#and this branch took a life of its own ToT

[oscarwrites]

Me: Alright, this is the last passage I need to draft from scratch for this section!

Also me: *adds 3 choices at the end of it*

[seb-owns-these-tatas]

Witcher Of The Night (Chapter 1)

WITCHER OF THE NIGHT MASTERLIST

Characters: Geralt of Rivia x small!Naive!Reader

Summary: You've woken up being hunted by an Alghoul. You were in a death race and hollered for help. Though, it seems like the human you've first seen didn't exactly appeared to look human all through out as his eyes glowed beneath the moon light. You've talked to him but he didn't seem friendly at all except for his awakened friend. The words coming out of their mouth seemed baffling because they were acting like they didn't live in earth, and deep inside you were in denial because they really weren't.

Warnings: Monsters? The word 'whores' and cusses? Blood? A lot of modern references because reader lives in modern day era in earth.

Words: 3,800+

A/N: Hello! Yes, this is my first Geralt fic! There will be eventual smut in the future chapters. I can just tell. LMAO. I ain't good with medieval things but I'm trying! I hope this isn't a failure nor a disappointment, spuds! 😅 Reader lives in modern day earth in this fic but magically woke up in The Witcher’s dimension, alright? This turned to be comedic because of the modern references from the reader. 😂🤣🤣 I had fun writing this! FOR REAL! 

TAGLIST IS OPEN FOR THIS ONE! Heehee! Don’t forget to REBLOG, COMMENT OR GIVE FEEDBACK IF YOU DID LOVE THIS FIRST PART! IT’LL MAKE ME SMILE!

Taglist: @alyxkbrl @himarisolace @barkingbullfrog​

Disclaimer: PNG's used in edits are not mine even the GIF's too. However, the edits and oneshots are definitely from moi. Characters and said monsters aren't from moi as well. (GIF taken from Tumblr!)

MY WORKS ARE NOT TO BE POSTED ON ANY OTHER WEBSITES. My official username in Wattpad is “TATATHEPOTATO” and that’s the only other site I have aside from Tumblr. Thank you, Tater tots!

Tweaks of branches echoed around the unspecified woodland. The satisfying crack of the frail wood felt on the soles of your feet which wore some nasty pink Havaianas slippers as the night sky became colder than from what you were accustomed with.

You were running away from god knows what as you've heard a loud thud beside the tree you've woken up with. Taking a trip down the memory lane, your forgetful mind could only recall a lake in which you were drowning in and the sudden flash of lightning occurred above you as the water rested upon your face.

Then after that terrifying nightmare, you suddenly woke up in the middle of nowhere. A slightly dead looking forest before you've heard the rustle of some twigs and leaves beside you.

Having a vacation in the forest of Switzerland has never been a dream and considering how God smacked you in the head unconscious and teleported you in Switzerland was entirely bewildering from the start.

Your heart was hurriedly pounding out of your chest as you sprinted as fast as you can. Abnormal shrills whistled with the wind that made you mewl as you ran for your life. There has been cuts and bruises across your knee from how you've stumbled upon a large log that hid beneath the earth-like soil. No pain has been sent to your nerves yet because of the adrenaline rush rising in every part of your veins with the need for the hushed voices to stop.

"Ah!" Another loss of one's footing, you've tripped over a large rock and fell face flat. Face now covered in grime and soot as you've heard the intangible whisper of words for the tenth time.

"Leave me the fuck alone! If this is a prank, it's not funny because I'm hurt!" you shrieked in the night and no one in particular. Limbs were turning feeble and shaky, but you've offered all your will power to survive in the damn forest if you were about to get murdered and be found after a year where your body has already been eaten by some wild animal.

The hushed voices were coming closer to a definite scare that took your heart out of your chest. You've pushed yourself up and began sprinting with a limp as you saw the end of the forest; like a meadow was waiting for your damn demise as you won't be outrunning the murderers behind you.

You stood in the middle of a grass field. So, this was the end for you. The voices inside your head spoke as you've scanned the whole area and saw a peculiar wooden house in the middle of the vast area.

The wooden house seemed to be made of Hazel twigs, daub and wattle. Its whole structure was darn weird to be seen in the era you knew you were in. Year 2020. It looked medieval, old and superannuated. The house's structure had a timber frame with a light glowing inside the open panels of its windows.

Human. Someone can help you. Based on the clothes that hung on the sides of a wooden fence in logs, you knew there was someone living inside the peculiar looking house.

Then, you've heard a loud roar. It was enough for you to spun on your heels and see who had been chasing you like a wild boar.

Yet, it wasn't a normal wild boar that could calm you down just a slight because it was just an animal.

The one chasing you didn't seem a murderer nor an animal. Its body appeared to live on the ground, like a zombie who came to life and had no lower body. Though, it had a large stomach and uses his burly arms to chase you down the forest. With Bright cardinal eyes wrathfully staring you down as you stood rooted on the ground in the middle of the field; your heart seeming to run out of oxygen because of what you were witnessing.

You didn't know if it was an alien or a zombie. Proper thinking thrown out of the window as you were running away from the nightmare that was bound to kill you in your sleep, if you were even sleeping.

Your feet ran a trek to the house; looking behind. Focal point completely at the fast carcass crawling to where you were, tons of disgusting looking saliva dripping out of its eroding jaw and you were screaming for help as you skedaddle away.

Until your head hit a hard wall, but not enough for you to fall unconscious.

Vision falling like a kaleidoscope world, you blinked repeatedly and squinted you eyes up at the wall. Though, you were met with a clothed robust chest and a strong warmth he radiated through the crispy, cold Autumn wind. You've scanned him from chest to face and noticed a coin-like silver necklace just a meter away from your face that had a symbol of a wolf.

You didn't know if you were just still dizzy from your newly awakened-self but it was as if your world spun around you as the brawny, marvelous man towered over you like a lion over a mouse. His jawline impressively great enough to cut a bitch; a prominent, cleft chin that can be quite tempting to poke at and eyes that were glowing in Aurum like a star in the night sky or a pot of gold in the other end of the rainbow, with majestic half-tied hair that ended below his shoulders tinted in ivory that stood upon the Tartarean night.

Though, despite of how dashing, grimy and haggard he appeared before you. The scowl on his face was enough to take you to step back from how disturbed he looked like.

You've seen him somewhere. In the movies back in your laptop when you were having a marathon of something.

Lord of the rings. Right, you were dreaming about it in the middle of being chased in your nightmare. That explains why he appeared.

You clapped excitedly as you lifted your chin to stare into his beautiful blazing gold eyes. The grumpy looking man cocked his head to the side as he scrutinized and studied your filth-filled face and you couldn't help but notice the concealed scrunch of his nose if you weren't staring a little bit too closely.

"Hmm," it was the first word you've heard from this intimidating man standing in front of you and hearing such an impossible, low timbre of a hum that vibrated from his chest could get your knees weak from such a tone because you didn't know if it was scaring you or telling you to run for the hills instead.

"Legolas?" your voice croaked out loud, voice turning small when you've received only a grimace that wouldn't be considered as a fake smile, much to your dismay. Your scrutinizing eyes noticed something different from one of the Lord of the Rings character and it was the maturity of his face, "--a middle aged Legolas! Help me! Use your arrow thingy--" he pushed your shoulders to stay behind him, making you stumble from the impact but not enough to ignite another bruise to your knees. Your eyes staring weirdly at his back as you studied the long metal knightly looking steel wrapped around his thick, large, powerful looking palms.

"---Oh, a sword would suffice." you muttered, suddenly uninmpressed because you wanted him to have an arrow instead of a sword to live in your fantasies and continued to hid behind the large build of his body, taking a peek as you saw the bizarre looking creature who screeched so loud that it echoed all over the meadow. You've unconsciously held onto the hem of the wool sweater behind the first human you've ever encountered other than the creature who planned to eat you alive.

"There's a zombie!"

Geralt felt the hand tugging at his sweater. He was close to jumping from the sudden physical touch because of how sudden you've reach out for him regardless of meeting him just tonight. His eyebrows in a tough knot and expression unreadable as he eyed the Alghoul running towards you. The hand holding the hem of his clothing was instantly right out of your hands as he prepared his stance and tread towards the critter like he was confident enough he could eliminate him.

He swung the sword, aiming for the head using just one hand as he lifted it with no trouble; like it was his own weapon and you couldn't help but watch the whole scene unfold before you. The Alghoul jumped using its arms but he was stronger, faster, braver and definitely had no sweat with the upswing of his sword as he slashed the head off the creature with one blow.

Well, he was great. Too great with the sword indeed.

Black blood spurt as he'd cut his head off with no remorse, some of its blood flying off to your grimy sleeveless top and face as you winced from the gore and stared at the head rolling on the ground till it hit your toes.

You just wanted to scream out loud but it seems like your jaw has been stuck and you had no voice to start.

The man seemed to be unruffled at the fact that he just cut the creature's head off with his sword, turning his back at face front that you saw black fluids on the smooth wrinkle of his forehead and cheeks.

"It's an Alghoul," he abnormally grumbled so deep that you mistaken it as a growl. You could feel your tongue stuck in your throat and heard his heavy footsteps coming close. Your eyes still focused at the monster's head scratching your feet that you haven't realized that the man who saved you was actually in front of you already, grabbing its head and throwing it away to save you from another nightmare.

Faded set of footsteps came echoing in. Lighting up a startle from you as you heard a door swish out loud in the open. Until, a budding pitch of a man has said the name of your gory savior in the middle of the night.

"Geralt?" Jaskier hesitantly stepped on the creaking, wooden porch. Eyes still weary of sleep and fatigue as he blinked to the both of you who stood at each other in just an arm reach.

Your savior mumbled another distasteful hum as he observed the short woman before him who seemed to be in total shock; staring at the ground where he'd took the head of the Alghoul away before sighing and taking a step back and away from you to take a look at his bloody sword. "Why, who is this adorable, small grimy lady here in the middle of the night?" the light tone of the man's voice made you blink twice; snapping you out of your reverie.

You turned your head and studied the somnolent man standing outside of the porch, hair disheveled like he'd been disrupted by such a beauty sleep. He looked younger, like he was in his 20's and had a youthful beam with lean muscles beneath the white undershirt wore under a Tunic. Jaskier placed both hands on his hips before pointing a finger at you, sending you a bright smile other than the moue you've received from the man named 'Geralt,' "You came here for Geralt, I suppose? One of your..midnight sashays with him?"

Geralt didn't need to look at his friend and ignored everything he said by walking towards a beautiful brown horse, "Jaskier," he lowly reprimanded as he eyed his horse with an indecipherable expression of his.

Jaskier deeply sighed, his shoulders going up and down from how he did and you eyed him with a baffling twist of your eyebrows.

"First and foremost, you ruined his nap and now he can be as grumpy as an--an Alghoul! An amputated Alghoul!" he blinked in surprise, peeking behind you to see the creature who had its head cut-off laying on the muddy ground.

Geralt continued to pet his horse as your eyes snapped to him, his back on you as you heard his horse neigh, the man named Jaskier still rambling about the creature who laid dead on the ground.

"Alghouls appear in old necropolises and crypts," he scratched his temple with a finger, walking down the path till he was studying the corpse on his foot, "It's a miracle that they've hunted you down. They seldom appear in the forest! Also, they knock down their victims and eat them alive. Right, Geralt? You've taught me these!"

Geralt ignored him and continued petting his horse.

You eyed the man named named Jaskier and watched him walk back to you, a solemn smile on his face because of your unfortunate experience with the forest. Suddenly, realizing about the information he'd uttered, you were sure it was just like those creatures in the movies like Resident Evil or The Walking Dead.

"So, it's basically a zombie!"

Jaskier stared at you like you've eaten a dead mouse. Forehead creasing as he tried mouthing the word you've said, giving his friend a once over as he does, "A zom--what? please do enlighten me, Geralt as to what is a Sombre when I can see with my own splendiferous eyes that the monster he'd killed is an Alghoul--"

You've huffed and bit the insides of your cheeks, fists tightening on either side as you stubbornly bantered, "Z O M B I E. Zombie."

Thus, at the retort; Jaskier had his hands on his hips with his chest puffed out like he was trying to intimidate you. But, it was a failure because he never looked intimidating from the start, "A zombie. Alright. I understood you but not entirely, dirty maiden. Geralt--" he looked over his friend who was now already on the side of you, startling the both of you and sky-scraping from your side as you lifted your chin to see him oddly closing his eyes, breathing you in.

Was he smelling you?

You eyed Jaskier like you were finding it peculiar and he just gave you a shrug, "Your scent..It's...It's...otherworldly, " Geralt uttered, completely resonant and low-pitched that vibrated your calming nerves, "It attracted the Alghoul," he continued with a frown and another sniff before humming in disdain.

"Very out of the ordinary," the latter muttered beneath his chest, a snarl coming out of his mouth as you swallowed the butterflies wanting to come out of your mouth by how monumental he was and you feel so small, "Who sent you?"

You took a step away from the man, eyeing him weirdly as he stubbornly took a step close like personal space wasn't known to the world you are in, "Uhm, no--no one?" a pathetic stutter came out of your lips and felt the tremble of your fingers because of a thought running in your mind that he was also as dangerous as the Alghoul they were saying; maybe even more treacherous, "I came out from my mother’s reproductive organ? You know what, Geralt--"

Jaskier suddenly cut you off, crossing his arms behind him as he watched his friend tower over you, an amused grin etched on his face because you were actually crumbling like a rat before the ginormous cat, "Geralt. A letter G. Not a J. G E R A L T---"

"---Alright, GERALT!" you stopped taking steps back and declared out loud, mocking their accent that you couldn't distinguish. Your palms were outstretched in front of you, ceasing Geralt from pushing you away but not enough to be touching his torso. A pleading look in your eyes that made him breath out of his nose, "---Just please tell me where the airport is and I'm off to my country,"

The man in front of you stared you down, completely uncanny at what you were voicing out. You winced and realized you wouldn't get an answer from him and tried to ask help from his friend instead, but Jaskier was fast to distract you and criticize the clothes you wore, "What even is that clothing?"

You blew out air out of your mouth loudly, not believing their words. They were acting like they weren't actually living in earth at all, "It's casual! Don't judge!"

Jaskier also gave a huff, not believing the outlandish behavior from a lady and continued complaining to the Witcher who seemed to never have the decency to give you space, "Cas--what? Geralt, this woman is foolish. Don't even attempt to ravish her in any way. Utterly not worth it! She's a cuckoo with that flimsy short trousers, an odd looking footwear and a thin top like the Alghoul has taken all of her silk. Unless, this woman is actually your type, well--I wouldn't judge you for your taste in women because most of the time it is utmost round the bend--"

His spouts were cut short as you managed to get a proper look at the strangely, beautifully rugged man before you, giving him one of those tired, puppy eyes that made his frown much less more like it as he waited, "I just wanna go home," your voice sounded so vindicated and you were sure his eyes were really glowing under the night sky, "---please tell me where the airport is and I'll go, or you can probably help me with my wounds first before you shoo me away,"

You've felt the burns from your wounds and ungracefully tried to avoid those glowing eyes that seem to suddenly make your heart pound. Damn you and your horrid types, "Do you...have a car?" you asked no one in particular as you watched the stars that also seemed to be peculiar because of how many they were.

His horse neighed from a distance which gave you an idea that their house didn't have a garage nor do they have a car. You peeked behind Geralt and saw his horse standing behind the stables, "Oh, you have a horse. A beautiful brown horse, I take it we're in a province, I see."

Again, no response from him other than Jaskier's sighs. It was like taking to the wind, but actually talking to a corpse.

You could feel the heat of his stare and it was making you conscious of how you actually looked like, so you continued to avoid his eyes and looked at anywhere but him, "We're in Switzerland right? Or in a province in the U.K, Scotland or Australia considering your accents?"

The only response you've gotten from him was a mere seven word that made you scrunch your nose by how weirder they get, "You aren't from here, I can tell."

"Way to tell her that she's a woman and not a man, Geralt. Stop stating the obvious,"

You ignored their utterance as they've also ignored your question. All you needed was an airplane to get you back to where you came from and escape from this madness. Yet, they seem like to be beating around the bush which began to slightly irritate you because you were sounding like a broken record, "So where's the airport, gentlemen? I still need to feed my cat at home and I'll tell the entire universe that its the end of the world with the zombies. Gotta' tell them a zombie apocalypse is happening--my phone!" you patted the pockets of your shorts and felt your Android phone inside. You've fished it out and pressed the home button, the bright light gleaming beneath the night and both men couldn't help but stare at you in oddity.

"Your what?" was the only thing Jaskier has muttered, looking at what you were holding. Geralt  observed the unfamiliar looking thing in your hand and squinted his eyes shut at the bright light, "It's--there's no signal! Where are we?" you tapped on your phone repeatedly and found the GPS not working as the results were indefinite.

Jaskier marched till he was beside his friend, clasping a cold hand on his burly shoulders, cocking his head to the side and clasping his other on his own hip as he gave you a look, "Not just simply absurd but also a strange one, Geralt. You definitely pick the best ladies, First was Renfri; the rebel princess, second is Yennefer; that cunning beautiful mage in which you’ve been in love with and the other hundred are your whores--"

Geralt cocked his head to the side, an unexpected small smile lifting his lips as he continued laying his golden eyes on you, "Year 1268. In the far north kingdom of Kaedwen,"

You nervously nodded, crossing your arms at how exposed you feel from the man before you especially that your clothes were also thin for a weather you were in. Fingers were feeling like ice and you couldn't help but shiver, "Kaedwen? Padawan? Star wars references, I see. Okay, okay, this is getting out of hand and I know you're still in character but please tell me that this is a prank and you're just fond of cosplay,"

"Hmm," His smile was quick to fall, like it has only been a hallucination of your imaginations. Geralt studied you from head to toe. Your breath catching in your throat at how barren you felt with just a simple scan of his eyes and also by how beautiful he looked. Such a pain but soothing for the eyes. He caught the bruises and wounds all over your body and heavily sighed another one before turning his back away from you and letting Jaskier lightly stumble on his feet after giving him a manly tap on the shoulder.

"He's letting her in," Jaskier mumbled to himself and watched Geralt walk away, completely amused as he couldn't believe it, "He really is!"

He scratched his disheveled bed-head and huffed another one, pointing at the retreating man who entered their wooden cavern. "Based on how long I've been a friend with this grumpy Witcher, that answer was either a yes, or a no."

"---Unfortunately, it seems like a no because he took off without a word," he gestured with a finger and used his other to welcome you like a humble gentleman giving way for a princess, "---but also an approval that you can stay in our humble abode to cure that wounds you have which is oddly strange because he never lets anyone in, yet here you are. A grubby ground breaker,"

He eyed the Alghoul's blood on your top and face, his face morphing into disgust as he pointed a playful finger at you, "---And you, small rat. Need a bath," before waggling them around to tell you his point, "---However, you don't get to take my bed,"

The hopes of having your sleep or tightly shutting your eyes, repeatedly wishing inside your head to wake up on your mattress back at your apartment would definitely be a difficult task especially from what you've witnessed. Though, maybe closing your eyes shut and having a nap was the only cure to the nightmare you were living in; taking note at how long this dream of yours have been occurring. It was technically a nightmare full of magical creatures and magic that promised you would only be a mere dream of yours.

That is, when you've opened your eyes after repeatedly wishing up at the sky to wake you up in your dream and saw Jaskier walking in, leaving the door open for you to make yourself at home completely answered your questions.

You weren't dreaming and it appears to be like you were in a different dimension.

"Oh, I'll be damned,"

A PART 2? YES? Y’ALL WANT THIS TO HAVE A SECOND CHAPTER? HEEEHEE!! TELL ME WHAT YA THINK ABOUT THIS! 

[imperial-martian]

—LETTERS: george washington x reader x king george iii (hamilton)

Author’s Note: this is an old oneshot that I wrote two years ago but it is one of my only good oneshots from back in my first Hamilton phase. This is also in first person (which I used to only write in and now I hate it, but that’s fine) so fair warning this is really old and very different to my writing now. Also, this diverges into two endings, King George’s than Washington’s, they’ll be marked at the end of certain sentences.

Trigger Warnings: first person point of view, two year old writing, death, guns, war, fighting, betrayal, swearing, injuries

I stood in front of my horse looking behind me as I was about to hop on.

"Y/N, come back alive," King George told me.

"I'll try my best," I smiled at him. He gave me a sharp look and I replied differently. "I will."

"Good. Y/N you are the best spy we have right now. We cannot afford to lose you," King said.

"Your Majesty, they will need at least 10 men to take me down," I winked. King George gave off a small chuckle.

"Stay safe," he said grabbing my hand and placing a kiss on top of it. He stood up straight, still holding my hand, and I smiled. He nodded turning around and walking away. I hopped onto the horse and signaled to one of the generals that I was leaving. They nodded and I flicked the rains up. The horse charged forward as I directed it where to go.

Hours passed and I finally arrived at the colonist's army camp. I tied the horse to a tree deep in the woods. Taking my jacket off I laid it on the horse and leaned down to get some mud. Smudging it onto my clothes, face, and arms I wanted to make it look as though I was lost. I gave the horse a little water and a carrot I had put in my bag. Leaving everything behind I headed to the camp. I had made little tears in my clothes to give the effect that I had been injured.

Walking within a hundred feet of the camp I began to limp. I saw a few soldiers talking among themselves as they all held bayonets close to them. I finally made it out of the woods and over to the camp. I walked up to one of the soldiers and grabbed their arm.

"Please help me! I was heading home from the store when a British soldier attacked me. I ran as fast as I could, but when I entered the woods I tripped," I explained on the verge of tears. The man looked at his fellow soldiers and nodded. One of the men ran off into a tent which I assumed was the nurse's tent.

"Follow me, ma'am," the soldier said. I nodded following him. I was a little slow since I still had to pretend to limp. He opened the tent flap and a woman had already set a spot for me to sit. Limping over I sat down and she examined my ankle. The soldiers left the room and walked back to where they were. The nurse grabbed a few tools. I realized how uneducated they were with injuries because they still bandaged my ankle even though nothing was wrong.

"Lay down for a bit. I'll be right back I just need to have a word with the General," the nurse explained. I nodded and watched as she walked out. I looked around the tent noticing that most nurses were out on the battlefield. I stood up and walked over to an empty cot. Laying down I closed my eyes and prepared to get the battle plans by the end of the week.

•••

Today was the last day I could attempt to get the plans. I had been receiving letters from King George quite frequently. He had sent another spy to bring me letters in the woods every day. Since the soldiers believed I was attacked by the British they decided it was best I stayed at camp and help around. Which I did. Having received the letters from King George we communicated often, although I was receiving letters from someone else. Someone I didn't know. When I talked to the nurses about it they all said they had never seen that handwriting before. I shrugged it off and hid the letters.

Having been here for a week I met a few clever soldiers. A few being Alexander Hamilton, Marquis De Lafayette who was an ally from the French, and George Washington. George Washington was the General of the continental army. He was a very unique man. Brave, intimidating, and stern, yet he had a sweet side. He heard that I had been injured and asked me to visit his tent darning my break today. Today was my only opportunity to get the plans without being noticed.

I passed time helping soldiers who came in by the minute. Finally, my break arrived and I had received a new later. Not from King George but the other person. I shoved it into my pocket and stood up. Walking over to the tent I headed for Washington's tent. Walking over a few soldiers who passed by waved. Making it to his tent I stood in front of it a little intimidated to go in.

"Sir, may I come in?" I asked trying to keep my heart rate at normal.

"You may," I heard Washington call out. Walking into his tent he looked up. I saw him smile and put down his quill. He stood up and walked over to me taking my hand and placing a kiss on it.

"Now, Miss L/N, could I have a word?" He asked. I nodded and he smiled grabbing a chair and putting it in front of his desk. We talked for a little while as he asked questions about my life, family, and interests. I had to lie about most of it until we heard someone from outside.

"General Washington, you are needed I'm the nurse's tent. Marquis De Lafayette was shot in the foot," a soldier from outside called. Washington jolted up and threw his coat on.

"Y/N are dismissed for now. It was a pleasure talking with you," Washington said making his way tot he tent flap.

"The pleasure is mine sir," I replied. He turned around smiling and walked out. I walked over to his desk rummaging through the papers to find the plans.

"Aha!" I exclaimed once I found them. I ran out of the tent and towards the woods. King George was supposed to meet me here in a few minutes. He wrote in one of his letters that he would. That reminded me of the later I had received earlier. I went to look for it in the pocket. I panicked once I realized O couldn't find it.

"Shit," I muttered. I must have left it in Washington's tent. I debated if I should have gone back when finally I took another step farther into the woods. I made it to a deep part of the woods and sat in front of a tree. I heard footsteps approaching next to me. I turned my head to see Washington. Shit.

"Y/N, I found this inside my tent I assume it's yours," Washington said holding out the letter. I was about to speak when we heard a branch snap. We turned our heads to the sound and saw King George.

"Y/N, stay behind me!" Washington ordered. He took out his gun from its holster.

"Y/N, dear, do you have the plans?" King George asked.

"Dear?" Washington asked. He turned to me confused. I simply gave him a devilish smirk and held up the plans. I walked past Washington and handed King George the plans. Washington pointed his gun at me.

"Y/N please don't make me do this," Washington pleaded.

"I love you," Washington whispered. His hand was shaking and his eyes had tears in them. King George laughed.

"You love her?" Now that's funny. Sorry to tell you General but when we return to England she will be mine," King George said pointing his own gun at Washington. I was a bright shade of pink at King's words. I didn't know King George felt this was about me. While I was distracted in my thoughts Washington shot King in his leg. He fell to the ground in pain. I grabbed King's gun and pointed it at Washington.

"Y/N DON'T MAKE ME SHOOT YOU!" Washington yelled tears falling from his eyes.

"Do it George," I challenged him using his first name. I realized it. Washington was the person who sent me all of the letters that weren't from King. No one knew the handwriting because Hamilton writes all of Washington's letters. My thoughts stopped as I heard Washington fiddle with the trigger. He dropped to his knees.

"I can't do it because I love you," he muttered.

"But I don't," I replied lifting the gun and pulling the trigger. The bullet went straight to his rib. The spy who gave me the letters from King was helping King George. I walked over helping the spy bandage King. I was shocked that no one found us in the woods or heard the loud shots of the gun.

I looked over at Washington who was barely breathing and laughed.

"That's my Queen," King George said placing a finger under my chin and kissing me softly.

[King George's Ending]

"Y/N, stay behind me!" Washington ordered. He took his gun from its holster and pointed it at King George.

"Y/N, dear, do you have the plans?" King George asked.

"Plans?" Washington whispered. King George took his pistol out and pointed it at Washington. This was when I realized Washington was the man who sent me all of the letters. It was obvious. No one knew his handwriting because he never wrote his own letters. He was always kind to me even when visiting the nurse's tent under the worst conditions.

"Yes plans, Y/N do you have them?" King asked again.

"No," I answered.

"No? What do you mean 'no'?" King asked growling.

"When someone says no they mean no," Washington said through gritted teeth. King had enough with Washington and swiftly lifted his hand, pulling the trigger. I watched Washington's gun fly into the air as the bullet entered his shoulder.

"No! You bastard," I yelled at King.

"Y/N come on let's go back to England and stop this little game," King said turning to walk away.

"Not with the likes of you," I said running over and grabbing Washington's gun.

"Excuse me?" He asked standing still. I shot the gun and saw King drop to the floor. The other spy ran up to him. Before he could shoot me I took the first shot and ensured both men were dead. I sprinted over to Washington making sure he was alright.

"Y/N it isn't as bad as it looks," Washington assured me. I still gave him a panicked look and rushed out of the woods. I grabbed Alexander, who was right outside of the woods, and a nurse and ran back to Washington. The nurse cleaned Washington's wound while Alexander walked over to King George. Alexander went to get a few more men to help with King and the spy. Turning around I saw that the nurse had bandaged Washington's shoulder.

"Sir, you'll need to rest for a little and make sure you don't fight for a while," the nurse explained.

"Of course! Thank you very much," Washington said. The nurse nodded and walked out of the woods. I looked down at my hands and clothes and noticed the blood.

"Sir, I'm going to clean up," I said turning around to walk away. Washington grabbed my wrist with his non-injured arm and placed a kiss on my lips.

[Washington's Ending]

[naoj-marie]

“Hybrid Child and GIVEN”

Emergent literature has different types of genres and one of it is Manga. In this blog, I’ll be talking about the Manga especially BL or Yaoi Manga. I will be giving you my hundred and twenty percent honest reviews about two manga(s) that was being animated. But before that I am giving you a quick but detail description about what is Manga and what is BL or Yaoi Manga just to enlighten for those people who are wondering.

Manga are Japanese comic books or graphic novels with a twist from Japan. Most manga conforms to the style established in Japan at the end of the 19th century, although the art form has a long prehistory in Japanese literature. The word manga is used in Japan to refer to comics and cartoons. Manga now has fans across the globe in the past, only Japanese people read manga because it’s their artwork. However, nowadays, almost all people read manga, and also there are some good manga(s) that have been adapted to anime where people can see manga in animation style.

BL or Yaoi Manga is a genre of Manga. Yaoi is a Japanese term for a manga that features sexual romance between two men or same-sex relationship between men and usually it’s mainly reviewers or readers are female.

So now, you have already an idea about Manga and Yaoi. I now can proceed to the two manga(s) that will be the highlight in this blog.

Hybrid Child

Synopsis

The Hybrid Child is an amazing android that can grow if it is lavished with enough love and care from its owner. Neither fully machine nor fully human, the various Hybrid Child models develop strong emotional bonds with their owners. This volume contains several short stories of love, sacrifice, and drama: Young Kotaro learns the importance of responsibility when his Hybrid Child’s lifespan runs out. The tragic swordsman Seya learns to love again with the help of his Hybrid Child, Yuzu. The final tale tells the story of Kuroda, the creator of the Hybrid Child designs, and how his lost love inspired their creation.

Hybrid Child is a collection of three short love stories, depicting the relationship between the artificial humans and their owners. It has four episodes and each episode is different story and characters but they have connection with each other. The first time I watch this anime I was expecting that I might not able to finish it even though it has only four episodes. The anime revolves to the Japanese war which chaos, blood and deaths are happening all over the place. The first two episodes are the aftermaths of the war while the two remaining episodes are before and during the war. In every episode you could learn something like the Young master Kotaro treasure so much Hazuki even if he is deflected and anytime his heart will stop beating. Kotaro did not give up and do any means to save Hazuki though Hazuki already accepted his fate but the gloomy Kuroda, the main brain and creator of hybrid child just want to see how strong their bond with each other because in that era unlike Kotaro that treating his hybrid child as a family and best friend some buyers of hybrid child just treating them as slaves or lovers which Hazuki experience before he encountered and picked up by Kotaro. The tragic swordsman Seya he was blaming himself because he was a commander of his battalion during the war but they were sabotage and all his men died and no one left except for him. Seya’s hybrid child Yuzu wants to grow up but Seya could not give the love Yuzu’s wants because he could only gave beautiful things to Yuzu and also he could not forget about his past sins. And because of his failure in the past someone has a grudge to Seya that is why he lost his eyes as a result. Now, Seya is blind he starts to realize things that he used to denied. He realized there is someone who loves him whole-heartedly despite of his sins. He realized there is someone who is willing to stay and wait for him despite of his despicable personality. That is why Yuzu grew up and he accompanied his blind master even afterwards. The third episode is continuation until the last episode and this is also my favourite episodes because this is where I cry buckets of tears and I also wasted many tissues that resulted of scolded by my mother but who cares? This episode is the most emotional episodes in three stories. This is the story how the hybrid child is created. Kuroda the creator of hybrid child has someone he misses so much. He had lots of regrets in his life. The day he took courage to say what he really feels to Izumi his childhood friend and the head commander of their federation, it is also the last he sees him. He was not able to say the three words but he was able to express it through physical but it was only for a night because the next day Izumi surrendered himself to the enemy to save their peoples. He was beheaded and Kuroda is like a living doll to surpass his desire to kill himself. He starts to creates the hybrid child but as years and years passed he forgot what is the purposed of making hybrid child. But he soon realized it again when his own hybrid child that looks exactly the same as Izumi but a younger version suddenly speaks the same phrase Izumi said underneath the sakura tree while holding a branch of sakura. One of the best Yaoi anime and manga I have ever seen and read.

GIVEN

Synopsis

Ritsuka played guitar but has lost interest in the instrument. One day, he meets Mafuyu, who is holding a broken guitar. Ritsuka unwillingly starts teaching Mafuyu the guitar, but when he hears Mafuyu's voice, things suddenly begin to change for Ritsuka.

This is the legendary yaoi for me, why? Simple, I cried for almost two weeks straight every night. When I heard the song in episode nine, it is enough to make me cry. This is a very and super emotional yaoi anime. I know I already said this in hybrid child but I will say this again. I never as in never expected this anime to be this really awesome. Words are not enough to justify how amazing this anime is. When you read this in manga you might just tear up or enough to heat up your eyes but the anime really do a magnificent job well done! If someone asks me to recommend them some yaoi or shounen ai anime or manga I will surely recommended this anime because you won’t regret watching this. Your time is really worth it. The dialogues are really great and the plot is really excellent. Everything in this anime is worthy to get a Grammy and Oscar award. Mafuyu lost his boyfriend Yuki because Yuki committed suicide after they had a quarrel. They are a childhood friend slash childhood sweethearts. They live in a single parent family; they only have their mothers with them. One of their friends used to say Mafuyu is nothing without Yuki and Yuki is nothing without Mafuyu because they need each other. They stand as father, brother, friend, and everything to each other and because of that they tend to stick with each other the whole time that lead them to have a romantic relationship. Their mothers supported their relationship. Yuki started a band because of Mafuyu when he heard Mafuyu humming some random sounds one afternoon while they are having a lunch in their school building’s rooftop. But because of a little argument Yuki decides to ends his life. It was like because of their quarrel it triggers something to Yuki. This may sound ridiculous but Yuki once said whatever Mafuyu said he will do it and while they are quarrelling  in the middle of the train station, Mafuyu accidentally uttered words that he regretted to said.

“Will you die for me?”

After few days of not talking Mafuyu decided to visit Yuki as they are only neighbours but when he went to Yuki’s room. He saw Yuki hanging in the ceiling, lifeless. Mafuyu in Japanese means Winter while Yuki means snow. Winter can go on without Snow but Snow cannot go on without Winter. I also cried when I read the English translation lyric of Mafuyu band song titled Fuyu no Hanashi means A Winter Story. There is a line in the songs says

“Two people who were always together are torn apart. That’s all there is tot his story.”

[blueroseblaze]

Question (Chapter 2)

Word Count: 3084

Warnings: Implied sex

It was a very small event. Just you, Nero, and your closest friends all standing at the sandy shores of Fortuna near the docks. The waves crashed against the sand as the sun slowly crept its way towards the horizon, painting the sky with a range of fiery oranges and vibrant pinks. The crisp salty air calmed your nerves as the winds softly shifted the sands and blew against your dress and slightly tangled your hair.

You wanted a small wedding; it was something both you and Nero had agreed on during some quiet pillow talk late one night, tangled up with each other in the dark with no worries bearing on your shoulders.

News of your request didn’t sit well with Patty though, who was adamant that this be the wedding of the decade. You humored her by letting her pay to get everyone here and pick everyone’s attire, except yours of course, you would never let that girl pick your wedding dress.

You stood at the top of the docks, looking at everyone mingle from your vantage point. You watched Nero smack Nico’s hand away as she tried messing with his tie while holding a video camera. You saw Patty eagerly bouncing in place with her basket of rose petals waiting to sprinkle them in front of you as you walked. Lady and Trish stood hand in hand idly chatting. Morrison puffed away on his cigar, and Kyrie stood near Nero no doubt sharing words of encouragement. And you couldn’t for a second keep your eyes off of him, his slightly ill-fitting suit, his choppy hair that was too short to do anything with, his excited and nervous expression, the way he kicked at the sand and fiddled with his tie. You were just minutes away from pledging your life to this man, and you couldn’t wait another moment.

You were broken from your thoughts with a gentle hand on your shoulder, you turned to the gray-haired devil hunter and smiled. Dante handed you your bouquet, a mix of white and blue flowers ranging from roses to forget me nots. You took the flowers from him as he bent his elbow towards you beckoning you to take it. You slipped your hand threw, and lightly gripped as you both began your decent down the stair to the sand.

You felt your breath hitch as everyone below stopped what they were doing and looked to you and Patty began raining her basket of petals down the “aisle”. You rhythmed your breathing to your steps to try and compose yourself, not really being the one to enjoy lots of attention. You felt Dante flex his arm to grab your attention.

“Don’t worry about anyone else, this is about you and him,” he said with a smile.

“You’re right.”

Your eyes locked to Nero’s and soon enough everyone else seemed to disappear. You mirrored each other, both smiling like dorks as your eyes raked over each other’s forms, taking in your appearances and becoming almost overcome with emotion. Each step that you took brought you closer and it took everything not to break away from Dante and just run into Nero’s arms.

You held yourself together as you and Dante took your final steps towards Nero. Dante looked to you and then gave Nero a quick nod before handing you to him and stepping around you both to stand behind you. You handed your bouquet to Patty and then let Nero take both of your hands in his. You saw the tears welling up Nero’s eyes as he looked you over in total adoration.

“You look beautiful,” he said, his voice barley above a whisper.

“Friends, loved ones, we don’t get to see a union like this in our line of work. People come… but always seem to go, which is why we’ve gathered here today to celebrate two crazy kids pledging their lives to one another.”

You felt goosebumps raise on your skin as Nero’s thumb caressed your fingers and the back of your hand. You bit your bottom lip to try and contain yourself.

“These are two people who would crawl through hell and back again for one another. Two people who would fight through hoard after hoard of demon spawn for each other. This is a bond we don’t see every day. So enough of me yammering, let’s let the lovebirds speak for themselves. Nero...”

Nero shook his head as if he wasn’t paying any attention until he heard his name, after a moment of his cute caught off guard look, he looked you in the eyes and cleared his throat.

“(Y/N),” he started, “You’ve been with me through so much. You’ve put up with me putting myself in danger, with me coming home covered in blood and bruises, with me lashing out and not being able to control my feelings. Yet you always calmed me down, patched me up, and made sure I came home safe. So far, my one regret with you was that I didn’t realize how perfect you are soon enough. I am beyond honored to have you with me, and to have you forever now. I don’t even know where to start in paying you back, but I think dedicating my life to you is an okay start.”

You barely registered the applause around you as you fought back your tears. You batted your eyelashes to keep them at bay, but it didn’t stop the swelling of your heart. Every word from him was pure, straight from his sole no rehearsal needed, no need to write down what he was going to say, he just let his heart speak for him.

Your breaths came out shaky as you tried composing yourself, clearing your head enough to let yourself speak. You took a huge gulp of the salty air and let it out before speaking.

“Nero, I don’t know when I started loving you. I just think I always have but didn’t know until it was too late. Now I can’t imagine my life without you. I can’t imagine not having our long talks when you come home, when you tell me about all the people who’ve saved, all the monsters you’ve vanquished. I can’t imagine not spending late nights with you in the back of the van just talking with the radio on, and I can’t imagine going a day without seeing your smile or hearing your quips. You always talk about what I’ve done for you, but you’ve done so much for me. My one hope is that you just don’t get sick of me before I’m able to pay you back,” you ended with a breathy chuckle.

“Never,” he said just as softly as your laugh.

“Just beautiful,” Dante said, his voice cutting through the quiet and turning to regard Nero, “Now for the what everyone’s been waiting for. Do you have the ring?”

“Yes,” Nero replied reaching into his coat pockets and pulling out the ring he presented you with that night in the van, perched on the hill overlooking Red Grave. The opal like gem showed a rainbow of colors as the light hit it, and the silver band almost glowed in the soft light of the sunset. You hadn’t taken it off since he proposed, and you didn’t want to for the ceremony, but everyone insisted to put on a good show.

Nero lightly grasped your left hand, not so much holding it as he did cradle it in his. He then slipped the ring onto your ring finger, smiling as it slid over your knuckled and nestled snuggly at the base of your finger. Perfect fit. You could only marvel at the ring, not just that it was beautiful, but just how much it meant to the both of you. You only took your eyes off of it when you watched Nero slide his own ring onto his left hand.

As Nero slipped the rings on you both took turns reciting your real vows:

“Love and Harmony combine, and round our souls entwine,” he started.

“While they branches mix with mine, and our roots together join,” you continued.

“Joys upon our branches sit, chirping loud and singing sweet.”

“Like gentle streams beneath our feet, innocence and virtue meet.”

You both smiled, inside congratulating yourselves on remembering the lines. You couldn’t look away from each other. Not even when Dante continued speaking.

“Now, Nero, do you take (Y/N) to be your wife? To have and to hold, to protect and love, to care for and support, not matter what, for as long as you live?”

“I do,” Nero said with no hesitation.

“And (Y/N), do you take Nero as your husband? To love and support, to protect and care for, to have and to hold, no matter what, for as long as you live?”

“I do,” you replied, your excitement starting to boil over.

“Then by the power you’ve vested in me, I pronounce you both husband and wife. You don’t need my permission for this last part.”

Without a moment to waste Nero wrapped you in his arms, pulling you close like you were his very life source, he crashed his lips on yours with reckless abandon. You returned the kiss, snaking your arms around his shoulders for support as he began dipping you back. The applause and jeers of your friends muddied together, mixing with the sounds of the wind and crashing waves, all else disappeared.

You had kissed Nero many times before, chaste pecks, passionate make outs. But this was something else, you felt every nerve in your body explode, fireworks coated your vision behind you eyelids, and if you hadn’t known any better you would have looked down at your feet to make sure you were still on the ground. Every kiss you had before was leading you tot this one, you had never felt more connected to anyone in your entire life than you did this very moment.

All too soon Nero pulled away his body growing apart from yours, yet his arms never left your form. No way was he letting you go, for any reason. He pressed his forehead to yours, staring deep and lovingly into your eyes as the sun set behind you and your group cheered you on.

You only pulled away from Nero when Patty started cry-laughing and throwing the rest of her rose petals on the two of you while Nico shoved the camera in your face asking for more smiles and kisses. You could only laugh while Nero’s arm wrapped around your waist and pulled you closer.

“Alright!” Dane calls out after a few minutes of claps, “Let’s get the party started!”

 The reception was just as small as the ceremony. You and your party had moved from the beach into town. You walked hand in hand with Nero as he led you and everyone else into the city square, where you would be celebrating the rest of the night.

You had reservations about staying on Fortuna island, after the fiasco with The Order of The Sword and the savior, you were less than adamant about having your wedding here, despite it being a breathtakingly beautiful place with a lot of meaning to Nero.

Nero had calmed your nerves, however. He told you about how after the savior incident the Order disbanded and was replaced with a new… less authoritarian government body. Most of the people on the island still peacefully worshipped Sparda, but the iron grip of The Order was no more. Kyrie vouched for this reassuring you that things were different on the island now and there was nothing to worry about in coming back.

As you reached the square you were blown away at just how beautiful it was. Lamp posts lighting the pathways illuminated a giant fountain in the center, reflecting off the water that spilled form it in a gorgeous and serine light show. The lights also bathed the entire scene in a welcoming and warm atmosphere.

Nero squeezed your hand to get your attention and gestured his head off to the side. You gasped when you saw a string quartet setting up their ensemble near the fountain. You looked to Nero with a shocked look on your face.

“When did you-,” you began.

“Hush,” he said cutting your off, “Don’t worry about it.”

You felt Nero’s hand leave yours only for him to offer it to you again in an extravagant bow, his other arm bent behind his back. His palm faced the sky beckoning you for yours. His eyes never left yours as he asked you what he had taunted many demons with.

“Shall we dance?” he asked, “My beautiful wife.”

Your heart swelled as you took his hand, at any point tonight it was going to burst. He stood from his bow and pulled you close as the quartet started to play. Nero’s arms wrapped around your waist and your hands rested on his shoulders. You both swayed and stepped to the music, perfectly in time with each other. You couldn’t look away from your husband for a second, even when you heard Kyrie start to sing along with the music, serenading you and Nero as you continued to move about the floor. Nero even deciding to get fancy and twirl you around a few times. You both laugh as he spun you too much only for you to end up with your back against his chest. You kept dancing until the first song ended, slowly coming to a stop as the music faded away.

“Mind if I cut in?”

You both turned and saw Dante, his hand outstretched for yours. Dante had really stepped up today, not only officiating the ceremony but taking on the role of the father figure. So, Nero had no qualms in handing you over to dance with his uncle.

You and Dante got into position, a little more room in between you both this time. You stepped to the music, more of a waltz than the romantic swaying and spinning you did with Nero. Your hand gripped Dante’s bicep while he held your other one outstretched.

“I’m happy for you both,” he said as you stepped in time with the beat, “You deserve each other.”

“Thanks for doing this, Dante, you didn’t have to.”

“Nah, of course I did. You kids deserve the best, and if you think my unholy ass is the best for your wedding then so be it.”

You smiled genuinely at him while letting him spin you around just as Nero did.

“I mean it,” he continued, “You too bring out the best in each other. After all he’s been through, I’m glad Nero’s got someone like you.”

“Thanks, Dante.”

The night continued on. There was more dancing, laughing, jabs made at you and your husband during congratulations speeches. Nico made sure to get every little moment of that night on camera no matter how unflattering or insignificant. Kyrie sang throughout the party. Patty nearly mowed everyone down trying to catch your bouquet. You danced with Nero some more. Nero had a dance off with Dante. And similarly, to Nico you noticed Morrison taking snap shots of everyone and everything. You wished it hadn’t ended but you couldn’t say you were ungrateful for what came next.

“Are you sure having your honeymoon in the town you grew up in isn’t weird to you?” you asked as Nero cradled you and moved across the threshold of your hotel room.

Nero chuckled as he finally maneuvered you inside, “I’ve already told you; I don’t mind. I wanted to show you where I’m from, and to show you a place almost a beautiful as you.”

He couldn’t stop himself from rubbing his nose against yours lightly with that last statement, causing you to giggle like a child.

Nero set you down on your feet, finally letting you get a good look at your room. It was beautiful. Warm lamplight casted across the walls creating a warm and cozy feeling, like being engulfed in a comforting hug by a loved one. It made you feel safe, something you don’t normally feel when out working with Nero. The curtains were drawn but you peeked through as marveled at the city from your upper story balcony window, the lights from the rest of the city twinkling in the night sky as the water in the distance sparkled with the stars and the moon. And then you turned to the bed, a gorgeous wooden queen, with sheer yet silky canopy curtains draping around the frame.

“You like it,” he asked from behind you.

“It’s amazing, Nero.”

You felt him grab your right hand and pull it up towards his face, his lips pressing a sweet kiss to your knuckles just beside your ring.

“Only the best for you, my love.”

You gave a breathy laugh, “You, dork.”

You turned to face him, admiring his beautiful face in the dim light. You cupped his cheek, letting your thumb caress his jaw catching the bits of stubble along its way. Nero reached up and did the same to you, only this time to close the gap between you with yet another passionate kiss. His hands migrated up and down your body, feeling every curve beneath your dress. Your kiss became more heated as you moved your lips against his, feeling his tongue swipe against your bottom lip.

Soo you found yourself leaning backwards towards the bed. You propped yourself against it as Nero loomed over you, his lips moving from yours to your neck and then your collar bone. You couldn’t help the gasps that escaped you as you felt his teeth graze against your pulse. You whined softly when he pulled away only for you to feel his lips at your ear.

“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered, “May I?” His hands reached behind you, tugging at your dresses zipper.

You reached for his face, cupping his cheeks again and pulling him to look at you. You smiled while staring into his beautiful blue eyes.

“Please.”

Nero smirked at you and gingerly pushed you down to the bed. You gripped at his jacket, sliding it off his shoulders as he finished pulling down the back of your dress. You both began to strip each other down while planting kisses and touches on every exposed inch of skin, more eager to finally spend your first night together as husband and wife.

 End

tag @dylan-o-yumm

[fanofawesomethings]

Spirit of the Eldest Forest

Another commission for one of the greatest peeps in the world @bixbitesmeepmorps and her Gem children in a Knights Au I guess would be the name

If you want a commission for your own, message me and I will tell you my prices.

The sounds of a weak battle were made big as they carried by an echo through the forest. Swords reaching their limit and shattering, clanging armor weakly limping on soiled mud, arrows zipping across the air and then followed by the screams of those they struck. From the first break of sunlight over the emerald forest-riddled hills to the first star appearing in an fire-orange sky, a battle so long as arduous as that one left its battlers, on both sides, fighting with the last of their depleted strength. Yet while the other side remained hoisting their colors high above their hill, the other side would not cease. Determination to defeat those who oppose them fueled their very last breaths.

           Knights dressed in armor of white silver, gold yellow, and sapphire blue fought those who wore in fur robes and leather tunics and held a pink flag on top of the west hill. A hill so dense with trees and wildlife served as an advantage to the armor-less warriors who knew the mountains well. In retaliation for their disadvantage of a dark battleground, the trees were cut down at every turn, spears were thrown blindly into every bush and at every leaf in search of the enemies the knights couldn’t see. But while the trees and the plants helped the warriors, the knights pushed back with their immensely superior armor and weaponry. Countless soldiers from both sides fled the battlefield, but it was the forest who was the most injured.

           Smoke blackening the dawn sky. Smoke from cannon fire that punctured craters in the flawless grass, smoke from flaming arrows that swallowed the flowers in unruly flames the warriors extinguished before continuing the fight. Every weapon the knights held harmed the forest before it harmed the warriors. Not a single rose from the forest floor was spared.

           The leader of the warriors, an enigmatic woman draped in a cloak of bright pink who fought in the middle of the carnage, shouted to her followers. Her voice boomed throughout the forest.

           “EVERYONE LEAVE! RETREAT!” She commanded, her smooth voice ruffled by the urgency behind it.

           “No!” The leader’s confidant, a warrior who wore a hood like her leader and wielded a spear with both hands protested, something rare in the loyal warrior. “We have them on the run, General, just a little bit more and—”

           “There are too many casualties and we’re losing strength fast, we must leave! RETREAT!” The leader ordered once again.

           “Don’t let them escape!” A knight shouted.

           “You can’t run, Rebels!” Another roared.

           Everyone heard the General’s orders, from those fighting on the ground, to those in the trees, to those who fought against her. Though confused at first the warriors obeyed, dropping their fights and fleeing deep into the forest like rabbits. Of course the knights gave chase, even more enraged to finish off their fleeing enemies, but the brush swallowed each and every one of the warriors behind walls of narrow branches that proved too tight for the armor-totting knights; the prickly brambles stopped a knight who shed her armor in a huff to chase after her enemies.

           The leader ran to the top of the hill, a vantage point that allowed her to see the entire valley. She watched her warriors, her friends, escape but she wouldn’t turn away until she saw all of them. Fifty warriors in total, a number burned in her mind, and she counted every one who ducked into the bushes; she was at thirty-seven. Her articulate eyes spotted even those in the corner of her sight and she smiled for her number was within her sights.

           “Go, before they leave us behind,” said the General to her confidant with a smile that assured the warrior.

           “I can wait,” she replied.

           “I just need to double-check, that’s all. Hurry, they need to know where to go.”

           The confidant, a skittish woman by design who was focused on every detail of their plans, reluctantly agreed. She scurried away while looking behind her once more at the back of her most trusted friend.

           Between the trunk of a cut tree and one whose bark was burned from the fire that had been doused, a knight saw the enemy General standing on the hill. She took a single step and her clunky armor startled even herself with its clanking noise. The General of the Rebels was in front of her, too distracted by her warriors, the lone knight thought who saw the situation a gift of the best luck, one she was going to make sure wasn’t going to slip through her grasp. Half of head of charcoal black hair dripped sweat onto the grass when she pulled off her helmet and laid it gently on the ground to not make a sound. She did the same with the rest of her armor until the lone knight wore her black tunic and boots. The one piece or her armor that remained was her sword.

           “I’m going to kill you, Rebel Queen,” whispered the lone knight. “I’m going to kill you and bring your head to my Queen.”

           The knight circled the Rebel above her, every steps was careful where to land while she watched her enemy. She saw the shield symbol on the Rebel’s back, and the knight started inching towards her. The rough leather with its layers worn out and tattered from so many battle scratched the knight’s bare palms because of high tightly she squeezed it. Every battle that came before that had been a result of her army’s search for the Rebels flashed within her mind; the knight could see the end of the fighting with her back turned to her. But the knight wasn’t going to let it end so quickly; she tapped the tip of her sword on the Rebel’s back.

           “Turn around,” said the knight, calmly.

           The General didn’t appear startled by the knight’s sudden appearance nor did she act frightened. She turned around and met the knight, face to face, staring at the end of her sword, as stoic as she looked with a hood covering half of her expression.

           “The Rebel Queen, Rose. I saw you at the Battle of Horn Road, I could never forget your face as you defeated dozens of my comrades, my friends. This wasn’t supposed to be a huge battle—a tip about Rebel smuggling weapons out of the town through the forest led us here—but here you are, the one who started it all. I’m disappointed you let me catch you like this.”

           “I remember you voice, you saved your friend from being struck by a cannon. I’m sorry it had to come to this,” said the General.

           “Shut up! You’re a filthy, ungrateful Rebel whose leading destruction to the kingdom. I don’t need your apology, just your head!”

           Waving the sword as a wand, the knight motioned for the Rebel’s hand and she complied, lifting them beside her head in a surrendering position. But the knight was cautious for the Rebel leader’s reputation surrounded her like a perfume. There were exaggerated, conflicting stories of her abilities to be sure with many being sure she could use magic or how she could fly faster than any arrow without wings—stories the knight dismissed because of their absurdity. But one thing she was certain of about the Rebel, one that made her hold her sword tightly as though it was being pulled out of her hand, was that the Rebel leader was a warrior with unparallel skills and thorough knowledge of every knights’ tactics.  

           “What is your name?” She asked which startled the knight who was snapped back from inside her thoughts.

           The request was odd and, of course, it was met with hostility from the cautious enemy.

           “Why should I tell you?” The knight growled, growing suspicious of any sneak attacks.

           “I’ve never seen a knight with such loyalty among the White Queen’s battalion. If this is truly the end, I would like to know the name of the one who captured me like this.”

           The knight raised her sword to Rose’s neck, pressing the flat side against her cheek. At last the knight got a reaction out her, an unexpected shiver because the steel was cold, even during the unusually warm summer morning.

           “Onyx, named from the stone of fire and water. Knights to the White Queen’s Secondary Battalion, Fourth Class,” she listed.

           “Onyx, that is a strong name,” said Rose.

           The knight grabbed her sword with both hands and took a stance, ready to swing. There was hesitation; Onyx saw a claymore in its holster on Rose’ hip and knew such a heavy blade could never be grabbed and swung faster than her smaller sword could, and yet the Rebel leader didn’t make a move. No emotion of patience or dread stained her composed face and it was her calm that unsettled Onyx, but not for long. It was a compelling urge of exhaustion and intent that pushed Onyx’s arms to swing.

           CHNG! The steel of Onyx’s sword clashed with the side of Rose’s arm. She was swift, putting her arm in the path of the sword faster than the knight could swing. And underneath her cloak, what stopped the blade, was a vambrace of silver metal that blocked the attack effectively. Rose grabbed the blade and swung it and Onyx to the ground. Onyx quickly recovered but Rose threw the sword out of her reach. Before Onyx knew it, she had been toppled, disarmed and staring up at her enemy: a clear defeat.

           “Damn. It doesn’t matter, do you hear me! You can kill me today but my Queen will have your head!” Onyx cried.

           “I’m not going to kill you, Onyx,” said Rose.

She turned away and starting walking in the opposite direction, towards where her warriors fled. Bubbling rage steamed color into Onyx’s pale face.

           “No! I won’t take pity from the likes of you! Just finish me! There is no greater insult than being showed pity by the enemy!”

           Rose stopped in her tracks.

           “You are special, Onyx, and I have no doubt that if I hadn’t worn these vambraces you would have slain me today. But your loyalty for your friends is too great to be destroyed.”

           Onyx punched the grass so hard her knuckles bled. “Is that supposed to encourage me? You’re taking pity of me. No. NO!”

           Rose sighed. “You fight with so much life but throw your life away as if it was nothing.”

           “Of course,” grinned Onyx. “I don’t know what you’ve been taught, but all knights are nameless face willing to give their lives to beat the enemy. The White Queen told us so.”

           “And yet you risked your life at Horn Road for your friend. These four years of fighting have shown me many things but I’ve never once seen a White Knight help one of their fallen comrades.”

           Onyx couldn’t speak against what she knew was fact. Looking up at her, Onyx could see the pinkish hue in the eyes looking down on her. Of course the knight had seen the Rebel leader without her hood on, but never before had Onyx been so close to see the roundness to her eyes, soft like a child’s yet encompassed by a quality the knight could’ve sworn she’d seen before in noblewomen: dignity.      

           A knight from the Yellow Court supported herself against a hollow tree as she caught her breath. The Diamond insignia printed largely on her breastplate and the tattered cape that was once whole and glistening with its quality sheen were symbols of her position as a Diamond knight, a rank above the normal knight. Damage from an arrow cracked an opening in her helmet, allowing her to see the leader of the Rebels nearby. The emerald in the exposed eye swelled, the helmet shook with the wrath inside her erupting to the surface, and the green only saw red. Another knight from the same Court happened to be nearby and was wheeling a cannon out of the forest.

           “You! There’s Rose the Rebel Queen, fire the cannon!” The Diamond Knight commanded.

           The skittish knight was startled into action by the abrupt order. Behind her she’d been struggling to pull on a crate with cannonballs piled inside while pushing the cannon at the same time; the knight grabbed one, loaded it inside the cannon and aimed the wide barrel to the top of the hill. At that moment the knight finally saw Onyx.

           “Wait, Dame, a White Knight is up there,” said the Yellow knight.

           “I gave you an order! Rose is going to kill her regardless!” The Diamond knight shouted in her ear which echoed inside her armor. “Kill Rose! Do it!”

           Flint and a scrap of steel were in the Yellow knight’s pouch around her hip, and slight move of her hand got them both out. Troubled and with hands unsettled, the Yellow knight dropped both items on the ground before picking them up and holding them next to the match. She didn’t see Rose, only the fellow knight that would be caught in the blast, and her hands wouldn’t stop trembling. The Diamond knight threw the lower knight to the ground and took her flint and steel in hand, snapping them together into a spark that lit the match.

           “LONG LIVE THE ROYAL AUTHORITY!” She screamed, alerted Rose and Onyx as the cannonball was released.

           The thunderous boom shook the forest as it did the countless other times before. A burning ball of metal and ember that smelled of sulfur and ash flew towards in Onyx’s direction and for a moment she was frightened by it encroaching speed on her, but she also saw how it tensed Rose up. Onyx sighed a breath, in part lamenting over her impending death, so sure it would come, but also it was relief for end to the war that would come with the death of the Rebel leader; Onyx smiled because she knew it would mean she had a hand in winning the war. She didn’t see Rose turn to her, alarmed, nor did Onyx see Rose preparing to move until it was too late to react.

           Rose hurled her body towards Onyx in a massive bound, and she soared across the gap between them. Her arms stretched out, Rose collided with the knight, pushing both their bodies with a tremendous force that Onyx was numb to. She couldn’t react fast enough to stop Rose, for her body was stunned by confusion. In that split second when Rose crashed into her, Onyx saw desperation that inflicted Rose’s eyes and took away their composure.

           The blast decimated the top of the hill. Flaming chunks of earth exploded into the sky and rained meteors onto the forest. A fire was starting in an instant. The Diamond knight who hired the shot drew her sword and raced to the top of the hill, only to be stopped the fast moving blaze which barred her from taking another step closer. Onyx heard the elite knight’s screams fade in the distance when the impact struck her back. She fell. Falling. Into a black void of unconsciousness, and with the last of her vision blurring she saw the world shake.

                A peaceful sleep was shadowed by the blackness Onyx saw in front of her. The gentlest waves carried her body in a warm embrace and her mind wondered freely in a sea of dream-like sensations, without question or worry for everything that happened. The battled she’d fought in, the blast that propelled her, Rose; Onyx paid none of them any mind. For a knight trained from dusk to dawn under excruciating conditions, all for the sake of preparing her for battles whose only uncertainty was when they will happen, Onyx had a mind that was no so easily calmed with many nights lost to a restless body and a mind suffering from insomniac; yet for once she could feel herself cradled into that slumber. And then the pain returned.

           Onyx ripped a sizeable chunk out of the ground and awoke to find it in her hand. A surging pain followed by burning came from every limb on her body, and it most powerful on her back and moving when she stirred only made it worse. Onyx discovered every bruise, scorch mark, and bleeding wound in front of her and felt the rest in the parts of her she couldn’t see; she judged the size of the one of her back based on how horribly it hurt. As if an axe was driven into the center of her spine, Onyx could hardly estimate the wound without gritting her teeth to keep her mind or else she’d succumb to the pain and surely pass out again, but she guessed it took up her entire back.

Soon, Onyx noticed the trees blocking out the sun above her and the dark corners all around her. Everything looked untouched as if Onyx floated there, even the tree behind her was free of any sort of impact. Her mind was finally racing between her wounds, the battle, and the unknown location she found herself in, unable to focus on one; she nearly fell into panic.

“No! Keep your head, knight!” Onyx shouted to herself. She slowed her breath, even while her heart raced out of her breast.

Within her reach was a branch covered in vines and leaves. Reaching it was her second obstacle to overcome; Onyx bit her lip through the pain and grabbed it. Her audible cursing frightened off the small critters watching her from the bushes as she lifted herself to her feet. The sweat pouring down her face sting the wounds on her cheeks. Suddenly the branch snapped and Onyx plummeted to the ground, all of wounds flaring as she landed. Onyx’s voice was too weak to moan.

Milky sap seeped from the snapped ends, and the two pieces were shorter than Onyx’s torso, not at all able to support her. Yet, wobbling like a broken table, her arm stretched for the two pieces, her only hope to stand, but it was too far for her. The dropped left her body in a frantic state of paralysis where every wound ached at the same time and so she could not move. But the pain faded from pulsation, slowly.        

The singing from the birds was an orchestra paired alongside the sounds of the tranquil forest. A gentle breeze rustled the leaves in the trees but it was soft enough to carry a perpetual aroma of pine and Lily flowers which smelled sweet. Because there as no sun above the powerful treetops, a dim light painted the forest and out of the corner of her eye, Onyx saw rays of color break through the smallest crevices above and touch the floor. The forest was beautiful and untouched, an observation for anyone other than Onyx to have, for she was blind to any of nature’s beauty; the tranquil music and soft wind hardly convinced her that her new location was blessing instead of a curse.

           In her solitary, powerless to be otherwise, Onyx let her mind wonder, but the first and only place it went was to the seconds leading up to her entrapment in the mysterious forest, and to Rose. The name Rose would always be met with hatred, it was an impulse amongst the knights in the three Courts, and with Onyx there was no exception, but she moved passed it and began to dwell on the face Rose showed. It left a bitter taste in Onyx’s mouth to admit Rose’s expression was too earnest to be faked but she had experience seeing the sight before that argued against her. It was a memory too vague for her to remember fully.

So many years had passed since a fire broke out at a nearby village Onyx was stationed at one day. A cow bucked into a torch which exploded in a blaze that swallowed every house in its path. Onyx was only a humble guard then and she and her squad mates helped rescue the people from the burning buildings. One such building has its support eaten and it began to crumble, trapping those inside with a ticking clock; it was anyone’s guess when the building might fall. Onyx and the other guards kept their distance as the building began to perish, but at the last second she saw a man dive into the fire, into the rubble and carry the body of his infant son out in his bare hands. The man later died from the smoke he inhaled, but Onyx never forgot the face he showed as he threw away all his caution and jumped into the fire.

Onyx saw the same face with Rose. But, why it mattered and why she couldn’t abandon the thought, Onyx did not know.

The forest was free of the summer heat that plagued the battlefield and every day since, so when warmth caressed her cheek in the cool forest, Onyx was startled. Distant, a sound broke the silence: footsteps. Magenta hue, a pinkish purple aura clouded the edges of her vision and stars twinkled in front of her as though crystal fragments filled the air, and she abruptly smelled lilac and poppies, a sweet perfume. The knight’s first instincts told her to meet the approaching figure with her guard raised, but her body would not respond. Onyx saw nothing beyond the aura and she heard the footsteps behind her head; slow, each steps pressed down on her stomach. Her spine curdled when she felt the footsteps lead to the back of her head and a shadow eclipsed her.

A soft touch traced the cut on the right side of her cheek. Onyx saw her reflection in the single drop that the figure balanced on the tip of her tiny index finger. The speck of blood seemed to disturb her for her hand shook briefly before settling. A woman spoke.

“Rise, brave warrior, for your wounds will be healed.” A voice so sweet like a harp’s cord filled color into Onyx’s face.

Onyx flinched like a frightened cat, warmth overcame her. The warmth was a magenta light that painted Onyx from the woman’s palms. The woman was a magic-user, a kind of person Onyx tended to avoid because of their extraordinary, but often dangerous abilities. But it was soft and pleasurably warm. It wafted down her body until she felt it swell in her breast where it breathed new life into her heart, which raced, smitten. The ache from every bruise, every cut, and every gaping wound that burned became a distant memory.

“Rise,” the voice spoke again.

Onyx rose to her feet so fast she nearly stumbled back down if she hadn’t caught herself, her body extremely light. Onyx ran her hands all over her spotless body; not the tiniest scar remained. The fatigue from the battle faded as well and Onyx had the overwhelming urge to run laps and lift weights all at the same time. She turned, sharply, but saw only the back of her healer.

Star-shaped leaves and pink berries grew from the twigs caught in her long hair. A tail of unruly, mulberry hair bounced against the woman’s back as she walked, her bare feet scarcely making prints into the long grass almost like she was floating. A golden bell was tied with a pink ribbon at the very tip of the tail, which reached her backside; Onyx blushed after a quick glance before looking away; the bell made no jingle. A curvaceous body was outlined under a collection of green leaves strung together using vines and twigs as thread and pins, and Onyx found herself unable to look away from tracing her magic-user’s figure and feeling embarrassed. She’d moved far from Onyx and so she could not see her face. The aura of bright magenta wasn’t a light that vanished so easily when the woman left; it encircled her like a mysterious fog.    

“W-Wait,” Onyx pleaded, whose voice was stricken by the beauty of the woman’s back alone. “Who are you?”

           The woman stopped but she did not turn to face her. “I am a spirit, nothing more. Go home, warrior, these woods are not safe.”

           “Please tell me your name. You saved my life.”

           The woman continued walking, saying nothing. Onyx felt compelled to reach out and touch her but the distance was too great and her feet were rooted to the ground. She had become too timid to move, but she was frantic not to make the woman stay.

           “You’re beautiful!” Onyx cried and the woman unexpectedly stopped. Her face was bright red but she pressed on. “You’re beautiful. Please, I just want to know your name.”

           The woman raised her hand to her chest. Onyx could only guess her words invoked some sort of emotion in her and she waited for the woman to say something more.

“V-Very well,” she said in a rather unsteady voice that Onyx didn’t hear clearly the first time. “Follow me.”

Onyx stumbled on her own heel. One step deeper into the forest and the clearing, the last bit of light, vanished in an instant, but Onyx didn’t notice it. Haste carried her as far as the spirit’s shadow but the sudden realization Onyx was so close to the magenta aura again slowed her down. The smell of lilac and poppies was strongest when Onyx stood at the woman’s side; she was a great deal shorter than the knight, especially with her head held down the way it was. The curls of her bangs hid her face behind a veil of her fuchsia locks that heightened Onyx’s burning need to see the face of her spirit.

The spirit was bound by silence and anonymity to where they were headed. Deeper, the forest was dimly lit with the echo of the sun above the trees; the rays of light that painted the floor became distant and scarce with the appearance of a path. The spirit’s bare feet tipped on a moss-covered stone that was one of many from a ruined road; the moss invaded the crevices and bulges of an ancient pattern on each stone. One after another the moss claimed more and more; the earth swallowed the path until, finally, Onyx lunged forward, expecting a hard surface, but felt only her boot sink into the soft soil. The spirit stopped.

Onyx saw her gawking reflection on the surface of a puddle in front of the woman. She knelt down and touched the water with the tips of her index and ring fingers were wet; Onyx may have had trained eyes, but even she could not follow the spirit as her hand danced in the air, elegant despite the blinding speed behind the peculiar motions she made: circular. A white ray suddenly appeared on her fingers, and Onyx was able to follow them; the woman drew a triangle shape above a square and the white light drew it like paint on a canvas. Blink. Onyx rubbed her eyes for the forest was gone.

Like a flickering candle, the head of a magnificent lake replaced the mindless plethora of trees. Onyx, the inexperienced when it came to magic, followed her dumbstruck reflection to the reflection of the sun at the center and then to great pair of silvery eyes watching her from the other side. A stag, proud of majestic in its stance with its golden brown fleece and snow white tail, hoisted up its mighty antlers above his head when it stopped drinking; it stared with a face outlined with intelligence far beyond a normal animal at Onyx and the spirit who bowed at its gaze before the stag galloped into the wall of trees surrounding the clearing.

“The Lord of the Forest,” said the spirit.

“That thing…was?” Onyx stuttered, getting back on her feet.

“She stomps the earth and her antlers make the trees grow tall. She protects this part of the forest, and she is my friend.”

“Is that right?” Onyx drew a blank on anything intelligent or charming to say.

The spirit knelt down and drank the water. Onyx was thirsty beyond belief and the spirit caught her eyeing the water ravenously and she motioned her to drink too. The knight dove like an eagle for a fish and dipped her head in the water, ungracefully. She popped out feeling very refreshed, the water was delightfully cool on that summer’s day, but the ends of her hair covered her eyes, hiding her humiliated expression when the spirit stared at her.

Just before Onyx planned to curl herself into a ball and vanish, the spirit giggled. Onyx blushed, unpredictably thankful for her brashness.

“You seem healthy again, warrior,” said the spirit. She sat down comfortably.

“All thanks to you. You’re a magic-user, right? I’ve heard about your kind but I’ve never met one before.” Onyx sat next to her.

“Not by birth. The Lord found me and she taught me magic, and I keep her secret spot.”

A burning question needed to be asked.

“So…what kingdom do you belong to?” Onyx asked.

“Oh I don’t belong to any kingdom. I’ve lived in this forest for a thousand years, longer than the oldest of the Blue Queen’s Seers.”

Nothing besides a genuine honesty in the woman’s voice told Onyx she was lying. Onyx inspected the spirit but she didn’t look any older than herself. Her cheeks were round and bright, kissable according to Onyx’s deep thoughts, and her hair shined bright with youth. Suddenly a bitter answer made Onyx sigh with disappointment.

“If you’ve lived that long, you really are a spirit,” she said.

           The woman heard the sorrow in Onyx and giggled. “No, I’m human, just like you. But as long as I remain in this forest I will never age.”

           She watched Onyx’s expression light up just as she predicted. The woman disguised her mischievous laughter and her colored cheeks. Without warning, the spirit leaned her head against Onyx who was caught off guard and couldn’t react beyond stiffening like a statue.

           Much to Onyx’s surprise, the so-called Lord of the Forest returned, but that time it was not alone. Four sparkling bodies of white light pranced around the feet of the strange creature; one spotted the two humans cross the lake and then so did the others. The spirit held Onyx, keeping her calm while they watched them. The white puff that first noticed Onyx and the spirit spread its legs, showing the unmistakable silhouette of a baby deer to the bewildered Onyx; the fourth child took a defensive stance as though to engage the strangers. The Lord lowered its head and licked the top of the aggressive child; the other children danced around fourth until all four skipped around the tallest stag. It and the four galloped quickly back into the forest once again.

           “The Lord has something to protect, that’s why she protects the forest. But this war between the Kingdoms and the Outsiders threatens the forest,” said the spirit.

           Onyx said nothing. Remembering the countless trees burned down in the wake of the battle, she didn’t think anything of them at the time, only that once they were torn down she was able to get through and fight. Guilt she was surprised to feel followed.

           “I protect what she protects. But tell me, warrior, who do you protect?” The spirit asked.

           “I don’t protect anyone. I am a knight for the White Queen. I follow her orders,” said Onyx, earnest.

           “You have no one, warrior? Surely you must have someone precious to you. When we protect what is most precious to us, our strength is limitless.”

           Onyx remembered the words Rose said to her in the battle. The words irked her being spoken from the Rebel’s mouth, but they didn’t leave her for an instant. And as they were spoken through the spirit’s tender lips, Onyx felt them breach her chest. Her heart began to beat.

           The spirit rose and started walking the along the rim of the lake. Her solid back told Onyx she didn’t want to be followed.

           “Wait! You still haven’t told me your name!” Onyx cried.

           “If we meet again, I will tell you my name. But for now…may I know yours?”

           She didn’t hesitate. “My name is Onyx!”

           “Then. Warrior Onyx, we will meet again.”

           The woman was gone. Without a scar on Onyx, there were no traces of the magic-user.

Onyx watched her leave until she vanished into the brush, and the knight remained for a moment. She wondered for a while, trying to find some sort of path to escape the dense woods, and then she saw the orange rooftop of a building on the top of the horizon line between the trees. Onyx had given the forest one final glance at where the woman went before leaving.

  Wetah was a town without many things. Miles from the Blue Kingdom capital, they were missing the good graces cities within earshot of the castle enjoyed like plentiful candies. The nearest watering hole was five miles away to the east and there were no particular crops or mines to speak of so there weren’t traders flooding the beaten streets. Wetah didn’t have an enormous crime nor did fighting ever come often for there to be a need for a patrol tower or a Knights’ Barracks, a horribly tall cylinder-tower would clash with the homely buildings anyhow. However, Wetah had a prize in a community of villagers who knew each other closer than family; if a baby was a born, the town would throw a festival welcoming the new villager.  But to the knights, Wetah’s prized tavern, The Polisher, was reason enough to alter their course and make a stop to the small town.  

The rooftop Onyx saw was the tavern itself, a two-story building with orange tiles above it, and food inside it. Her body may have been rattled with energy to spare but her mouth was dry, and fortune seemed to favor her that day as the bartender recognized the knight and gave her food and beer without charge. Word of a knight without armor was carried around the normally uneventful town and soon after Onyx downed her second mug of golden Mead spotless, a trio of women kicked the wooden tavern door. They were three village women whom Onyx had met when she had been station in Wetah; the four of them had shared enough pleasant times together that Onyx dared to call them friends even, if she was feeling sentimental, which was rare.

           “Glad to see yur not dead aftah all, Ony,” said Luna, a scruffy girl who was the shortest of the three women. Her pale blue eyes often made people check her eyesight thinking she was blind.

           “Shut up,” said Onyx out of the corner of her mouth while she was too busy drinking to sent the mug down and respond normally.

           “Luna may mix words but she means well,” said Iris, Luna’s lover and the most mature between the two. Luna stuck her tongue out at her and sipped impishly from her cut of wine which the bartender reluctantly gave them. “We are glad to see you back.”

           “It wasn’t because I wanted to visit. I happened to be in the area,” said Onyx who spoke the truth but Luna and Iris glanced at each other in playful disbelief.

           A woman as strongly-built as Onyx took a seat next to her. Plume was the final woman and she was like the leader of the trio. Her hair was like an amber straw, wild and stringy, held back by several ties behind her; Onyx knew it took Plume almost thirty minutes every morning to tie her hair. She was the wisest of the three by several miles and she would often act like a mother to the girls. And out of all of them, Onyx watched herself around Plum the most when it came to keeping secrets.

           “We heard about the battle at Eldest Forest, were you a part of it?” Plume questioned with a narrow voice fit for a knight interrogating a criminal.

           Onyx finished her third mug and moved on to the fourth without a pause in between to catch her breath.

           “Yep,” she answered lifelessly.

           “Ain’ the Eldest Forest forty miles from ‘ere?” Luna asked.

           “Yep,” Onyx repeated. “I got lost in the forest, came here, sat down, started drinking.”

           “Interesting story,” said Iris who wasn’t much a drinker like those around her. They drank her share nevertheless.

           Onyx felt Plume’s eyes digesting her body. She kept her mind concentrated on the sweet taste of the Mead and the numbing effects it gave her after drinking so much of it.

           “Where is your armor, Onyx?” Plume asked.

           “It weighed me down so I took it off, left it somewhere out there. If I wanted to get out of the forest I needed to travel light.” Onyx kept her nose to the inside of her mug if she wanted to evade Plume.

           Luna giddily slapped her hand on Iris’ shoulder but she already knew what was coming. For the two who knew Plume longer than Onyx they knew well the notice that signaled Plume had entered her trance in the midst of her analysis: her immovable eyes stopped blinking. A solution would be imminent and the two lovers were anticipating what it would be. But suddenly, Plume rolled her eyes and leaned her back against the counter; a disappointed sigh fell from Luna and Iris’ lips.

           “I’m glad to see you’re not dead too, Onyx,” said Plume, relaxed.

           “Like I’d get killed by one of those Rebels. I’m going to take that Rose’s head for the White Queen, nothing will stop me,” said Onyx.

           “I ‘ear she’s wicked strong though. Not to mention she always got that one speer gir’ hangin’ around her, suppose she fancies her?”

           “Rebels belong together,” snapped Iris. She and the rest of the three shared a common dislike for the Rebels and their leader.

           “If they ever come ‘ere I’ll show them what what. Bet I could give ‘em a run for their money,” said Luna.

           “I’m sure you can,” said Onyx, colorlessly as a way to get Luna to stop talking.

           She couldn’t stop thinking about the spirit, the Lord of the Forest, the lake or the spirit again. It felt too beautiful to be real yet Onyx admitted to herself, verbally in her head, that she didn’t have the mind to dream such an impossible sight as the woman. Her heart pounded against her breast strongly and she held herself in the wooden tavern seat. The laughter and conversation between Onyx and the trio wasn’t loud enough to drown out Onyx’s daydreams, no matter how many times the tavern owner told them to keep quiet, until they were thrown out. Half drunk herself but with two women who could never handle their drink, Onyx and the three took to the streets.

           “Don’t you have to be getting back to the White Queen’s castle?” Plume asked.

           “Relas, it’s at lees a two day walk. I can go tomerrow,” Onyx hiccupped.

           “Yeah! St—ep frontin’, Prum!” Luna coughed on her breath.

           “You can frontsoring me any day, Lena!” Iris cheered who got drunk while making sure that her lover wouldn’t.

            “Bunch of drunken idiots,” said Plume who drank just as much as the rest of them, maybe even more, but she was able to keep her composure well.

           Luna held her stomach and unleashed a burp that rattled every pebble on the street. It quieted the entire town before being followed by a lengthy one from Iris who threw away the last thread of her manners with a burp that wasn’t as loud as her lover’s. The two embraced into other, their lips tackling each other’s as though the burps brought out a new level of attraction they themselves were on aware of. Plume averted her eyes but found herself at the center of attention by the townsfolk who tried to do the same but instead they kept returning to the sight in the middle of the street; Onyx didn’t share in Plume’s humiliation.

           Onyx held a bottle of Mead she had hidden before they were kicked out. Cracking the top open, she smelled lilac and poppies from the narrow neck of the bottle instead of the normal sweet sour smell of Mead. On a summer afternoon when all the townsfolk would rather stay inside than go out in the heat, the street was almost empty. Besides Onyx and the trio, a white dress with pointed sandals passed by the women; a parasol hid her face except for a head of magenta hair and a smile. Onyx swallowed all her drunkenness.

           “Hmm, I’ve never seen her before,” said Plume.

           “Thin’ she single?” Luna joked and Iris tackled her to the ground. Like two fighting badgers they tussled, kissing only occasionally.

           Onyx dropped the bottle of Mead into Plume’s hand and ran after the white dress. Plume smiled for the variable she hadn’t yet deduced came and then she understood almost the entire story. The drunken fools she called friends nearly ran after Onyx if she hadn’t grabbed them by their collars and dragged them away; Plume mumbled to herself as she became the sole bearer of her friend’s disgrace how much Onyx would owe her next time.

           The white dressed turned the corner and waited in front of a statue tree. Onyx caught up with her and was pleasantly surprised to see her waiting. The huge white parasol was dropped and at long last Onyx could see the face beneath the magenta hair. The same color eyes, round and apart sat like large jewels beside a stout nose; Onyx had to hold herself down for her heart’s strong beats nearly caused her to move like a carriage.

           “Bixbite. That is my name. Bixbite, like the stone of purple red,” said the woman.

           Onyx spoke the name and her body was at peace. “Bixbite.”

[survivor-kuwait]

Episode 11 - “i am the balrog elder gay” - Kait

i am the balrog elder gay 

Losing Chloe BROKE ME. listning to Bye Bye mariah carey and crying!!! this is for the people who just lost somebody... SHOOT. I wanted her to blurt out more of her votes in tribe chats. RIP. a fallen Goddess...

SWEET BABY JESUS I GET A SECOND LIFE IN THIS GAME!! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!! OMG I LOVE THE LAGOON RN! BUT HOPEFULLY I CAN MAKE IT TO THE POINT WHERE I CAN RETURN BECAUSE I HAVE A FEW PEOPLE TO STRIKE BACK AT.

I’m so dumb, completely missed the voting deadline, in my defense i was teaching, but still. Never again, its merge (maybe) and im not gonna jeopardise my game like that.

I'm glad we merged but two people are returning to the game? This has been the most cracked game I have ever played.

Renee and Chips have a chance to return. Between the both I hope Renee comes back. She was an ally for me and most probably work together again.

Go rennee!

---

boo chips

MERGEMERGEMERGEMERGE!!!! glad my zodiac sign is known for being loyal cause I sure ain’t. 

This challenge is always weird but i think if people tell me the truth i may have cancelled out some of my stuff im getting. M&M&M are good standings hopefully. I also trust kait thomas and timmy. Hopefully i can make itndeep in the game.

---

This challenge was a total meh i guess this works. Hopefully i win immunity. If not hopefully im not a target. My relationship with Madison may be rocky right now cuz i blindsided her tribe friend in another game. So im kinda nervous. Hopefully she doesnt pass it her vengence here and tries to take me out.  Im slightly worried a but for this tc.

This merge is a little different from my norm game, I usually have 2-4 alliance chats going but I don't have a single one so far this game.  All my deals have been side deals so far, I do not know if that is a good or bad thing as of this moment in time.  Corey did fill me in that there was an alliance being formed that included him, at least it's indicative of him wanting "The Bull and the Lion" to continue to work. I am also way to mentally drained to give a damn, I just needed to make a confessional to not strike. I worked for 14 hours today but I made 325 dollars and now only owe 4k on my student loans.  Thassss a win in my book even if I get voted out, I'm just gonna drink some beer, hold Jenifer and go to bed.  Good night Moon.

THANK GOD I WON IMMUNITY. You have no idea how good it feels to not have to stress out too much this round. Considering there are 14 of us, really anything could happen, but it's great to know that I will make it through at least one more round. The only key here is just making sure that I stay on the right side of the numbers. The line will most likely be drawn in the sand, so it's important that I stay on the right side of it. So far, I think the people that trust me the most are Ian, Corey, and Matt. I talk to them the most out of everyone, and I do trust them all to an extent, Corey and Ian the most. I would love to find a way to get all three of them on the same page, but I know that will be a heard feat. Next in line would probably be Maynor, Madison, and Kait. I talk to these three a good amount, but for some reason I am having a hard time putting my full faith into them. I talk to Owen a good amount too, but he is a MAJOR threat, and someone that I do not want to be in the game for too much longer if I'm going to have a chance to win. For this round, in an ideal world, Thomas would go home. But that seems too easy. I am hoping someone starts throwing names around, but if not, I guess it will have to be me.

WHY DOES MATT HATE ME SO MUCH?!?!  I genuinely wanted to work with him after first impressions, I bet he was the one who voted Taurus now.  My idol now has a name attached to it, so thanks for that Matt.  In a way, I guess you did end up working with me in some fashion.  Ideally this round goes down with a clear majority on Stephan and Corey can get his save a vote activated and I play the slow burn on good ole Matteo, I wanted to butt heads with Owen at merge, but Owen has been a delight while Matteo has been nothing but a thorn in my side.  

Phew child this merge! 14 people is so so so many and I did in fact vote out Adrian and Chloe, both people who I’ve worked with. I’m left in a really interesting spot because of the warzones it’s still hard to see who has a pattern of voting together. I feel that I’ve positioned myself to be in a lot of threesomes, and hopefully nobody really catches on to that? I know Kait is my number one currently and I have trust with Madison and Devon and Corey. But I’m also fully aware that everyone is a huge threat, and I have to downplay myself as one as well. Hopefully a stepehen vote will provide me with good positioning, as we’re removing someone I personally can’t reallt work with, and lessening the numbers. I also wanna really work with chips but I’m sure everyone was chomping at that bit! Who doesn’t want a bite of chips!

I wish I could put an image in this form bc the joke I’m about to make is so funny Anyways lol I told Kait about the idol I felt like I had to or else I’d break her trust if I ever used it. But THEN LOL SHE TOLD ME THAT matt also has one LMAO THAY HE NEVER TOLD ME ABOUT!!!! So that meme I linked above is literally me and matt with our idols Here’s my prob tho I like l.... I have to tell matt bc he knows I guess the coordinate. So I guess that’s a thing that’ll happen

Finally have an alliance chat with Kait and Owen...it’s been so many rounds in the making tbh, it just needed to actually be made. I feel safer having that as well as us going to make one with Matt and Maynor as well, making sure that Matt is okay with it...Maynor already seems to be on board. The only name that’s been going around is Stephen so that kind of sucks because I wanted to work with him, but he isn’t around enough to try and rock the boat for in this game unfortunately. 

I found a hidden immunity idol which is awesome! Also, everyone has been silent this round after we decided on Stephen so that’s a bit suspicious 

This is a really hard round because I really like everyone. If any good came from it, it's that I solidified myself into a strong alliance that should be able to keep me safe for at least a few rounds. Corey did not seem to bite on my idea to vote out Owen. Matt says he is most threatened by Ian and Timmy. And everyone just seems to want to vote Stephen. I think this round will be pretty easy, but from this point on it just gets harder. I assume that Chips is in a bad spot and most likely will go next. But at final 12, it's going to be a doozy to see who can stay on top of the vote.

So thisrounf there is an alliance of 6 however I have 0 faith in Thomas. He is a wild card and will be hard to judge and work with. No idea what’s going to happen tonight. 

Aight a lot happening this merge!!! Fourteen people we losin our minds. First of all let me say half these ppl were kinda boring to talk to but I’m liking it a little better today. I came in wanting Stephen GONE because I lied to him during the taylor vote and we haven’t clicked since and I promised I would get out whoever lied to me in this food challenge and his bitch ass didn’t submit so I didn’t get my perfect ZERO!!!! So I was all ready to press him but suddenly Devon had already thrown out his name! Easy as pie. I rlly trust Kait and her and corey get along. I was branching out to some others too like madison is bae, Devon is fun, I like talking to Ian. My FAVORITE is Maynor I rlly like him but I’m scared matt has a hold on him. Anyways I helped set up some alliances today that I hope are solid. One is me Kait madison corey and then they wanted to add Devon and tommy which is cool. Still kinda pressed at Thomas because yesterday I said ily to him and he replied with lol but other than that it’s a good group. But then suddenly Timmy wanted something with Kait and I so I took that as an opportunity to solidify something with Maynor! Precious angel. Kait and I are worried because the tension between corey and matt lmao which is honestly kinda stupid. Matt was sus about corey after he spearheaded the renee vote which like I understand. And I stirrred the pot a little because I told corey that matt was after him lmao. But for now I’m rlly working hard to keep them from targeting each other and so is Kait. Idk how long that can last tho. Ummmm trace’s THOT HOE ASS told corey he wanted me out?!!! So he gotta GO! And Kait and matt think Ian is dangerous which I’m like ok maybe..., sure. Ummm Cullan is just mind boggling. He ate tater tots for breakfast who does that. But he’s sweet I guess. Id prefer him and Ian and trace gone soon but corey likes all those people oop. I rlly think Kait wants to stick with going to the end with me and matt which like.... I rlly will keep allegiance to Kait but matt? Idk. He kept his idol secret from me and it’s clear he doesn’t trust me as much which is fine, I wasbsure Stephen would target me tonight but apparently now he’s going for Thomas. Hopefully it’s an easy vote and Stephen goes and I get what I want and next round I’ll figure out what to do when it gets harder

Well. Tonight the vote is Stephen. Well, for the majority of us. For little young me, I will be voting for nobody! We acquiring a save vote. Hopefully, at our next tribal, Timmy leaves! Woo! I am in 2 alliances: Mighty Happy Meal (Owen, Kait, Madison, Devon, Thomas) and Queer Eye-ish (Madison, Matt, Trace). Period... I am loyal to my own people. Madison, Owen, Ian, Devon. Kait too, to an extent. The rest need to go at their time. I do what I can. Matt is a priority for me to get rid of. Unless Timmy wants Matt gone, I want him gone too for next time. x

Ep 11: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-fEEBtT8R4hk_587qknbxwLmB8yhN_lt/view?usp=drivesdk

This is my placeholder confession for until I am at a computer and able to type something out. I got back in the game!

alyssa said put ep 11: just a quick recap bc i have to play this silly flash game now before i pass out - corey and matt allegedly not liking each other is still a problem - owen found an idol - i told owen matt has an idol bc i have a big mouth - corey told owen all this shit about the vote and idk just other game sensitive stuff and not me and - there's an aliens of trace, matt, madison, and corey that trace allegedly made. this is a big question mark bc either it's just really random and people that trace wants to work with despite what they said or this beef??? between matt and corey is fake which i wouldn't be too surprised by - corey told all of this to owen before tribal but told him that he was going to wait until after tribal to tell me like.... i don't appreciate that. - i think that kind of solidifies that if/when corey v matt happens and i have to pick a side i wanna go with my matt. - im sure i will think of more tomorrow oh also i want ian to get deleted from skype thx

EP 11 Confessional: I got an idol this round which is cool. I heard the vote was stephen however it’s been kinda quiet. Not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. 

Aight a lot happening this merge!!! Fourteen people we losin our minds. First of all let me say half these ppl were kinda boring to talk to but I’m liking it a little better today. I came in wanting Stephen GONE because I lied to him during the taylor vote and we haven’t clicked since and I promised I would get out whoever lied to me in this food challenge and his bitch ass didn’t submit so I didn’t get my perfect ZERO!!!! So I was all ready to press him but suddenly Devon had already thrown out his name! Easy as pie. I rlly trust Kait and her and corey get along. I was branching out to some others too like madison is bae, Devon is fun, I like talking to Ian. My FAVORITE is Maynor I rlly like him but I’m scared matt has a hold on him. Anyways I helped set up some alliances today that I hope are solid. One is me Kait madison corey and then they wanted to add Devon and tommy which is cool. Still kinda pressed at Thomas because yesterday I said ily to him and he replied with lol but other than that it’s a good group. But then suddenly Timmy wanted something with Kait and I so I took that as an opportunity to solidify something with Maynor! Precious angel. Kait and I are worried because the tension between corey and matt lmao which is honestly kinda stupid. Matt was sus about corey after he spearheaded the renee vote which like I understand. And I stirrred the pot a little because I told corey that matt was after him lmao. But for now I’m rlly working hard to keep them from targeting each other and so is Kait. Idk how long that can last tho. Ummmm trace’s THOT HOE ASS told corey he wanted me out?!!! So he gotta GO! And Kait and matt think Ian is dangerous which I’m like ok maybe..., sure. Ummm Cullan is just mind boggling. He ate tater tots for breakfast who does that. But he’s sweet I guess. Id prefer him and Ian and trace gone soon but corey likes all those people oop. I rlly think Kait wants to stick with going to the end with me and matt which like.... I rlly will keep allegiance to Kait but matt? Idk. He kept his idol secret from me and it’s clear he doesn’t trust me as much which is fine, I wasbsure Stephen would target me tonight but apparently now he’s going for Thomas. Hopefully it’s an easy vote and Stephen goes and I get what I want and next round I’ll figure out what to do when it gets harder

[aiimaginesbts]

What You Never Had: Chapter 1 (M)

Seokjin x Reader, with Namjoon and Jimin

Genres: Royalty AU, Fluff, Future Smut

Word count: 3,028 words

Chapter 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 (M) | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 (M) | 13 | 14 (Final)

Disclaimer/Copyright

"Your highness! Please come down," your nurse begged, nearly in tears at the sight of you climbing towards one of the higher branches of the tree, the skirt of your dress scandalously bunched up past your knees.

"Just a bit more!" You shouted back, determined to get to the frightened cat stuck in the tree. It was a mystery how it got there in the first place, but after observing it for a while, you were convinced that it was not going to be able to make it down on its own.

You ignored your nurse's desperate pleas as you reached the branch the cat was perching on. The branch was quite thin so you didn't dare climb on top of it, trying to stretch your arm to reach the cat instead. You were doubtful that the branch could even hold the cat for much longer. It was scared out of its wits, obviously, hissing and refusing to come towards you, even though you tried your best to persuade it by talking to it softly.

Just then a strong gust of wind blew, sweeping your hair into your face, making you lose sight for a few seconds. You brushed your hair out of your face irritatedly just in time to see the cat losing its balance and falling towards the ground. More out of reflexes than anything else, you made a crazy swipe for it and managed to grab it by its stomach.

Unfortunately you had no time to even feel happy about the feat as your move to catch the cat made you loosen the grip on the tree trunk that you had with your other arm, resulting in a quick and rough descent down the tree, the coarse bark ripping your hands and clothes as you tried to regain your hold on the trunk without success before you lost hold completely, freefalling towards the ground, screaming in fright.

A light smack on the back of your head brought you back to reality. You tore your gaze from the tree where the incident happened years ago to scowl at your grinning second brother, Jimin.

He looked pretty proud of himself. Usually you were a model student, paying complete attention to lessons that you were permitted to attend with your brothers but today you were simply not in the mood, and Jimin apparently had taken it upon himself to bring your focus back to the lesson by throwing a paper ball at your head. You scoffed silently. He rarely paid attention during lessons, and your tutors frequently reminded him to be more like his sister and elder brother.

Sneaking a glance at the tutor, you held the paper you had crushed into a ball in your fist, waiting for the right moment to retaliate. Several attacks were exchanged before your tutor noticed that there was a growing pile of trash around your desks and gave the two of you a dirty look, but decided to let it slide when both of you had the sense to look apologetic and turned back towards your books. Your eldest brother, Namjoon, was too focused on his notes to notice that anything out of the ordinary was happening.

One glance at him reminded you of how lucky you were to be able to learn mathematics, science and the like with your brothers when most girls were not given that opportunity, being encouraged to pursue more feminine activities instead. Namjoon's intelligence and dedication to learning was something that you've always admired, among other traits, but it was expected of him, since he was the crown prince after all. He had always been responsible and hardworking, while your traits hovered between the two princes —interested in gaining knowledge and governing the country like your eldest brother, with a fun-loving and carefree attitude similar to your second brother, and a stubborn and rebellious streak of your own that drove everyone crazy.

"Just what were you daydreaming about, pipsqueak?" Jimin asked a few minutes later as you walked down the hall, pinching your cheek. You swatted his hand away, resisting the urge to kick him. Childhood had left you behind years ago, and you needed to remember to act like a lady. Like a princess. Even though you never held back on Jimin when there were no prying eyes.

Namjoon looked on with confusion. "Did I miss something?"

"Shorty here was staring off into space just now," Jimin answered. You didn't even bother to acknowledge another one of his annoying nicknames for you this time.

"I got distracted," you explained. "Do you remember when I climbed the tree outside the window to rescue that cat?"

"As I recall, I rescued you and the cat," Namjoon grinned, and you pouted. True, he did catch you before you hit the ground,  but was no one going to acknowledge the fact that you climbed up the tree to get the cat, getting countless cuts and a punishment from the Queen later in the process?

The annoying princes simply chuckled when you reminded them of that, and you were thinking of a retort when they were summoned by the king. Despite not being called for, you followed them into the castle front, where several horses and a large group of men were getting ready.

"Where are you going today?" You asked Namjoon as he and Jimin quickly got ready for the trip.

"We are visiting the south villages today," as usual, Namjoon never gave pause in indulging his baby sister with information. "The crops are doing well this year, but the villages have been attacked. We have a suspicion of who were behind the attacks but we need to investigate further to make sure. Mostly we are going to help them however we can, see if we can provide them with anything."

This was not the first time that news of the villages in the outskirts being attacked reached your ears, and you couldn't help but feel worried for your brothers, who were visiting the villages in the king's stead. Catching your concerned expression, Namjoon pressed his hand against your cheek and smiled reassuringly.

"Don't worry, everything will be fine," he said. "We have adequate protection, and it seems that the attackers have left the villages."

You took his hand that was resting upon your cheek to wrap it with both your hands and you nodded understandingly. "It will be very reassuring for them to have the princes see to their welfare themselves. I'm sure it will boost their morale too." Namjoon's smile widened at your words, making his dimples more prominent. He appreciated your views on matters concerning the country; they were similar to his.

"I wish I could go too," you said longingly.

"You will soon," Namjoon answered. "I imagine father will be glad to have someone from the family visit the hospitals and orphanages again. Minister Kim does a great job, but it's just not the same since mother..." he didn't finish but you quickly nodded. The queen's passing was still a fresh wound although it had been a little over a year.

Jimin bounced over, throwing his arm around you with no sense of propriety as usual. "Tiny tot, I'll bring you back loooots of grapes! They're in season now, and the grapes from the southern villages are always sweet and juicy."

Namjoon promised to bring you back delicious food as well and you thanked them. Soon you were waving your brothers off, watching the group leave with envy.

It was still about half a year before you would come of age, and only then would you be allowed to leave the castle grounds. You narrowed your eyes and looked around at the castle walls, your hand tapping your chin as you started thinking. Even then, you would never be allowed to travel to the bordering villages with your brothers; they would say that it was too dangerous. Your trips would probably be confined to the capital, and you would be heavily guarded.

A frown forms on your face, knowing that this was not what you wanted. You wanted the freedom to explore the world outside these confining walls. To experience life as one of your people, to talk to them, taste their food, learn of their troubles, and have fun with them, like you imagined your brothers did. You couldn't imagine being able to do all that with a swarm of bodyguards and people dogging your every move.

But now... now no one outside this place knew who you were. You had never been outside, so people in the capital had no idea how their princess looked like. Now would be the best time to experience what you wanted to experience. You fixed your excited eyes on your lady-in-waiting, who recognised the look on your face and panicked.

A few hours later, her pleas, not unlike your nurse's years ago, rang in your ears as you dug through the thick bushes covering the wall of the far side of the castle. You knew there was a hole in the wall here, thanks to your brothers sneaking off out of the castle when you were younger. They obviously hadn't done so in a while; the bushes have grown thick and you had a hard time making your way through them, hoping that you remembered the spot correctly.

"Your highness, this is a bad idea," your lady-in-waiting hissed, her eyes darting around to make sure no one saw you. "What if someone recognises you? What if something bad happens?"

"Don't worry, Ji Eun," you whispered back, wincing as a branch sliced your palm. The sight of the hole lifted your spirits and you continued your efforts to reach it with renewed vigour. "No one knows me outside the castle. Just distract anyone who looks for me."

Ji Eun whined in protest but it was no use; you were already crawling through the hole. It was no wonder your brothers did not use it anymore, you can barely fit through it. It took longer than you thought to get through the thick wall, but soon you reached the other side, looking up at the late afternoon sky, your lady-in-waiting's voice no longer reaching your ears.

You stood up, brushing your hands together and wiping your skirt, cleaning yourself up as best as you could. Ji Eun would not be pleased to have her clothes dirty or torn after being persuaded to lend them to you so you could blend in. The large mansions before you were a sight to see, but you were not impressed, quickly walking away from the castle towards the direction you believe would lead you to the poorer parts of the capital.

It was quite a walk, and you were getting tired and discouraged when you saw a market of sorts. People were yelling on top of their voices, trying to make a sale, and as soon as they saw you, they called out to you, showing you beautiful trinkets, bracelets and pots, not unlike the ones you had received from your father and brothers after a trip. Smiling politely, you declined and kept walking, barely able to control yourself from laughing in glee as you take in the sights surrounding you. You've longed to see the outside of the castle for years, and here you were, on your own, having the time of your life. A small part of you wished Ji Eun or one or your brothers was with you so you had someone to share your excitement with.

Past the marketplace were smaller houses, still nice but nowhere as big as the mansions lined up right outside the castle. Seeing a group of young boys playing in a courtyard, you decided to stop and watch, sitting down on the ground, massaging your tired legs. They were kicking a brown ball the size of a melon around, but the game they were playing was one that you weren't familiar with, so you had no idea what was happening or who was winning. Nevertheless, the laughter and excitement on their faces made you smile with happiness that you'd never felt before. They were obviously having fun, free and without a care in the world.

Suddenly, from the corner of your eye you spotted several men not much older than you half pushing, half dragging a smaller boy away from the courtyard. Concerned, you immediately got up and followed quietly. They were concentrated on leading the boy somewhere and were oblivious to the person following them. You were so absorbed in making sure they didn't see you while not losing them that you didn't realise that the neighbourhood was progressively becoming shabbier, the alleyways getting smaller, until they reached a dingy alley, made dark by the setting sun.

You hid behind a corner and carefully peeked to see the larger men starting to say things to the smaller one in lowered voices. Upon a closer look, you realise that the one you thought was a younger boy was also probably about your age. His tiny frame and hunched posture that made him look even smaller misled you into thinking he was younger than he really was. Their voices were too soft for you to make out the words, but you could hear that they were spoken in a menacing tone, and when the smaller boy did not respond, he was hit by the group. Without thinking, you stepped out of your hiding place to defend him.

"What do you think you're doing?" You said, taking advantage of their confusion at your sudden interruption to stand in between the men and their victim. They looked at each other, then at the muscly, tanned man in the middle, whom you assumed was their leader.

"Who are you? Get out of our way," he attempted to push you aside but you refused to move. "Do you even know this guy?" He asked, frowning at you before lifting his head past you to address the boy you were protecting. "So are you hiding behind a woman's skirt now?"

The boy simply clutched at your back, his fist curling around your clothes, but didn't reply, so the leader decided to deal with you first. "Since you're set on protecting this scum, why don't you pay us the money he owes us?"

Ah, so that's what this is about. "How much does he owe you?"

The boy cut in before the leader could answer, "I told you I'll pay you back! Just give me some time." His voice was shrill and shaky, and you couldn't help feeling sorry for him.

A bark of laughter filled the narrow alleyway. "Some time? You're weeks overdue, boy, you're lucky I haven't chopped your head off."

"How much does he owe you?" You repeated. You thanked your lucky stars for having the sense to bring some money with you, but the leader's answer made your heart sink. You didn't have that much money on you. Frustration filled you as you cracked your brain for a way out of this mess but failing to find any. The threatening glares of the group did not help either.

"Why don't I pay half of the money now, and he can take care of the rest of it later?" You tried to keep your voice calm even though your heart was racing a mile a minute.

The leader was quick to decline your offer. "Are you kidding? He will never be able to pay off the rest of it. Hell, he wouldn't even be able to come up with a single cent. He doesn't have a father, his mother is ill, and he has four brothers and sisters to feed. So, no, I am not going to wait for my money." His eyes moved up and down, his scowl turning into a smirk as he took in your appearance properly for the first time.

"Well..." he said as he stepped closer, "there are other ways you can help this deadbeat pay off his debt." As the group closed in on you, you instinctively wrapped your arms around yourself. The boy took this chance to make his escape, leaving you behind to fend off these men, whose leader pulled your arms away and held you against him as he tried to kiss you. You squeezed your eyes shut and leaned away, trying to avoid the kiss and the reek of alcohol coming from his breath.

Still in shock over the abrupt flight of the man you were trying to defend, you cursed your decision to venture out of the castle, wondering how you were going to get yourself out of your predicament when you were pushed and released from his hold suddenly. You fell onto the ground from the impact, opening your eyes to see him nursing his cheek, blood seeping out of the corner of his mouth.

It was hard to see the face of your saviour in the growing darkness, but he was tall, and apparently either scary or authoritative enough to send the gaggle of men sprinting away, their leader following right behind.

Your saviour did not pursue them, however. He was more concerned about you, getting down on one knee and wiping away the tears you didn't realise were staining your cheeks.

"Are you okay, miss?" He asked kindly in a soft voice. You nodded slowly, words failing you, having a hard time processing all that had happened. "Can you stand?" Rising up, he offered his hand to help you up.

At your hesitation, you could see the outline of a reassuring smile forming on his face. "Don't worry, I won't hurt you. I promise. My name is Jin."

[thechasefiles]

The Chase Files Daily Newscap 18/11/2019

Good Morning #realdreamchasers. Here is your daily news cap for Monday, November 18th, 2019. There is a lot to read and digest so take your time. Remember you can read full articles via Barbados Government Information Service (BGIS), Barbados Today (BT), or by purchasing a Daily Nation Newspaper (DN).

AG STATEMENT ON LIQUIDATION CENTRE BUILDING – Yesterday, Saturday November 16, 2019, two companies owned by the Ram Merchandani family, Furniture Limited and Tiny Tots Limited, took the Government to court seeking an urgent application to prevent the Government from taking possession of the building on Bay Street occupied by the Liquidation Centre. This property was acquired by Government through the compulsory acquisition process of Parliament, with the notice to acquire having been served on the owners since March this year.  This property forms part of the tourism footprint identified by the Mia Mottley Administration for a number of hotel developments, including the new Hyatt. While Government now effectively owns the property, the process of compensation has not been completed. However, discussions have been on-going between the Government and the previous owners, with a commitment to pay as soon as agreement has been reached. In the meanwhile, the November 4, 2019 deadline to turn over possession of the property to the Government had not been met, but the company wrote Government asking for an extension of occupation until January 2020, which Government rejected, on the grounds that the company had been given more than enough time to complete its relocation. On Friday November 15, 2019 the operators of the Liquidation Centre were instructed to immediately vacate the property, and informed that if they failed to, on Monday November 18, 2019 Government would take active possession and remove to storage all items still inside the building. In response, the owners sought injunctive relief through the High Court, which dismissed the application on the basis that there was no serious issue to be tried. The company then sought a stay of execution, which the court also rejected. This means that barring any further instructions from the court, tomorrow morning, (November 18, 2019) personnel from the Ministry of Housing and Lands, with the assistance of the Royal Barbados Police Force, will take possession of the Liquidation Centre building and begin the process of removing and storing all materials within. (BT)

MISS RAM’S CRY – BUSINESSWOMAN Asha “Mrs Ram” Mirchandani is crying foul, saying she has been treated in a heartless manner in being forced out of Liquidation Centre in The City by today, but Government says she has had more than enough time to move out and make way for the new Hyatt hotel. As she sat in her office on Lower Bay Street yesterday from which she had operated for more than 25 years, “Mrs Ram” said she was now a broken woman. After Government’s acquisition of the property earlier this year, and several meetings and court hearings, on Friday Mirchandani was given the final notice to vacate the property forthwith since Government would take active possession of it from today. (BT)

LOWE TIME FOR DEMS TO RISE AGAIN – IT IS TIME for the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) to become a viable political institution again and fight the Mia Amor Mottley Government. That challenge was thrown out yesterday by former minister Dr Denis Lowe to members of the last Freundel Stuart administration. They included former ministers Dr David Estwick, Richard Sealy, Ronald Jones and Steve Blackett, who attended a joint meeting of the St Philip North and West branches at Princess Margaret Secondary School. Lowe charged there was “great discontent in the country” and no third party should step ahead of the DLP. He said the answer to the problems facing the country were not “solutions based” but rested on the foundation of social democracy and the mores of the DLP. (DN)

NO RIFT IN DLP – There is no discord in the Democratic Labour Party (DLP). This from former St Philip North Member of Parliament (MP), Michael Lashley, whose constituency branch hosted a joint meeting with the St Michael South Central and Christ Church East branches at the Princess Margaret Secondary School on Sunday night. Speaking after the meeting that was not advertised on any of the DLP’s official social media pages prior to its staging, Lashley said this was not an indication of any fracture in the party. “I support whoever is president that is all I’m saying,” he noted, adding the meeting was simply held as “part of the branch activities”. The former Minister of Transport and Works made the comments minutes after he told a packed and boisterous audience inside the Six Road, St Philip school auditorium that he would like a “meeting of the minds” with the party’s executive and past ministers and MPs to develop strategies to take the Dems forward. He said many of the defeated candidates in the 2018 General Election have a role to play. “We might not be candidates in the next election but the experience that we have, we can share that experience with you all. I came into politics in 2003 as an Opposition parliamentarian and then went straight into Government. So I lived both experiences . . . . And we have that experience; we understand what Opposition politics is all about,” said the Queen’s Counsel. “We lived through it and the powers at George Street, it is my belief and we are not pushing them away, and they are not pushing us away either, but they could be a meeting of the minds to develop what strategy or what approach the Democratic Labour Party will take moving forward to the next election.”Lashley emphasised if he was not the DLP’s candidate in the next election, that person would still receive his support. He said former Minister of Water Resource Management Dr David Estwick felt the same, and in these times, the party needed to draw on everyone who was willing to make a positive contribution. “I gine talk straight, no first year law student can come and tell me how to run a case. If someone can make a contribution, have the knowledge and the expertise we can pull them. There might be some persons who never had the experience but can offer and make a contribution but you must welcome those people aboard too. By now I sense that the party is energised. I sense that the party is ready is to battle. I sense that the Democratic Labour Party, that we are now ready to sit in the rooms at George Street strategise, come on the  streets and start to battle,” Lashley added.(DN)

MINISTRY MEETING WITH PARENTS, STUDENTS AT NEW DIMENSIONS – The Ministry of Education, Technological and Vocational Training has asked parents of students in first to fourth forms at the Frederick Smith Secondary School as well as all first formers to meet at the New Dimensions Ministries Church, Barbarees Hill, St Michael, tomorrow, Monday, November 18, at 9 am. Minister of Education, Santia Bradshaw, and counselling professionals will engage parents and provide counselling interventions for the first form students. All other students are required to remain at home and await further instructions. Minister Bradshaw is once again appealing to employers of parents of students in forms 1 to 4 to facilitate their attendance at this very important meeting by releasing them from work. Additionally, teachers of the Frederick Smith Secondary School who require further counselling are invited to attend tomorrow’s meeting to access the available counselling services. (BGIS)

METAL DETECTORS NOT THE ANSWER – Former Minister of Education Ronald Jones says turning schools into “prisons” is not going to curb the violence in these institutions. According to him, the solution isn’t trying to prevent dangerous objects from coming on to school compounds by using hand held metal detectors, because what can be deemed as dangerous objects were already accessible. Instead, it is dealing with the minds of some of this nation’s children that are “polluted”. Speaking at a Democratic Labour Party meeting at the Princess Margaret Secondary School  last night, he told those gathered that until this happened, another incident like that which occurred at the Frederick Smith School on November 8, will more than likely occur again. Sixteen-year-old  Temario Holder was fatally stabbed by a 15-year-old student. “Unfortunate circumstances have hit one of our schools, the life of a young man gone; cut down by another young man. And a nation should not be putting blame, but a nation should be in prayer. A nation should be seeking solutions because that’s not the only one that might very well be cut down by knife or gun or chisel in the woodwork room, or knife in the Home Ec. Room,” Jones said. “I’m making this point because sometimes we are silly people. So we get into a panic, we run straight into a panic and turn the school into a prison when inside the same prison every implement to do Wood Work, to do the Culinary Arts, to do the Creative Arts are in the school. So it is not the implement, it is the mind of some that are polluted,” he said. Jones argued that these minds were being even more contaminated today because, according to him, many of the support systems that they once depended on were being denied resources. He said: “Children are scrambling to survive; working for people that are nefarious just to put on a pair of shoes or school pants or to get $5 to buy  a little lunch, and it is even worst now because all of the supporting agencies are being denied the resources to meet and to get into our homes.“It isn’t easy being poor. Any idiot that say they like to be poor I would send them with the bones of the ancestors. . . . All of us wanted a good plate of food on our tables this Sunday. They are many in this country who couldn’t do that and they are many children who couldn’t get that plate of food today (yesterday).” (DN)

DUGUID: BREATHALYZER TESTING COMING IN JANUARY - Come January next year, motorists driving under the influence of alcohol will be doing so at the risk of being subjected to breathalyzer testing, Minister of Transport and Works Dr William Duguid said. The announcement, which was made during a service for the United Nations’ Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, comes well over a year after government promised the apparatus would be implemented within “a matter of weeks”. “My ministry is at an advanced stage with respect to the use of breathalyzer testing of drivers of vehicles. The introduction of such testing will certainly go a long way in ensuring the safety of the travelling public and we anticipate that this will be instituted in January of 2020,” Duguid told reporters at the St Mary’s Anglican Church on Sunday morning. In addition, he promised Government would be at the forefront of efforts to make roads safer and reduce congestion by instituting world-class measures like road barriers, road fences, barricades, signs, traffic lights and roundabouts. “Traversing our roads is an essential part of our everyday lives. We all use them in some way by driving, riding, walking or travelling as a passenger and we depend on them for goods and services. Unfortunately, that comes at a price, which includes people being killed and injured. However, over the last few decades, effective and comprehensive road strategies have reduced the number of people being killed or injured on the roads despite increasing traffic levels,” Duguid added. Barbados has seen a drastic reduction in road fatalities so far this year, having recorded nine in comparison to the 28 and 26 recorded in 2017 and 2018 respectively. (BT)

POWER SURGES CAUSE BWA FACILITIES TO SHUT OFF – Several of the Barbados Water Authority (BWA) facilities were affected by power surges last night which caused the equipment at the facilities to shut off. In a statement, the BWA said, crews began the process of restarting those facilities this morning however a few are still to be put back online. It explained, “The stoppages would have resulted in the loss of water supply to some customers in various districts overnight. However, pumping should resume once power is fully restored.” The BWA also gave an update on work to repair the pump at the Newmarket Pumping Station which was damaged on Thursday as a result of the Barbados Light & Power Company’s electrical outages. The BWA explained, “This facility along with the Fort George Reservoir sends water to customers in parts of St George, St Michael and Christ Church. As the work progresses, the water supply is slowly being restored to some areas, while others may continue to experience low levels of outages until the repair work is complete." (DN)

FOGGING SCHEDULE 18-22 NOVEMBER – The Ministry of Health and Wellness’ fogging programme continues this week in a number of parishes. On Monday, November 18, districts in St Philip to be fogged are Merricks Tenantry Road, Peat Bay Road, Apple Hall, Apple Hall Terrace, Bottom Bay, Inchcape Terrace with Avenues, Harrismith, Shrewsbury, Harmony Hall, Eastbourne and environs. The team will be in St John on Tuesday, November 19, spraying Rosegate, Lovell Road, Codrington Road, Massiah Street, Stewart Hill, Consett Bay, College Land, Sargeant’s Village and surrounding areas. On Wednesday, November 20, areas to be fogged in Christ Church are Marine Gardens, Queen’s Way, Halls Road, Browne’s Gap, Hastings, Dayrells Road, Navy Gardens, York Road, St. Matthias with Avenues, Harts Gap with Avenues and neighbouring districts.On Thursday, November 21, the team returns to Christ Church to fog Ashby Land, Durants Development, Durants Road, Durants Terrace, Evergreen Road, Sealy Land, Windy Ridge, Ince Marlow, Ocean Spray Development, Golden Plover Road, Seaview Road, Park Road, Arawak Road, Almond Row and environs. St Michael will be targeted on Friday, November 22, specifically Brighton Road, Straker Link Road, Black Rock, Carters Gap, 1st – 3rd Avenue Spring Garden, Retreat Terrace, Connell Road, Rock Road, Clarke Road, Free Hill with Avenues, Boyce Road and surrounding areas.Fogging takes place between 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. each day. Householders are reminded to open their doors and windows to allow the spray to enter. (BT)

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[whimsically-ominously-auspice]

We are at Sonic, 99 cent regular size burritos today-must mention ad, my older brother wanted chili cheese tots (i need onion and mustard on mine), pretzels, drink, my mom ordered my dad some things.

So Annabelle and i ordered. I smoked, she ate moz sticks. Ours was $7. We saved our burritos for home, hers was egg and cheese only. Mine sausage.

The rest of my sciatic nerve was killing me. Took me awhile to figure out what it was, i even asked last night some of the muscle trained peoples what they thought it was. So I just have a stem coming from the spine. A short, probably not a new nerve growth because (im not saying my doctor sucks because there's a method to the madness) i haven't had sciatic pain and i know for a fact as well as my currently recurred sinus pain is caused by situations i am in. Could be a new growth, idk but the doctor tests nerves and they're close together and we're not using florscopy to look in my body while holding something that can paralyze me for life. So better safe and repeat than sorry. Of course i could be wrong and a cyst is putting pressure on my motor nerve. Because the doctor tests as i said and I fall asleep or am in and out and when he tests the motor nerve it shakes my leg. And so i feel a similar pain as i do now. Except i hear the doctor when hes needling me and he says "thats not it" "nope" "i cant get it" "lets just move on for now" so i assume we have a sciatic branch under a motor nerve. This is why i trust my doctor. If you're curious, measure straight across from the tip of your ass crack to the middle of your butt cheek, the size of my hand from the crack. Then pivot your middle finger so its pointed down and i got a nice hunk of Matt handle fat and that whole palm are hurts but when on opiates/narcotics and CBD and muscle relaxer and neuropathic pain medication, it hurts straight across from my crack and doesn't radiate but comes in like a dagger on each literal heart beat.

So I'm feeling like shit. Exhausted. Emotionally, mentally, physically, my mom is pissed cause my dad wants a sausage,burrito and she wants me to get a BBLT which no one,wants cause that's all she buys. And shes starting her psycho drama bull shit. Which just ended in "you didn't give me money" and her well you had money to,get coffee at the gas station and my dad saying "shes not going to give you a real reason, shes going,to,say something you would,say because that's all you understand"

I never told her i would use my money although im the type to do so. I told her my brother gave me money, when she asked if i needed it before i left, cause she was working outside. My brother will give me $40 to buy food and he only get a $9 meal. But i had to use my own money. Cause it was $17.58 and i gave the girl a $1 tip.

The girl looked scared. I think it was the energy in the air. I was struggling to ignore it. I don't like guns. They make life unfair. If you walk up to me, i have a chance to make,a semi-plan. If i walk up to you, you have a chance to make a plan. With a gun, there's nothing. No chance to defend. Which is common sense. Unless God jams the gun. Inexperience is scariest cause then it increases the chance a misfire could occur. I guess that's why some of us like the dark. Mother Nature can be a safety shield. I do use her.

You have heard the beginning and the almost end of one story. What do you think has happened at Sonic to cause this eerieness???

Did I stand up in the sunroof waving my magic crystal wand?

Am I randomly attacking people with my new JLO purse by hitting people in the back of their heads for having their window open?

Did I go inside and take over the Mic to sing "Fuck tha Police"?

No.

So we sitting there just having ordered everyone else's food so it would be hot and fresh upon delivery.

And the Sentra of a century pulled in blaring his music about idk what. Annabelle and i made fun of him cause it sounded like he was singing about tater tots. Then later the song was about hot tamales. Swear.

So I'm still mostly sitting straight with my head back against the seat, eyes closed and smoking cause that doesn't hurt. (There is a sciatic position for sitting I learned at physical therapy) and i feel my kid dodge and say something.

Its literal too much pain to turn my neck but I do cause my kid is all "omg" and its not a good. I say "what?" "He has a gun!!!!"

I'm all no he,doesn't but my eyes flash up at him and I see him pull back as if hes just loaded or checking/playing while its empty.

I'm strongly feeling hes empty. Strongly. Yet I am extremely aware how vulnerable I am if hes not or has bullets within reach. My kid gets down lower than the window without me telling her to.

Fear is suffocating. I know my kid is startled like Hell. Idk if anyone else inside saw. The car hop is weary, yet i see that look often with just loud music -- because usually those people are disrespectful.

And IDK where he came from. So IDK if I'm,praying or being told the guy isn't there to harm,me.

Well I mean like if he is, what am i gonna do?

Besides all was in the air,was pure,fear.

Danger is something completely different feeling... You know when you watch a cat on tv stalk,a,prey and you get that warm dark comforting feeling? I didn't,have that.

It was pretty sunny, Philadelphia.

But I was annoyed cause my kid was startled and there was a little Mercedes skin between hers and his. Even if I know I'm safe. I don't trust that someone put bullet proof materials on my car before i got it.

So the kid refuses to look at me.

Finally we get our food and we can leave.

My kid feels free to laugh again. "He has an apple watch and an iphone 5"

Then the kid feels free to speak.... He was a messenger. I accept his message. And i thank him.

So i tell my dad and his answer is a double barrel shot gun.

God's is a German Shephard.

Denise's is a rottie.

How do i deal with those situations? Neither one of us are there. Thats what i express. Im not there, the gun isnt and whoever has the gun. Why? If they're planning on criminal behavior, then they feel safe to know im not,a,witness. Idc they rob someone or kill them. I dont want to be robbed nor killed. So they're on their own just as they were before I saw them.

If they are robbing, and its fast and easy ill,cheer them on. I honestly do not give a,fuck.

I'm,not about to be in some petty none sense drama that i wasnt in in the first place.

Oh yeah sure Sabrina but you're a key board warrior. Hell fuck yes i am. And bring your shit. Try me out. You're gonna get a hugely different response if you're all about me.

See the difference? Dont be about me and leave me alone. And i see nothing.

Unless i have to.

Cause we all know I'm a tattle tale.

So hopefully old boy knows where to pick up his tamales.

Cause I'm sure they will be just fine.

Also before this occurred.

I was analyzing the message of my, get this, sigh Attica.

Which was about the same person my gun totting friend was messaging about.

And unfortunately Mr I steal eggs and sperm to create white kids to abuse left his information about how to deal with criminals and their behavior.

Which unfortunately was mostly, just let them do it.

And so they are saying themselves they need to stop following that formula.

Now Mr Gun had the same answer but a different one than i was thinking (for once)

But his is best.... For my peace.

Of course live and let live, let people have a chance to grow has also been active.

For Denise it doesnt work.

So my choice is really none -- as I do not have to make that choice. I'm not going to do either one as i am not qualified to do either. However both as explained to me that i will remain unharmed (emotionally,mentally,physically--- 2 of which are about people i love being hurt as well) and so i accept either or both choices being carried out.

The,wind is nice and cooling,today. Pretty excited! :) kinda got,a little sandblast to the teeth BUT NOT my face.

So mother nature says mush!!!!