused himself from the table to return to his room. He changed into something more suitable for their adventures to the market, a more plain set of robes that would be easy to ride in. After running his fingers through his hair he headed down to the stables in hope of assisting with saddling his own horse.

        Audra had finished saddling her horse and only begun on his when he appeared into the stables. "You really did follow quickly, and even changed." She laughed softly before turning back to the horse. He wasn't at all what she'd expected. After Maggie was married off to Sandor Clegane, she really didn't have high hopes of anyone good looking or even relatively young. This man could only be in his mid thirties or so, sure, a fair bit older than she, but not like the fifty-something lords that were married to girls her age before the war. "We could walk, if you'd rather. I'm sure you spent most of your journey here on horseback." She said before turning to face him, "unless… you'd rather start with our tour of the castle? I can show you some of my favorite rooms…" She said, attempting that slow and sultry tone with him again.

        "You've already got them nearly ready. It would be a waste. Besides… Etherion needs the exercise. He gets antsy when left in the stables too long." He mused, patting the nose of his pitch black horse and walking around to adjust the saddle, deftly tightening a few straps and securing them firmly before he slid the bridle onto his head. "I'll take advantage of the tour of the castle once we get back." He assured her, glancing down at her with a faint smile. He almost appeared unaffected by her flirting. "Would you like a hand up?" He offered, nodding to her horse.

       "I'd love a hand up." Audra said with a smile, trying not to be discouraged by his immunity to her seduction. She knew she wasn't the most seductive. She didn't have much in the way of practice, and from what she'd heard from her mother, Oberyn had nothing but practice. "City it is, and then later we will look at the rooms." She said before putting one foot in a stirrup on her beige and white horse, waiting for him to assist her before making another movement.

      Despite his apparent indifference, Oberyn was not unaffected by her. She was beautiful, and her obvious attempts at flirting with him were endearing. He wanted to spend more time with her. He also wanted to hear her moan his name, but for now he would settle for this. Coming closer he came around behind her and settled his hands rather boldly on her hips. "Pardon me." He murmured in a deep rasp close to her ear and lifted with ease to help her up onto the horse. Once she was settled he adjusted her skirt behind her as if it was nothing and turned to his horse, easily pulling himself up and walking out of the stables to wait in the courtyard for her.

        Audra gasped softly when she heard him beside her ear and got into her horse gracefully with his help, adjusting her dress and looking at him as he mounted his own horse. He was so strong and resilient. She couldn't help but stare at him and wonder what it would like to touch him. What his skin felt like. How hard his muscles were. She wanted to know all of these things. She followed him out of the stables and started to explain the sights and the buildings they passed through the afternoon. They went around the city and the market until the sun began to set over the horizon. Audra was well liked and well respected in her community. Everyone knew who she was and was pleased to see her, so pleased, that no one even questioned the presence of the Dornish Prince, only treated him kindly and offered him food and gifts, just as they did to her.         "Thank you for the company this afternoon, Prince Oberyn." Audra smiled as she got back into the stables and dismounted her horse with ease, wincing slightly. Riding for that long wasn't her strong suit. "It really was a pleasant day for it."

         Oberyn thoroughly enjoyed himself. He hadn't expected to come back with a bag full of gifts, but as he dismounted he had both that and the purchases he had made that day strapped to the back of his horse. He instructed a stable boy to have it taken to his room, and gave the child a small shiny coin to do it. He turned to face her when she spoke, a smile crossing his face as he lead his horse into the stall and began to strip off the tack. "It was my pleasure. Thank you for the tour of your lovely city." He said gently. After a quick brush down and a nose pat to his horse he helped her do the same and began to walk back to the palace with her.           "You are quite looking quite pink, little flower." He mused, spotting something in the gardens on their way back to the palace. He stopped and crouched down to break a piece off of something that looked like a cactus. "Come here." He murmured, beckoning her to him.

        "I unfortunately am quite pink. Hopefully it wasn't too bad. If I am lucky, itll have faded and been replaced by more freckles come the morning." Audra laughed gently, walking slowly with him back toward the castle. Her heart was already racing, knowing what she would need to do once they were inside. Did she want to do this before or after dinner? She didn't know. She didn't want to do it at all. Their time together had been short, but she liked him, and it felt dirty to use him for a child, the way her mother wanted her to. She eyed him curiously and came beside him, kneeling down carefully beside him. "You've found the Aloe Vera plant. They are lovely, aren't they? Mother hates them, which is why I grow them all the way out here. Father loved them. Said they were useful, though I don't know what he meant. I know very little about plants."

         "Indeed. They are very useful." He explained, lowering himself onto one knee and breaking off a small piece of it. He peeled the outer skin away and rubbed his fingers along the center to gather the viscous gel from the inside. Satisfied he had enough he set the piece down on his thigh and reached over to cup her cheek with his free hand, "Hold still." He murmured softly. Cradling her chin, he began to apply the aloe to her face, gently covering the worst of the sunburn and then applying more to his fingers to rub into the rest of her sunburn. His fingers were gentle and feather light. "It is very effective on sunburns."

        Audra watched him with intense curiosity as he opened the leaf and touched the sticky substance inside. She was so focused, she wasn't prepared for him to grab her chin. She gasped in surprise and looked at him, looking into those lovely brown eyes and wanting to kiss him. She understood now what her mother meant, about how this man affected women. She was blushing, but it couldn't be seen past the sunburn on her cheeks. "It feels cold." She remarked softly with a timid smile. "It already feels better."

      "If you let it soak in and can resist the urge to rub it, it will get better by nightfall." He explained softly, very much aware of the effect he was having on her. The urge to kiss her was very intense, but he ignored it. Instead he finished applying the gel to her face and slowly stood, taking her hands in his and helping her to her feet. "Perhaps tomorrow I will take you up on your offer to show me the palace." He mused, his hands lingering a moment before he loosened his grip to let her pull away.

        Audra smiled and thanked him quietly when he helped her to stand. She swallowed hard and said something, though it was hard. "Wait. You've missed a spot…" She said gently when he released. She didn't move her hands from his until she reached up to touch the sun kissed skin of her chest. Her cleavage that her dress didn't cover. "I think this area could use some attention too, don't you think? It would be such a shame I'd this is the part of me that was sensitive and burned after today, don't you agree?"

      "It would be a damn same, wouldn't it?" Oberyn agreed, a soft chuckle leaving him as he broke off another small piece and squeezed it onto his fingers. He stepped closer to her, so close that her breasts almost brushed his chest, and gently began to rub the gel into the tender pink skin of her cleavage, his eyes never leaving hers. "I'm surprised… I didn't expect a young flower like you to be so bold." he teased her, lifting his head to glance around them a moment before his free hand slid between them and lightly grazed the underside of her breasts through her dress as he worked on the exposed sunburned area.

        "Don't underestimate quiet flowers…" Audra said with a playful smile before looking away from him briefly as his hand touched her cleavage, the gel cool and soothing against her hot skin. This was the only time she'd been thankful for the pink skin, for it hid her blush. "I'm usually not so bold, but a lot of the remaining lords in this part of the country aren't worthy of it, either." She tried to explain. She didn't want to call them all far, lazy slobs, but that's really the truth of it. Old men with no fire left in them, who certainly didn't deserve someone like her. She gasped and looked back up at him when his other hand briefly brushed her breast before going onto her cleavage. "How scandalous…"

        "Hardly scandalous." Oberyn mused playfully. He withdrew his hand from her cleavage and wiped his fingers on his pants. "But if anyone saw this…" he whispered playfully and curled a hand around her hip as he dipped his head and kissed her suddenly. He didn't hesitate, his movements slow and purposeful as he kissed her thoroughly and held her close to him with one hand, the other still hidden between their bodies where it slid up just enough to palm her breast and lightly tweak the hidden pebble of her nipple through the fabric.

        "Oh really? The Dornish really do have different ideas of what is a sc-" Audra was cut short by his lips meeting her own. Her eyes went wide and she didn't know what to do with herself. Her impulse was to push him away and slap him, but that would be bad for the alliance. She could already hear her mother yelling at her. She placed her arms on his biceps and squeezed nervously before letting out a small cry of surprise as his hand touched her breast and applied pressure to her nipple, which grew instantly erect. No one had ever touched her like that before, let alone so boldly. She finally broke the kiss and used her grip on his arms to step back from him. "Please! Prince Oberyn, think of my reputation. Please at least wait until our evening tour of the castle where no one can see us."

       Oberyn pulled back when she pushed at his arms, pulling his hands away from her and watching her flushed reaction with a smile. Even with her sunburn it was obvious now. "Maybe you didn't notice, but the garden is quite secluded." He purred with a light chuckle. "Perhaps I was too forward. You lingered outside my room last night… I thought you were prepared for this sort of thing." He murmured softly, and nodding towards the castle. "Let's return. I'm famished and I'm sure dinner is waiting."

        "Not secluded enough. There are eyes everywhere." Audra managed to tease, regaining her composure after only a few short moments. She wanted to kiss him again. She hadn't even been able to enjoy it because she was so nervous. His mustache was soft and his lips were warm. The muscles of his arms were so hard. She wanted him to pick her up and pin her against the wall. "I didn't know if you were still awake and I hadn't wanted to bother you." She said, not denying that she'd been outside his door. "Perhaps tonight will work better. You'd be expecting me, and there wouldn't be eyes or ears trying to spread rumors through our city."

        "I see." Oberyn murmured and watched her as they walked back towards the castle. "Come by tonight then. I'll be waiting for you once night falls." He purred playfully and caught her hand in his briefly to bring it up to his lips and press a kiss to her palm before letting go of her reluctantly and walking up the stairs to open the door for her.

       "I'll be there as soon as mother is asleep." Audra assured him, unable to keep herself from smiling as he kissed her palm and released her. She walked inside and disappeared down a hall. She showed up for dinner, having cleaned herself up from their travels earlier in the day. Tella was still doing her best to attempt to charm and disarm Doran. Audra wasn't sure, but she assumed she was trying to distract him long enough for her to bed Oberyn. If that was the case, she wouldn't have to try for much longer.

@reylo-hope Here is the chapter I promised you. I’ll post another one soon, if you like this. (The smut comes soon)

[natalia-demichelis]

Running Out of Excuses.

((Warning: Long read and contents of this RP cannot be used for IC knowledge without prior consent))

Wildbell was always lovely during the bright light of day with sprawling gardens filled with manicured flower bushes and ponds filled with all manner of fish and swans. In contrast however, a strange enchantment took over the estate at night with bright full moonlight cascading into the master suite where the newlyweds slept. Well at least one of them did. Soft chocolate hues scanned over the resting handsome features of her beloved husband before she leaned in and pressed the most gentle of kisses to his cheek just above the stubble that was starting to grow in. Her nude form pulled itself from the bed that she had slept alone in for several years, glad to have him to share it with now. White silken fabric draped over her slender frame as she pulled on a simple night robe on and meandered out to the balcony that overlooked the moonlight drenched grounds.

Pleasant dreams gave wake to wakefulness as the body lying alongside him began to shift. Heavy lids pulled open, only to catch a glimpse of his newly minted wife beyond the balcony doors. Thumb and middle digit rose and dug into the corners of his eyes in a poor attempt at chasing away sleep, before he pulled himself from the comforts the bed provided. While decency was the furthest from his mind, he covered the sharp curvature and carved features of his form with a robe and pulled himself into a stance. Both arms went over head, easing tired muscles into a stretch as he followed her onto the balcony. Moonlight filtered through the clouds and cast a silvery haze upon the grounds below-- was it early morning or late evening? He truly didn't know. "Dare I ask," He spoke gruffly and gravely, sleep unrelenting. "...Lady Holt, what has found my wife from our bed?" He crept up behind her, lightly dragging the ridges of his knuckle along the sleek arc of her spine.

Lost in her own thoughts, Natalia hadn’t heard Kaidren stir out of bed and make a path to her. It wasn’t even until his knuckle ran down her spine, eliciting a small jump accompanied with an involuntary shiver, that his baritone words registered in her mind. “It’s too warm for me to be able to sleep,” she smiled fondly over her shoulder at him. “I thought I’d maybe cool off out here.” She turned to face him, soft feminine hands rising to rest upon his broad chest. “I’m sorry for disturbing you.”

“You didn't disturb me, my love..." He mused, twirling a strand of her dark hair around his index. "...Your absence did." Burying his face in her hair and indulging in the sweet, flowery aroma tangled amidst her strands, he pressed a kiss to the back of her head and rounded her form, digging his right hip into the stone banister. "So, Lady Holt..." The corner of his mouth ticked upward with a hint of humor. "...what do you have planned for you and I while we are here in your barony? Horseback riding... picnics... meeting the townsfolk?" Cerulean irises flick across her form, one hand lifting to pull a few strands of her hair from the arc of her cheek.

Long, black eyelashes fluttered down to rest upon the upper crest of her cheeks, feeling his body heat emanating from him through the thin fabric of her robe. She silently craved his touch with every breath she breathed, needing to fill her nostrils with the scent of sandalwood and scotch that she associated with him. A soft hum of contemplation sounded from her as she hugged her slender form before opening her eyes to look at him. “Introducing you to those within my lands would be wise and necessary, but I am feeling a bit selfish and want to keep you to myself just a little longer.”

While leaning against the stone banister, Kaidren extended both limbs in order to draw her into his embrace and tuck her head beneath his chin. "It is perfectly reasonable to want to be selfish; I feel that way every time I am forced to choose between your company and work. However," he paused, another breath inward allowing her scent to pervade his nostrils and filling the immediate milieu with the sound of his contentment. "I have you for the rest of my life... so I am not all that upset when we part... I have the thought of coming back to you to look forward to."

He lowered his head and pressed his lips to the center of her forehead; the warmth of his kiss lingered far longer than he intended, though only managed to give validation to the adoration he held for her. However, once his butterfly kiss ended, he found his mouth ensnared in another kiss, one in which he added to by tightening his arms around her waist and tensing his jaw. "I'd feel sorry for any of the villagers that proclaimed they loved me more than you, Lady Holt. " The edges of his mouth tug upward in a faint grin. "Or anyone, for that matter."

The ball of her foot left the floor, hovering just an inch above it while her arms around his neck pulled him in even closer if that was possible. She leaned in and nipped him gently and playfully on his nose, a complete contrast of the proper lady he had courted. Natalia was completely at ease with him now and she felt free to be playful when it was just them two. “No one can love you as much as I do, My Lord.” Another sweet kiss was pressed to his lips before she canted her head to the side, her coffee colored tresses tumbling forward in a cascade over her shoulder. “I had an idea I wanted to run by you.”

Kaidren's right arm tightened around her waist and hoisted her up enough so that his returned kiss would be unimpeded by her height. He held her aloft for many moments before returning her to the stonework below. "No one, Lady Holt?" The corner of his mouth ticked upward in a hint of humor in the same motion as his eyebrow coming to quirk high into his forehead. After the many butterfly kisses that left her sweetness on his lips, he lowered his mouth to the center of her forehead and eased close; the embrace was soft, gradual, and not something born of force or a sudden need. "An idea, you say?" He loosened his grip upon her form and relaxed back against the banister separating them from the rest of the world. "By all means, my Lady... do tell."

The hum that reverberated from her through his embrace and affection was one of complete content. She bobbed her head in a light nod. “Seeing as we are now married and will take up residence permanently in Addlewood... I was wondering if you would consider making Wildbell our summer home?” Perfectly manicured brow’s lofted hopefully at him, wondering if it seemed as odd a request as it sounded to her. “It’s just... It’s my home and I can’t imagine spending the summer anywhere else.”

Kaidren tipped his head toward the left and then the right, obviously giving merit to her hope...which was hidden behind a veiled question. Lips purse thoughtfully, fingertips lifting to push away strands of coffee-hued tresses from her features. "You may do what ever you like with Wildbell; it is yours, after all... and if it'd make you happy that we spend the summers here, then that is what we'll do." The corner of his mouth pulled upward into a veritable smile, almost displaying the bashfulness she should've been. "...the fact that you had to ask such a silly question astounds me, Lady Holt."

The all too familiar pink color of her embarrassment flooded her cheeks. “This is why I love you, Kaidren Holt. I couldn’t have asked for a better husband if I had been given the choice of... all the men in Azeroth.” She closed her eyes, feeling a touch dizzy suddenly. Her eyes blinked, letting her head become re-balanced, even as she kept her arms wrapped around Kaidren’s neck. As she had done for more than a month now, the Baroness pretended as if nothing had happened, and smiled up at him. “I think we ought to set a date, an official one, don’t you?”

The soft pad of his thumb brushed against the blossoming hues along her cheeks as an expression of longing tugged at the outer ridges of his features; it wasn't that he was missing something, but in actuality he was content and longed for the future that lingered patiently upon the horizon. As her lashes pinched closed, Kaidren's brows knit with concern; true, it was only a few seconds in passing, but such instances have occurred frequently in the last month and could hardly be ignored. "Are you well, my Lady?" Perhaps it was simply his nerves and paranoia nipped at the back of his neck-- it seemed, every time he allowed himself to be happy, tragedy struck. Without her having to respond, he drew in a deep breath and pulled her close, leveling his lips to her forehead. "Too much stress," He finally added, weaving himself about to tuck her head beneath his chin. "How about we simply rest, instead of go visit with the villagers? Spend a week laying in bed... or go swimming... lounge around... then toward the end of our visit, we'll take a tour around the barony... and once it's concluded, we can make our way back to Addlewood." It was as much a suggestion as it was a question. "And, yes... we probably should." The corner of his mouth pulled upward with a hint of humor; they were already married... and he forgot they must keep up the charade just a little while longer.

Natalia was quickly running out of excuses to supply for the reasons she was feeling unwell, though she did her best to reassure him that all was well. The horrors that haunted him were well known to her, and she had no desire to give him cause for worry. He was so happy and she longed to see that happiness remain, even if it meant lying to him about her true state of being. “I must have drank too much wine at dinner,” she smiled softly up at him before he pulled her in close. Her arms lowered to a more comfortable position, wrapping around his middle, putting far less strain on her muscles that were quite fatigued. “That sounds like a dream, My Lord. There is a fresh water spring not too far from here that we could visit tomorrow afternoon. I can have lunch prepared for us to bring and we can spend the day soaking up the sun and each other.”

Kaidren stood still, wrapped in each other's embrace, for quite some time. Twisting himself, he'd slowly rock the both of them back and forth while they enjoyed the night air, before one arm unwound and hooked behind her legs, and the other around her shoulders. He'd pluck her from the ground with very little effort and begin to close the distance between them and the bed. "We can do what ever your heart desires, my Lady." He didn't bother closing the doors behind them-- the cool, evening breeze brought freshness into the room and would no doubt help with his wife's sudden issue with heat. "... No wine, though."

The softest gasp drew inward through her parted lips as her slender form was lifted off the ground. His scent of sandalwood, earth and city’s filled the inner chambers of her nostrils, reminding her of the first night they spent together. The fresh air did in fact to do her some sort of good, lifting her spirits though those were rather hard to dampen. Besides if she needed heat, all she would have to do is scootch herself closer to her husband. “Just a little bit of wine?” She protested teasingly, keeping up the charade that she had begun. 

Kaidren draped his wife across the luxurious sheets and allowed her to snuggle beneath them if she so chose, or lay atop them in order to handle the heat. Whereas he may have tried to climb over her to his previous spot, now that he knew she was unwell, he rounded the bed and sat on the edge before resting the arc of his spine into the comforts. Rolling onto his side and propping himself up on one arm, he watched every movement she made there after. "No wine." Came the authoritative tone, though his gaze dropped to her hand before he'd grip it tightly. "Perhaps it is the vintage-- maybe a different bottle and a different kind?"

Natalia pushed herself up into a sitting position with her back propped up against the thick pillow. Lithe legs pulled themselves up towards her chest as she pulled the sheets up to her waist and let her legs stretch back out. She was very aware of her husband's watchful gaze, how watched her like she was some fragile porcelain doll in a glass case, ready to shatter at the slightest touch. It would only worsen if he knew just how horrible she was really feeling, and he'd likely never let her out of bed. She simply gave him a small, warm smile and nodded. "Perhaps I can try some of Lady Ludlow's. I hear it's quite delicious and beyond compare in its quality."

Kaidren dips his head in a slow nod. "Yes, Lady Ludlow's wine is rather delicious, and comes in a variety of flavors. My family prefers her wines over all others." As she straightened her legs, he scoots closer to rest his head in her lap., arms snaking around the leg closest to him as though it were a stuffed animal. "Should we have a physician look at you while we're here? I'd hate to let you drink and find out you were pregnant. " Awaiting the audible gasp that would surely follow, once she made a peep, he'd pinch the back of her knee between index and thumb.

Natalia's fingers began to comb themselves through his dark thick hair as he nestled himself into her lap. A soft gasp did follow, but the softness contrasted greatly with the pang of guilt and near heartbreak that thrummed within her heart. "I... I'm not pregnant," she replied quietly, her head hanging in shame. It was something she desperately wanted, not only to give him an heir but to also have something that was the product of their love. "I wish I was, but my physician here confirmed it. I met with her yesterday while you were resting.”

While the news was disappointing, the weight of it didn't show up upon his features; instead, he offered his wife a faint smile. "I'm sure you will be in time-- besides, no reason to rush... just means we get to enjoy one another for a tad longer." He snuggled his cheek into her lap and wound his arms around the leg closest to him. "Under the weather, then... Climate change, all of the added stress... I'm sure it's nothing to be worried about, my love." Kaidren turned his head enough so that he could peer at her through the corner of his eye. "... maybe it's a new allergy... to food or something in the air. We'll figure it out."

Tears stung at her eyes while she continued to comb her fingers affectionately through his hair. With his face turned away from hers for the time, she allowed a single teardrop to fall over the crest of her cheek before quickly wiping it away before he could see. “I will give you children, Kaidren, I promise. I will give you a son in the image of his father.” The hope and positivity that her husband held, it bolstered her spirits in the same hope that it was something easily fixed or would wean away. “Yes, we will my love.”

(( @householt @kaideholt ))

[agilenano]

Agilenano - News: The 10 Best Tape Measures

Best Tape Measure

Disclaimer: There are affiliate links in this post. This means that at no cost to you, I will receive a small commission if you purchase through my link. I will only ever promote the products and services that I trust and 100% recommend. You may read my full disclosure policy for more information. Thanks for supporting my business in this way.

For this post, I have put together a collection of the best tape measures currently available.

Updated: December 5, 2019

MY TOP PICK: If you are looking for the best overall, I recommend the Stanley 25' Powerlock because it features a mylar coated blade for durability with a 1 width for easy reading.

A durable, reliable tape measure is an essential tool for any professional or DIY'er.The typical length is 25, so it works for most everyday tasks.

However, depending on what you are working on, you may need a different tool for the job:

If you need the dimensions of something large:

Example: the interior dimensions of a room. Consider using a laser measuring tool.

If you need the dimensions of something very large:

Example: the length of a piece of property. Consider using a measuring wheel.

If you need the precise dimensions of something small:

Example: the diameter of a ring. Consider using a digital caliper.

The following tape measures use the latest innovative components to meet your needs and help to ensure you do your best work.

So here is my list of The 10 Best Tape Measures.

Enjoy!

1.Stanley 25' Powerlock Tape Measure

Stanley 33-425 Powerlock 25-Foot by 1-Inch Measuring Tape - Original Stanley

The Stanley Powerlock 25-Foot by 1-Inch Measuring Tape is a classic, and for good reason.

Standard features include a lockable blade for precise measurements and minimal slippage, a belt hook for easy access, a 1-inch wide blade for easy reading, and 16-inch and 19.2-inch stud center markings.

Plus, Stanley has added a heat-treated spring to increase the tape's lifespan.

Blade is coated with mylar to help it stand up to abrasion associated with repeated use.

Patented Tru-Zero hook doubles as a pivot for drawing circles and arcs, and it automatically adjusts to handle inside or outside measurements.

2. Kutir 25' Tape Measure

Measuring Tape Measure By Kutir - EASY TO READ 25 Foot BOTH SIDE DUAL RULER, Retractable, STURDY, Heavy Duty, MAGNETIC HOOK, Metric, Inches and Imperial Measurement, SHOCK ABSORBENT Solid Rubber Case Kutir

Both inch and metric tape measure.

Sturdy matte blade measuring 0.15mm thick stand out till 7 ft, this 25 foot tape measure is strong and durable.

Casing of our retractable measuring tape is made out of a top grade rubberized material that is conveniently shock-absorbent.

End of the measuring tape is outfitted with a powerful magnet, helping you to get a proper measurement.

Simply attach the end of the ruler to any metal surface to keep it in place while you get the measurements you need.

Bold easy to read large numbers, that provides accurate measurements for carpenters, builders, hobbyists and more.

3. Komelon 25' Tape Measure

Komelon SM5425 Speed Mark Gripper Acrylic Coated Steel Blade Measuring Tape, 1-Inch X 25Ft, White Komelon USA

An evolution of the original Komelon Gripper and its design, now with the Speed Mark fractional graduations.

Blade on the Gripper Speed Mark is acrylic coated.

Includes fractional graduations printed on the blade making it quick and easy to read.

Easy grip, thick rubber jacket surrounding its ergonomic compact case.

4. Magnelex 33' Tape Measure

Tape Measure 33-Foot (10m) by Magnelex, Inches and Metric Measuring Tape for Construction, Home Use and DIY, Smooth Sliding Nylon Coated Ruler, Strong Belt Clip, Impact Resistant Rubber Covered Case OZNC Global Ithalat Ihracat Ltd. Sti.

Supurb magnelex solidrule tape measure 33-foot (10m) will make all your projects go far easier. We started by making this tape much more reliable and durable.

2-in-1 inch and metric tape measure.

Ergonomic design insures this tape measure is easy to grip, easy to hold, and non-slip in wet conditions.

The highly durable ABS case is covered in rubber, protecting the inner mechanism, the tape, and the overall construction.

Very smooth, reliable tape for both extension and retraction.

The blade is nylon coated on both sides to give you a tape that won't break, crack, or split.

Strong stop button keeps this tape from slipping while you make your markings.

Easily lock the blade with one hand.

Functional, sturdy belt clip and strong wrist strap.

5. QuickDraw 25' Tape Measure

QUICKDRAW DIY Self Marking 25' Foot Tape Measure - 1st Measuring Tape with a Built in Pencil - Best Steel Tape - Power Locking Tape Ruler Imperial Blades LLC

Built in pencil: Quickdraw is the first tape measure with a built in graphite dispensing wheel.

Easy and accurate: quickly make your mark with pinpoint accuracy.

Rugged nylon coating.

9+ feet of standout.

Durabile and a strong recoil every time.

6. Komelon 25'Tape Measure

Komelon SL2825 Self Lock 25-Foot Power Tape Komelon

The Self Lock Series features a unique self locking mechanism that allows the blade to extend smoothly.

Push button release that insures complete control when retracting the blade.

The series also provides an impact resistant rubberized case and a nylon coated blade for maximum durability.

7. Stanley FatMax 25' Tape Measure

Stanley 33-725 25-Feet FatMax Tape Measure Stanley

The Stanley 25-Foot FatMax Tape Measure is reinforced on the first three feet with BladeArmor coating for maximum durability.

A Mylar polyester film extends the life of the entire blade.

Cushion grip built into the case for a non-slip grip and impact resistance.

A top forward blade lock design makes it easier to lock and unlock the blade.

Heavy, heat-treated spring provides long life and smooth blade recoil.

The tape blade measures 25-feet-by-1-1/4-inch with a 11-foot tape standout.

Bright yellow, easy-to-read blade has 16-inch and 19.2-inch stud center markings.

8. eTape 16' Digital Tape Measure

eTape16 ET16.75-db-RP Digital Tape Measure, 16 Feet, Red eMeasure

eTape16 digital tape measure revolutionizes not only the tape measure but also expands its utility.

Large digital display provides easy reading while the advanced features are readily accessible.

Features include:

Three memories.

US or Metric units.

Centerline calculation.

Re-zero.

Inside/Outside measurements.

In addition to its advanced features, the eTape16 incorporates a sleek modern design.

Made of poly carbonate plastic, the eTape16 is made to last in the most rugged of environments.

9. Lufkin 25' Tape Measure

Lufkin L1025B Black Widow 25' Tape Measure Low Glare Matte Finish Hi-Visibility Blade Markings Lufkin

World class test and measurement manufacturer Lufkin brings you the new Black Widow 25' tape measure.

1-3/16 dual sided black blade.

Consecutive inches to 16ths on both sides.

Vertical read out on back of blade with horizontal on front, a 10 foot standout for longer reach and efficient measuring, reversed color blade for improved legibility in low light conditions.

Hi-Viz Green marking for excellent contrast.

Matte Nylon blade coating in conjunction with black blade offer reduced glare in outdoor applications dual

End-Hook grips on all sides makes marking and measuring easier rugged rubber over mold housing for increased impact-resistance.

10. Swanson Tool 25' Tape Measure

Swanson Tool SVPS25M1 25-Feet Magnetic Savage Proscribe Tape Measure Swanson Tool

The Magnetic Savage Proscribe tape measure from Swanson Tool features a patented innovative, retractable scribe guide and centering pin to help measure and mark to cut lengths and radiuses.

Patented Proscribe integrates several valuable marking functions, including the compass-like ability to measure and scribe circles, as well as the chalk-line-accuracy to measure and mark/score straight lines.

Retractable 1-1/2" rigid scribe guide allows contractors to transfer a specific measurement by sliding the guide along the edge of a board or drywall sheet, while the reinforced tip is used to mark the work piece.

Users can also easily position a case knife or carpenter's pencil against the tape's metal tip to cut, score or mark the desired width.

The tape's heavy-duty metal tip also helps draw forward the scribe-guide element (when unlatched) through two magnets mounted to the innovative guide.

Clearly marked every 1/8" from the 1' mark and up, the wide blade marks off feet, as well as Inch.

Available in 16' and 25' versions.

I hope this list of the best tape measure was helpful.

If you think I left out one that is important or have a suggestion for a future article, let me know in the comments below.

Brandon Hubbard, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP BD+C

Agilenano - News from Agilenano from shopsnetwork (4 sites) https://agilenano.com/blogs/news/the-10-best-tape-measures

[lycorogue]

Who Wants to Meet My OCs? (Part 1 - Creating Worlds)

Okay, so I wanted to do this for months now, but was always too lazy to just sit down and do it. Well, I’m feeling motivated now, so let’s give it a whirl.

I’d like to introduce each of you to my OCs with their own individual posts. You are more than welcome to AMA about them or send me asks requesting for a specific character to answer. I want YOU to know more about them, because that helps ME learn more about them. :D The thing, though, is I’d also like to let you guys know the IRL background for each character. I’d LOVE to let you guys in on the process of how I came up with these OCs in the first place. So I’m starting my Meet My OCs series with exactly that: a break-down on how I came up with them. I’ll be posting a new one every Sunday for the next few months. It became quite lengthy though, which is why I’m splitting them up into a mini-series. However, if you really don’t care, and wish to just jump to the info posts for the characters themselves, you can check out my first character intro: Willow Driver If you ARE interested in my character creation process, feel free to check below the break, and thank you for indulging me. :) 

My main OCs come from one of two places, both of which includes role playing. I guess that means I can’t discover a character for a full-length story unless I’ve ran around in their skin for a few months...

For this first part of the series, I’m going to start large: introducing the main Inspiration Spring for my OCs and the worlds they live in.

Those two worlds/stories are: 

1) Gyateara

2) Glitches

The second part of my series will talk more about the IRL origins for my Gyateara characters. And the third part will explain where my Glitches characters came from.

Then I’ll get into the actual character intros.

But first: the worlds!

Gyateara

The characters for Gyateara are (mostly) from D&D campaigns. This original world of mine (of which I’m still painfully building) is your classic High Fantasy/Tolkien-esque/D&D setting. However, Gyateara itself refers to the world a series of not-necessarily-interconnecting stories will take place on. There may even be multiple book series written within the overall Gyateara universe. Much like how Ender’s Game, Speaker for the Dead, Xenocide, and Children of the Mind are all the Ender Series, meanwhile Ender’s Shadow, Shadow of the Hegemon, Shadow Puppets, and Shadow of the Giant are all the Shadow Series (following Bean), but they are both series within the overall Enderverse. Buuuuut, I’ll have to FINISH CREATING THE WORLD before I think of anything that in-depth.

My original inspiration for Gyateara was the Xbox game Fable, way back in 2005. I sort of took the world build around the country of Albion in that game, added in some Hyrule from the Legend of Zelda franchise, sprinkled in Feudal Japan as presented in the anime InuYasha, and finished off with a dash of Gaea from the anime The Vision of Escaflowne. Once I mixed that hodge-podge pot of environments and world-builds together, I poured it out into the half-baked cake that became The Northern Isles. This was the main setting for my failed first NaNoWriMo attempt: The Race for Destiny. (The story is so bad, you guys! TT^TT) 

As years crawled along, I got introduced to the webcomic Order of the Stick (which is excellent and still going, btw). Strip #273 started a mini-series called The Crayons of Time, which told the world creation story. It also discussed the four main pantheons; which were typically the Main Four that D&D players use if they don’t want to put in the effort to create their own gods. The Northern Gods are the Norse pantheon, Eastern Gods are the Greek pantheon, Southern Gods are the Chinese Zodiac, and Western Gods are the ones created for D&D and presented in the Player’s Handbook. The gods battled each other frequently, and so they went to the four directions, promised not to really intervene with the other regions, and kind of ignored each other.

I LOVED this concept, and wove it into my world, where there are multiple pantheons, much like there was IRL, except, Gyateara’s gods are KNOWN to be real, but they don’t intervene outside their region of rule, so it’s rare for non-travelers to even know of the other gods/pantheons.

I’ll have to dedicate time to go more in-depth with Gyateara and it’s build in the future.

Glitches

While Gyateara refers to the world, and not the intended stories themselves, Glitches very much refers to one intended series/saga. I envision it as a large-cast project I’d love to one day create as a webcomic. Sadly, I can barely draw stick figures, and I have yet to accomplish the task of writing a comic script. I’ve written movie scripts before, but not comic scripts. I did debate waving the white flag and just going with my trusty skill as an amateur novelist, but Glitches just seems like such a visual story to me. Which is probably why I have multiple character images for Glitches, but not so much for my Gyateara characters.

Glitches actually originated as a message board play-by-post role play game.

Back in 2012, my husband and I rewatched the TV series X-Men: Evolution. Hubby loved how the show re-imagined a lot of the canonical X-Men characters, and decided he wanted to host a role play game using that universe. Hubby wondered what the Evolution characters would be like as adults in this universe. More importantly, he wondered what THEIR CHILDREN would be like. So he started up the game we titled X-Future. 

In the RP, each player got to pick a parent off of a list Hubby provided and regularly updated. Then, because life is random, Hubby rolled on a chart to determine the second parent for the player’s character. Once that’s figured out, Hubby rolled on yet another chart to see what powers the character inherited. The player then had fairly free-rein to create from that moment on. Sadly, most of the parental pairings were suuuuuper random, and the players not THAT creative, and so we had a LOT of “one night stand souvenir” kids. Regardless, the actual character creations, development, and interactions were fairly good.

In fact, after a solid year or so of playing on X-Future, I realized I loved our overall story so much that I wanted more than just our players to experience it. At first, I attempted to just rewrite our game sessions as story chapters. It... got long and messy, especially when I tried to go back and re-organize the order of the posts. We... didn’t focus on continuity and timelines as much as we should have in those early sessions.... Nearly 70,000 words and 14 chapters in, and I had only recapped the first couple months of the game. 

Perhaps someday I’ll attempt to continue (and complete) the project, but for right now it’s just too much for me to work on with everything else.

Eventually, while working on my rewrite project, I realized I wanted to polish things up, tweak others, and kind of just go down my own storytelling road. That’s when I decided I wanted to take some of the more prominent characters from X-Future and drop them in an original, non-X-Men-related, story.

For whatever reason, I pictured X-Future as being a sort of baby cyberpunk environment. Not as extreme as say Ghost in the Shell, or Blade Runner, or Johnny Mnemonic, or Æon Flux or anything like that. It’s more like the cusp of cyberpunk, like the world just as it’s transitioning into a cyberpunk one. Because of this, I thought that instead of “mutants”, my characters would be called “glitches.”

I talked a bit more about the world of Glitches in three posts back in November:

Generic History of the World

Explaining The GRID: Part 1

Explaining The GRID: Part 2

The Characters

Alright, now that you know a bit about the worlds and the IRL inspiration for them, how about the characters I’ll be introducing you to in this series?

From Gyateara:

Amara Yori

Jolene Crisslebalm

Natalie [last name TBD]

Connor [last name TBD]

From Glitches:

Willow Driver

Amelia “Lia” Mordeaux [last name not set]

Patricia “Trish” Morrison

Chayse LeBeau [last name TBD]

Matteo [last name TBD]

Emily [last name TBD]

Ryder [last name TBD]

Keahi [last name TBD]

Cody [last name TBD]

Ignatius “Iggy” [last name TBD]

I’d also like for you guys to meet Devon St. James from Glitches, but he’s actually my friend’s OC for X-Future, and I haven’t received permission to officially include him in Glitches yet. Likewise, I would LOOOOOOVE to include the characters Lucas and Lincoln from X-Future, but the player who created them specifically requested that he is the only one who writes them. So, sadly, they will not be making the transition into Glitches. 

Also, all of those “Last name to be determined” for Glitches is because they all still have their Marvel Canon last names right now. I still have to tweak those.

Matteo, Emily, Ryder, Keahi, Cody, and Ignatius were all originally Marvel-owned X-Men canon characters that were parents and/or mentors for the characters within X-Future. While I reworked their looks, personalities, backstory, and even their powers a bit, I only focused on new first names. Eventually I’ll figure out their last names...

Chayse and Lia have their fathers’ last names, and their fathers are X-Men canon characters, and so I still have to tweak their last names as well.

As for the “Last name to be determined” for those two Gyateara characters? Well, they’re from “The Race for Destiny”. That failed NaNo project I talked about above. One of the failures was that I never really put in the effort to come up with last names for them... so I’ll need to work on that as well.

Phew... that... was a lot. Thank you so much for reading through it all!

Next up, further IRL creation stories for my Gyateara characters.

[sprigxfthyme]

You and your gang of stuck of elitists and go to hell, you're characters are badly written and you have no idea how nations should work

((Do you mean “can go to hell”? And “your characters”? Now I’ve been laughing off the shit you fling over here, but let’s have a little heart-to-heart my darling little turd blossom

What amuses me the most is that you and I both know you don’t actually believe the things you say to us. You’re just throwing a tantrum and wallowing in self-pity because we cut you out of our lives for being an absurdly shitty and toxic friend and then outed you when you decided harassment was how you were going to win us back. I know you don’t think any of us are awful writers, I know you don’t hate our muses (in some cases, you’ve clearly been jealous of them).

So what’s up, Liam? What’s grinding your gears? Are you still just that bitter that you fucked shit up with us and we’re done rolling over and forgiving you? That’s not healthy man. I truly meant it when I said that I wished all the best for you in your new RP rings, but I wasn’t going to tolerate your harassment or copying my muse.

Are you pissed because we won’t tell you what was wrong with your Fr.ance? The honest answer is that above all else, you were the problem. Why the fuck would I RP with someone who had become such a toxic presence in my life? If you’re referring to how you claimed you were feeling slighted before that, the answer is that we were fucking busy. I had a new job and was getting ready to go back to En.gland, Hettie had extremely stressful exams she had to pass because of how Brexit had affected her uni degree, and Ryan if I remember correctly, had a fuckton of auditions and was doing whatever preparations and applications for starting uni for the spring term. I told you I understood how frustrating it must be to re-integrate yourself into the comm and the chat after having been gone for so long, but you never took my advice hen I tried to help you. Hettie and I told you that we weren’t comfortable with extensive plotting because we didn’t know much about what your muse was like, so we’d rather do short interactions to get a feel for him. You didn’t listen and kept trying to repeatedly shove Francois into business that wasn’t his, like Alice and Robert’s relationship and Tom and Rian’s, and it made us uncomfortable. And Ryan felt like you dropped anything you had going on with them as soon as Hettie or Tara came online. And then, of course, there was the big shit show, but all I’m gonna say is that I was willing to forgive you. I just needed to not think about you for a while or have to interact with you, and I knew the others did too. So I gave you advice to keep your head down and lay low, and you just fucking didn’t and kept pestering people about if they were upset with you and that they should unblock you.

So do you want more honesty? You want me to get a little nasty? You got it.

You claimed that Francois was a Fr.ance OC, but his last name was still Bonnefoy. That’s a massive pet peeve of mine. You dedicated nearly no time to learning and exploring French history. Your writing was flat, unimaginative, and uninspiring, both in terms of your replies and general descriptions of Francois. He had no personality. You might write stuff about his personality, but that was never illustrated through his actions and words in threads. Your attempts at humor were awkward. It was like forcing Alice to interact with a mannequin.

All that being said, I was still willing to RP with you. You were sweet and conveyed an admiration of people’s writing and their characters in the chat that I appreciated, and I thought that when I had a better feel for Francois we could chat about plotting and I could tease out much more depth from him. But you turned out to be a shitty friend and a toxic person.

And since you’re apparently the expert, tell me, how should nations work? Are you Himaruya incognito? That bit you told Ryan about how a nation can’t possibly be just gay or straight was really weird. By that logic a nation can’t possibly be just male or female, whether cis or trans.

What do you get out of sending us anons all the time? I think it’s super obvious that we don’t give a shit. Does it bring you some small satisfaction to think that you keep worming your way back into our lives at some level each time we read them? Because I’ve got news for you: it’s become so routine to us that it means nothing, and “oh I’ve got my daily Liam message” is a joke. So by all means, keep giving us stuff to chat about.

xoxoElizabeth aka the person who fucking vouched for you when you fucked everything up