#and yes. I made sure (to the best of my ability) to keep these Egyptian Hieroglyph translations as accurate as possible <3< /div> Explore tagged Tumblr posts

[lilybug-02]

So fayesh my fellow Egyptian how do you like modern times?

Mummy Bread has had the worst time just trying to understand everybody else's language, let alone technology! He's much better at it now, but still prefers to speak in his native tongue.

[five-rivers]

Reflection

Tucker passed in front of a mirror and stopped, did a double take. He'd been doing that a lot, lately, ever since what he and his friends referred to as the 'Egypt incident.' He raised one hand and traced a line under his eye, his lower eyelashes ruffling.

"You checking your eyeliner, Fol-ey?" asked Dash, bumping into him, rudely.

Tucker avoided stabbing himself in the eye and caught himself on the sink. He frowned at the reflection of the jocks in the mirror and scanned the locker room for Danny. Alas, his best friend must still be running punishment laps in the gym.

"Looking for Wimp-ton to save you? That's pretty pathetic," said Dash, jabbing Tucker again.

Tucker spun to face them and started to back away. He wondered if it would be okay to fight back under these circumstances, or if he would get in trouble. Because Tucker could fight. Maybe not as well as Sam and Danny, he was more the tech guy of their group, but all of them could throw a punch. Heck, Tucker could pull back a bow and put an arrow into the center of a target a hundred feet away. That took arm strength.

If he fought Dash, he'd probably win.

But fighting was generally frowned upon at school and with the other jocks as witnesses... Yeah, that wouldn't pan out well. His parents would take his side, but he didn't want to get a bad reputation with the teachers. One of the trio had to stay on their good side. Obviously it couldn't be Danny, and Sam was too argumentative, so it fell to him.

He sighed. Well, he could take a punch, too, if it came to that. He took off his glasses and put them on the back of the sink.

"What're you doing that for?" asked Dash.

"Good glasses are expensive, Dash," said Tucker, flatly, glaring up at the taller boy. "They're also made of glass. I don't want to be wearing them if you decide to hit me in the face."

Dash stared down at him, as though seeing him for the first time. He humphed. "You take all the fun out of it," he complained. "Come on, guys," he said to the other jocks, leading a parade out of the locker room. Tucker sighed and looked back at the mirror.

Eyeliner, huh? Dash probably would have been surprised to find out that Tucker had thought that he'd seen eye makeup on his face. Kohl. No. Not kohl. That was a recent word, and not completely accurate. Mesdemet for the black. Udju for the green. He blinked, unsure where the words had come from.

No, he knew where the words had come from. He just didn't want to think about it.

Danny stumbled into the room, banging the door behind him. "Hi," he said, waving at Tucker. He paused. "Are you okay? You look kind of..." Danny trailed off and shrugged.

"I'm fine," said Tucker. "Just talked my way out of getting beaten up by Dash."

"What, really?" asked Danny, his eyes flickering over Tucker. "Are you sure you're fine? He didn't hit you?"

"Nope. I'm really fine."

He hoped.

.

The archery club met right after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays, regularly, contrasting with the computer club, which met 'whenever' and 'online.' Usually, meetings coincided with Danny getting detention and Sam's activist stuff. Tucker thought of these afternoons as their 'alone time.' Otherwise, they were, well, not quite joined at the hip, but...

It was a near thing.

Tucker wouldn't have minded if Sam and Danny did join the archery club (or the computer club, for that matter), but it could be nice to have some time away, so that he could sort through certain thoughts. Thoughts such as: What was happening to him?

Because he really had thought that he had thrown off the influence of Duulaman's ghost, or that weird staff, or Hotep-Ra, or whatever had been going on that week, and yet, here he was, over a week later, hallucinating himself wearing Egyptian makeup, of all things.

He squared himself on the edge of the archer range and checked that it was clear. The other members of the club were working with the closer targets. Tucker thought that he would challenge himself today. He pulled back.

The thing was, at the end, when Hotep-Ra was gone, and Tucker was back to himself, he had been able to use that staff, the Scarab Scepter, to return everything to normal. He wasn't sure he should have been. He had no idea how that staff worked. Yet, in that moment he had.

And he did look an awful lot like Duulaman.

"You're doing great today, Foley!" called the club advisor from across the range. "Are you sure you don't want to shoot competitively?"

Tucker rolled his eyes. "I'm sure!" Then he caught sight of his arrows. They were all clustered neatly in the bullseye.

The hairs on the back of his neck stood up. Tucker was good. He wasn't, quite, that good. Not at this range. But, in the moment, as he was shooting, he hadn't registered anything as being unusual. He remembered looking at them as he was aiming, so he wasn't just spacing out.

Archery was practiced in Ancient Egypt, wasn't it? He remembered seeing murals. He remembered the sun shining down on his shoulders as his entourage...

... What?

Tucker frowned. This wasn't going to go away, was it?

.

The computer screen cast Tucker's dark bedroom in a blue light. The only sound was him typing away at the keyboard.

Tucker didn't want to worry Danny and Sam. Mostly Danny. He had enough to deal with without worrying that his best friends was going to go crazy and try to kill him. Again.

He cringed. He did not have the best track record when it came to that particular thing. Then again, neither did anyone else close to Danny.

Hence not wanting to worry Danny.

Maybe he should talk to Sam, though. Out of everyone he knew, she was the only one who'd been mind controlled in a similar way. She hadn't said anything about having hallucinations post-Undergrowth, but, then, she wouldn't, would she? Sam had the same reasons Tucker did for keeping quiet.

Tucker made a face at himself. It was probably a sign that their relationship wasn't as healthy as it looked, keeping secrets from each other like this. But... he knew Danny kept secrets. They all did, and they were fine with it. So, Tucker or Sam keeping secrets was fine, too.

As long as it didn't turn into murder attempts. That was not fine.

Tucker slipped his fingers under his glasses to rub his eyes and returned his attention to the screen. He was researching Duulaman, and had dived deep into the academic side of the internet. He'd come up against a dozen paywalls and dismissed them all with a few keystrokes.

Duulaman. Pharaoh of Kemet. A descendant of Hatshepsut and an ancestor of Tutankhamen. He had been a fairly progressive member of his family, restoring several of Hatshepsut's monuments after other of his ancestors had done their best to destroy them, making laws concerning the treatment of slaves and foreigners, and forging peace with neighboring countries. He had been well-liked, his popularity having been attested to even years after his death by inscriptions in other graves, praying that their inhabitants would find themselves under Duulaman's rule in the afterlife. He'd been famed for his athletic and magical abilities.

Sadly, academic publications were as skeptical about magic as they were about ghosts.

Tucker rubbed his eyes again.

Duulaman had been murdered. According to his brother, the pharaoh who had succeeded him, the deed had been done by an advisor whose name and image had been systematically removed from everything.

Probably Hotep-Ra. That fit with the ghost's whole thing, and the fact that Tucker couldn't find any information on him.

After another relatively fruitless hour, Tucker pried himself from the chair and went to bed.

.

He turned the fine silver mirror over in his hands, contemplating its polished surface. It had been a 'gift' from a Mitanni noble, and had carried a brutal curse into the heart of Kemet, but the curse was loose, now, wound around his very soul, and the mirror itself was merely a harmless, empty vessel.

One that Duulaman could learn from. He ran his fingers along the strange symbols scored on the outer edge of the mirror.

If his advisors would stop arguing for just a moment.

"We must attack at once!" said Hotep-Ra. "This insult against the person of god cannot be borne!"

"But it is harvest season," objected another. "We cannot afford to take the men from the fields. There would be famine!"

"Hotep-Ra," said Duulaman, softly, "brother of my heart, it was not even their king that sent this. Would you raze their whole kingdom and force a tragedy on their own for the sake of one man?"

"One who attacked you and our kingdom through dread magics?" asked Hotep-Ra. "Yes, my pharaoh."

"Then perhaps it is good that I am pharaoh. I know that you love me, but I have no desire for war. Even so," he said, raising his voice, "I have sent certain persons to correct the problem, and my brother has borne a letter to the Mitanni king, explaining the situation. It is true that this assault on our kingdom cannot be suffered quietly."

The advisors took that in. Duulaman turned to the Priestess of Mut and tried not to squint. She was just far enough away that he had trouble seeing her. Sadly, none of his magic had yet succeeded in giving him the eyes of a hawk, but he yet had hope.

"What say you about the curse?" he asked.

Duulaman was a powerful priest in his own right, favored by the gods and his ancestors, but he valued other opinions. Being the focus of the curse might have blinded him to certain aspects of its function.

The priestess bowed. "It is as we first feared," she said. "It binds your great soul, so that you may not pass into the green fields of the Duat when it is your time to do so. Instead, it decrees that, when you die, you must suffer to be born into a common line, far from your rightfully exalted place."

"And for Kemet? For my line?"

The priestess, an experienced woman who had served Duulaman's father, actually trembled. "That, whence your second life reaches the age of reason, you shall understand, and you shall see the last of the Pharaohs come to ruin, all our temples abandoned save for nonbelievers, your descendants crushed or cast into obscurity, your name stricken from history, and your tomb robbed by foreigners. She dooms you to watch the slow decay."

This was about what Duulaman had expected. He closed his eyes, pained. If only he had been more careful opening the box... but he had assumed it to be from Hotep-Ra, or his brother, or one of his sisters, for it had been among other, like gifts.

"I see. Fear not. I will take care of it. Kemet shall not fall within our lifetimes."

The relief in the room was palpable. They had faith in Duulaman's power.

Alas, that it might come to naught.

.

Tucker woke with a jolt, hand on his heart. He looked around wildly, relaxing when he saw the acid green numbers on his bedside clock. He was here. He was now. He was Tucker.

And it wasn't even time to wake up for school.

Wait. It was Saturday. He wouldn't have to wake up for school anyway.

Alright. So he might have, thousands of years ago, been Duulaman. Fine. He laid back down, breathing through his nose. He dealt with ghosts on a daily basis. He could deal with reincarnation. This was cool. This was fine.

He was definitely having a crisis.

Crap.

He fumbled for his phone, and hit the speed dial for Danny. Danny never slept anyway, it was fine. Besides, stuff like this was why Sam had bought him a phone (a Nokia brick, because ghost fights) in the first place. Dead people were Danny's specialty.

"What's wrong?" asked Danny, far too alert for the small hours of the morning.

"I think I might be Duulaman," said Tucker.

There was a beat of silence. "Yeah?" said Danny, confused.

"Like, I'm a reincarnation of him or something."

"Yeah?" repeated Danny. "I thought that was the whole reason you could use that staff and stuff?"

"Wait," said Tucker. "You mean, you knew all along, and you didn't say anything?"

"I thought you knew and didn't want to talk about it," said Danny. "I'm sorry. Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I'm just having weird Kem- Egypt flashbacks. I'm fine."

"Do you want me to fly over?"

"No," said Tucker. "I just- Am I still me?"

"I mean, you're you to begin with. You are yourself. That's like, definitional."

"Yeah, but..." Tucker gestured at his ceiling with his hand, even though Danny couldn't see it.

Danny chuckled. "You're still you, Tucker. I know Sam and I aren't always super sensitive, but... We do pay attention, you know? We'd know if you were being taken over. Maybe not right away, but..."

"Thanks," said Tucker, with only a little bit of sarcasm.

"Hey, I like to think we've all come a long way since the thing with Poindexter."

"True," said Tucker. "Hey, thanks, man. I'm sorry about waking you up."

"Don't worry," said Danny. "You didn't. I'd just caught Boxy when you called."

"Oh. That's good. Get some sleep, Danny."

"You, too. Tell me what Egypt was like tomorrow, okay?"

"Kemet," corrected Tucker. "And, yeah. Bye."

.

"What are you doing?" demanded Hotep-Ra.

Duulaman turned away from his ritual tools and fixed an un-amused eye on Hotep-Ra. "I may have made it your place to question me," said Duulaman, "but I thought I had made my decision on this matter clear. The method your faction proposed is too uncertain, too risky."

"I have made a mirror," said Hotep-Ra, "one that will recognize your soul in whatever body it should take. With it, we could search all of Kemet for you when you are reborn and then lay you properly to rest, as you deserve, before the curse comes to fruition."

"And if I should be born in lands beyond?"

"Then we should look there, too!"

"Starting all sorts of wars on the way, no doubt. Tell me, brother of my heart, what is the difference between the young man who falls in war, whose body is left for the crows, and the old man who is buried peacefully, and who will find joy in the Duat?"

"The devotion of his family!" responded Hotep-Ra instantly.

Duulaman shook his head sadly and looked back to his tools, touching them softly. He had already completed the ritual that would force the curse to carry his soul thousands of years into the future. By the time his next life reached the age of reason, there would be no pharaohs for the curse to affect. And if there were? Well, it would have been a good long time, and the curse would have weakened significantly. Perhaps even to the point of unraveling.

"No, Hotep-Ra. The difference between a tragedy and a happy ending is time. All kingdoms fall. All civilizations fade."

"Not this one."

"Even this one. The only questions are when and how."

"No," said Hotep-Ra. "No. Never!"

Duulaman felt, rather than heard, the scrape of metal against oiled leather and reached for his staff, which lay across from him, on the other side of his ritual. He was too late. He had trusted Hotep-Ra too much, let him get too close, and he felt the bronze knife slide between his ribs. His eyelids fluttered as his hands groped up his chest.

He was dying.

"I will see you, in the next life," he whispered, blood bubbling in his throat.

And then he was gone.

.

It was bright when Tucker woke again.

He felt... oddly calm. It was nice to know that he had succeeded in out-waiting the fall of Pharaonic Egypt, even though the fact that it was gone made his heart shiver.

Well. He pulled his phone over, and texted Danny. I know what it feels like to die, now, he said. Maybe they'd be able to bond over it. Or Danny would give him some coping pointers, since Tucker was pretty sure he'd have at least one breakdown over this. Either one would be good.

He stood up and walked to the bathroom. His reflection stared back, completely normal. No weird eye shadow, no Egyptian clothes, just Tucker and his pajamas.

Behind it stretched miles and miles of sand.

[regrettablewritings]

How They Spend the Quarantine (Tadashi Hamada, Lucifer Morningstar, Dewey Finn, Wade Wilson, Harley Quinn, & Benoit Blanc)

Just a fun (?? is that even responsible to say?) little thing I’ve been thinking about while slogging through this neverending hellscape of an extended lockdown.

Tadashi Hamada

When San Fransokyo was ordered to go into a lockdown, there were mixed feelings.

At first, Tadashi had a hint of optimism that this would mean more time to work on his prospective projects . . . But then he quickly realized that his projects mostly required tools and space offered by the campus. He could technically make do at home, but it wouldn’t quite be the same considering the garage was considered Hiro’s space.

Somberly had to clean out his lab and take whatever he could home.

Cue the rest of the group (sans Fred and Hiro) griping that at least his style of science could travel well enough to be somewhat continued off of university grounds.

Helps do delivery for The Lucky Cat. It helps him get out the house, and it’s simply helpful altogether.

Uses Baymax frequently to make sure everyone down to Mochi is sanitized, and nobody’s running a fever.

Nearly as frequent a sanitizer as Aunt Cass.

He starts most days prepared to be productive, only to stop and poke fun at Hiro, who’s almost always got his eyes trained on a video game.

Tadashi realizes three hours later that he, too, has been playing the game as Player 2.

Learned how to make facial masks with Aunt Cass. He already knew how to sew a little but frankly, making the masks made him realize he could have a new hobby on his hands. He’s currently trying to figure out how to make Mochi a little vest . . .

Lucifer Morningstar

B o r e d. A s. F u c k.

At first, he thinks everyone being forced to go home would work in his favor -- surely some rule-breakers would sneak out and try to bunk up with the Devil, right?

Well . . . Kinda? Once Chloe found out and scolded him about it, the idea died real fast. Plus, he realized he wasn’t quite fond of the possibility of being around someone who could pop up with a disgusting human sickness at any point during their time with him. Smearing their snot all over, coughing into his Egyptian cotton sheets . . . Nope, never mind, he is perfectly content having the penthouse to himself, thank you very much!

Except he’s not.

The poor bastard is going crazy by himself -- he’s just not used to being without some kind of company!

“At least in Hell, you could tell there were people around you based on the screaming!” he’d whine at his phone during his hourly video chat with Chloe.

Oh yes: The video chats. He tries to make them hourly with anyone he can get a hold of (namely, his long-suffering detective) but this clearly never plays out as he would like for it to: If he had it his way, everyone would respond in an instant and let him bounce mainly one-sided conversations off of them -- basically, what he did before all this went down.

What usually winds up happening is he gets hung up on or nobody answers him at all out of sheer annoyance over his clinginess.

Ironically, he’s not exactly crazy about when Amenadiel initiates those “family calls”. He insists it’s healthy and normal for them to do this and even calls Luci out on the hypocrisy, but let’s face it: Lucifer finds it obnoxiously gushy and weird.

He works his way into Linda’s video appointment books to help him cope with his boredom and admitted need for interactions. She doesn’t mind offering him counsel, but once Lucifer starts attempting to butt in during others’ appointment calls, it becomes an issue.

Has, at some point, gotten buzzed down in Lux and streamed himself attempting to pole dance. It drew quite a bit of attention.

He’s managed to gain a bit of a following and some companionship by streaming himself playing piano and singing. It’s not the same thing as having an actual audience, in his opinion, but it will have to do for now.

He’s never been one to binge with regards to TV shows or movies, but after the first week, he decided to binge watch every work action star Wesley Cabot was ever in.

Makes sure his staff still gets paid well. After all, he’s pretty well-off; there’s no need to make an innocent bartender’s life a living hell just because some other rich bastard fucked up, yeah?

Going off this, should he need to order to-go or anything, we already know he tends to tip as handsomely as he looks.

Dewey Finn

Kids were being sent to Horace Green on tuitions worth more than what some people saw in half a year -- of course the school was going to continue classes online!

While technically an afterschool instructor, the program is popular enough for parents to expect it to continue, and for Dewey to be kept on payroll.

Initially, he was pretty smug: He’s one if, if not, the youngest teacher-figure at Horace Green, so surely that means he’s more tech savvy than his older, stiffer coworkers, right? For once, he’s ahead of the curve!

Wrong: Figuring out Zoom was a headache, and then there was the realization of just how dependent his classes were on actual physical presence.

Plus, let’s be real: Dewey’s Internet connection was decent on its own, but craptastic when compared to those of his wealthier students. The lag is strong with this one.

Has definitely accidentally messed up the background on his screen. Somehow wound up with the Beetlejuice background and got so frustrated, he wound up keeping it there for two whole sessions.

In spite of the slight issues regarding lag, they pull through and try to resume lessons as best they can.

Tries to keep optimism by pointing out how this is a new form of entertainment they could be pioneers in.

Some days, it’s just going so wack or everyone’s so bleh that Dewey just assigns for them to watch a music documentary or something.

“Okay, kids, Mr. Finn’s hungover and clearly Summer is the only one who went to bed before 3am. So what I’m gonna have you do is watch . . . Prrrbbbb . . . Amadeus.” “How is Amadeus rock-related?” “It had a rock single, shut up. Anyway, we meet back next class and talk about what we saw, m’kay? M’kay. Over and out.”

Next class, he’s filled with dread as Summer produces an in-depth analysis of the relationship or lack thereof between character and the presence of talent as evidenced by Mozart’s abilities juxtaposed with his immature presentation and -- Dewey just can’t keep up. Sure, Summer, why not?

When he’s not busy teaching, however, he’s using the lockdown to work on some new material. Or just screwing around.

Otherwise, let’s be real, Big Boy’s living the high life in a place of his own: Playing video games (Animal Crossing, recently got back into Team Fortress 2, is trying to finally finish Ocarina of Time); eating a not very great diet; staying up late, napping at weird times; all in the name of quarantine.

If he orders delivery or to-go, he tips the best he can.

Wade Wilson

On one hand, murking never goes on lockdown. But on the other . . . He’s already technically not well, why risk that even with his mutation?

Oh, fuck I just remembered he lives at the X Mansion, never mind turn back turn back oh god give us free --

The situation is tense to say the least. There’s Wade, who’s sensible enough to know why the quarantine is in place . . . and then there’s everyone else, who knows Wade’s full of shit.

And by everyone, I “coincidentally” mean Colossus, Nega Sonic, Yukio, Domino, Cable, and Russ because the already small world of the sequel just got smaller by the fact that everyone is bound to a large but nonetheless single estate whose size has probably decreased from that of the First Class timeline.

You know those videos of the usual Quarantine Characters? Wade is somehow yet still unsurprisingly all of them, save for the frequent sanitizer. He raids the pantry frequently, sleeps at all hours, considers scooting a swivel chair down the halls exercise for the thighs, blasts video games, and so on.

Going back to the sanitizer thing, it’s not that he’s just not exactly known for being tidy. Colossus occasionally does drag him out of bed at a decidedly decent time (read: any time before 11am) to try and get him excited about cleaning up around the mansion, but it rarely ends well. At this point, the safest option is to just remind Wade to wash his hands for 20 seconds as necessary.

Has acquired a Switch and visits everyone’s island, often to bonk them on the head with a net or gift them with weird crap they don’t necessarily want. For the “friends” from Sister Margaret’s, he has somehow acquired their Dodo Codes. Nobody knows how he did this. 

Facetimes Dopinder frequently.

“Precious, you’re the beacon of light in this cold, cruel world.” “I miss you, too, DP --” “Sshshsh! I’m having a moment . . .” *weeps*

On the many occasions he orders delivery, he tips by giving the delivery person something expensive from the mansion that they can sell. Prof. X is loaded, after all. Plus, he more or less isn’t even present in this universe, it’s not like he’s gonna miss anything he can’t see/probably doesn’t even know exists in his house. The problem is, Colossus does exist and does notice and does care when things go missing. Leading to many a delivery person getting caught up in shenanigans at that weird school in the boonies that they either don’t get paid enough to deal with or couldn’t pay to make up.

“Oh, pawn shops are closed?” asks the man who looks like a skinned avocado if avocados had human skin. “Don’t worry, lemme hook you up -- I know some guys --” “DEADPOOOOOLLL!!” roars a Russian accent from inside the house. “WHERE IS THE BRONZE BUST OF THE PROFESSOR!?” The poor delivery person’s eyes widen as they realize that the odd cargo they’ve been presented with apparently holds some value of some kind. But before they can flee, the avocado man blurts, “Shit! Leave the pizza in the bushes, look me up on my Youtube page, byyyeeee!!”

In his defense, Wade does hold up his end of the deal. Much like the Dodo Codes, nobody knows what strings he pulled. They just accept it and move on.

Harley Quinn

Surprisingly compliant.

She’s crazy, not stupid: Staying at home may suck, but what sucks more is making things harder on people who may not fair so well. Besides, she’s spent time in a maximum security prison -- she can handle staying cooped up in her own home. At least home has TV, books, and snacks.

When she hears people are still going out without masks or plotting to have a protest, she strongly considers firing up the old Fun Gun and popping the next sign-carrying Karen she sees with a tit full of cadmium yellow powder.

Seriously, stay the fuck home and fuck up your own hair; this is the perfect time to make mistakes with your looks, it ain’t like you got anywhere to be or anyone to impress.

“STAY THE FUCK HOME, BITCH!” P O W!!! “JUST GO GREY ALREADY, WE ALL KNOW YOUR HAIR AIN’T THAT COLOR ANYMORE, YOU’RE THREE YEARS FROM BEING IN THE GODDAMN AGE-BRACKET!!!” P O W!!!!

Only leaves her new apartment to grab groceries and to take Bruce on a walk. She actually refuses to steal or cause a scene during this shitshow because she may be a bad guy, but she sure ain’t evil.

So far, there haven’t been complaints about the fact that she’s walking a hyena down a public street. Maybe it’s because there’s hardly anyone out? Maybe it’s because Gothamites just can’t be bothered to be fazed by it . . . Or maybe it’s because she made him a little mask for his snout.

“In this house, we wash our hands for at least 20 seconds, kid.”

Lets the forest reclaim the earth, so to speak. She was never really shaving anything for anyone but herself before, but now it just seems especially pointless.

Spends almost every day in a kigurumi. To give her a semblance of routine, she has a pink bear one she calls her “Sunday Suit.” She doesn’t know it’s not Sunday because the days just blur but Cass just doesn’t have the heart to tell her; she seemed so proud of herself . . .

Like everyone else, she’s gotten Animal Crossing. She’s trying to create an all-preppy island with a few exceptions (Astrid = Aesthetic, m’kay?)

Tips nicely when ordering delivery.

Benoit Blanc

As young and spry in nature as the gentleman sleuth would like to think of himself, he would really rather not test the dangers of the situation and go about all foolhardy -- he’s staying home!

In theory, it’s only logical and therefore perfectly fine. But in practice . . . God, he wishes he’d invested more in things to occupy himself with when home.

It wasn’t that Benoit was never home, he just never felt too much of a need to invest in a fancy entertainment center -- the fanciest he ever got was an iHome.

The beginning of the quarantine served as the perfect time for him to read over case files, catch up on paperwork, even catch up on some reading he’d been putting on hold since God knows when due to cases popping up left and right. But that dried up quicker than he’d assumed, and that’s when he was faced with what a man of his mind dreads the most: Boredom.

Finally caved and decided to hook up Amazon Fire.

Expected to use the one-month free trial on Netflix and be just fine but once the lockdown in his area got extended and he realized he wasn’t going to be able to catch up with Crazy Ex-Girlfriend at this rate, he caves even further and buys a subscription.

Fully delights at the influx of platforms uploading Broadway recordings; when The Show Must Go On put on Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat, followed by The Phantom of The Opera, it was a treat, I tell you!

Sanitizes often, despite hardly ever leaving his house besides to have a smoke or to go grab groceries. Honestly, it’s less about cleaning at this point so much as it is finding something to occupy his focus when he feels there’s nothing else to so.

Takes zinc after every meal to help lessen the intensity of any ailment that might hit him.

Definitely owns a facemask. There’s a good chance it’s from Marta or one of his relatives, and there’s another good chance the pattern is as flamboyant as his clothing. He’s delighted.

Benoit tries not to rely too much on delivery,  as he’d much rather just cook. On the rare occasion where tipping comes up, however, he gives as generously as he can.

Bonus: There’s a slight chance he might have acquired a companion to foster early on in the quarantine. Benoit hadn’t had a pet since childhood, a crime of which he was admittedly melancholic of his own involvement. However, his surprisingly busy lifestyle just wouldn’t suit a four-legged friend, now could it?

Well, now there’s time to. Besides, it would certainly ease the potential feeling of loneliness to have someone or something with whom he could interact with.

Admittedly, when shelters began encouraging people to invest time in taking home a companion, he’d been looking more for a comrade on the canine side of the spectrum -- but darn, if Duke wasn’t a handsome cat.

A lovely grey-and-white cat with eyes that matched his own, Duke has become the one Benoit monologues to (because in all honesty, the man is a performer at heart, in need of an audience to speak his mind to and portray a thought before). Plus, he doesn’t appear to mind it when Benoit finds himself belting out in tone-deaf notes to showtunes while washing the dishes: The mark of a true companion.

At this rate, he’s probably not going to keep fostering Duke when things calm down -- he’s probably going to just straight up adopt him.

Stay safe & healthy!

[dragonrajafanfiction]

Precious Friend

The beds were platforms attached to the walls that lifted up to an opening aptly called a coffin rack that served as under-bed storage. There were four beds in a room. Besides the coffin rack storage, there was one locker per occupant. That was all.

Aaron tried and failed to fit all his gear into a locker before giving it up and tossing it on top of his bed next to where his foot would be. “People live here for months? Jesus…” He muttered.

Brian held out his hands, “I have space in my locker, give it here.” 

“Careful, my guns are in there.” Despite his words, he tossed his bag to him and hopped up to pull himself onto the top bunk.

“I know. That’s why I don’t want it getting tossed about if we hit rough seas.” He tucked the bag into the locker and shut it securely.

“I hope none of you get seasick. Masato peered down from his top bunk where he was surfing on his phone.

Rodney meanwhile stood in the doorway looking in despair and wondering if he was even short enough to fit into the flimsy blankets. This was a common issue. At six feet and four inches, he was too tall for a lot of things. He caught Masato’s smirk and inwardly grumbled that, for once, someone who could fit into a locker like him had the upper hand.

Masato turned back to his phone. “I’ve been doing some research into what the Lieutenant told us. Norma doesn’t really contradict anything that she said. She’s just… less conclusive about the actual existence of the dragons they spoke of. The lack of written record is a problem, but the rainbow serpent’s connection to alchemy is pretty solid.” He turned his phone to them. “The appearance of a serpent looped in a circle is common in Egyptian depictions of an afterlife, but it doesn’t have much context. Still, European alchemists adapted this symbol into their own writing.”

“So it had to mean something…” Aaron whispered, opening his phone as well.

“I’m going to bed.” Brian ducked into the small gap between the top and bottom beds and disappeared.

Aaron let out an awed sigh. “Wow… their definition of Speech Spirits is Voodoo… I wonder… I wonder if we’ll get to see something like that. Sounds spooky.”

He dipped his head down to peer at Brian. “You’re sure you’re okay with your lady out by herself with a bunch of a voodoo?”

Brian gave him an annoyed glare. “By their definition aren’t we also practicing voodoo when we use our soul skills?”

“Oh that’s true.”

Brian rolled over to face the wall.

“But you didn’t deny she’s your lady.”

“Shut up.”

---------------

Mr. Baldwin didn’t go with the rest of the students to the residential deck. He instead followed Dofi, the youngest of the quadruplets towards the Officer’s area on the ship. Dofi kept up the act, nodding dutifully at the sailors who had no idea he was masquerading as his brother.

“How long are you going to keep up this act?” He mumbled quietly.

“As long as I can!” Dofi flashed his brilliant teeth and chuckled. “After all, it’s not often I get to be captain.”

Mr. Baldwin raised his eyebrows. “Really? Somehow I doubt that. Switching identities would be an easy way to keep sailors on their toes at all times. I envy your ability to be in multiple places at once… so to speak.”

They came to an elevator. Dofi, scanned his ID and it opened and they stepped inside. Mr. Baldwin stifled a yawn. “Will you be joining us for our discussion?”

“Nah…” Dofi waved his hand. “Foli wanted to speak with you privately. And I have an assignment that just came up. We can have fun later!” He gave him a hard slap on the shoulder that nearly took his breath away.

The doors opened and there was Foli, grinning, bearing the Cassell College world tree logo on his chest. The two men both embraced each other rocking back and forth. 

“It’s been too long. Too long, brother!” Foli growled happily. “Come in and sit down! We need to catch up!”

Foli ushered him into the room. It was centered by a large wood table and decorated with maps, globes, and had a view of the vast ocean. There was no wine or cigar, but a box of fine chocolate on the table.

Mr. Baldwin took a seat at the table and Foli joined him. “Wow, are these chocolates made by hand?”

“Of course, I’ve been saving them for this occasion.”

Together they reached in. The chocolate was velvet smooth, full of butter and had just the right bitterness, fruitiness and sweetness. Mr. Baldwin closed his eyes. “It’s just like what you brought with you to Cassell…”

“Yes…”

He looked at him. “How’s your father?”

Foli sighed. “Still unwell, we’re expecting his passing soon.”

Mr. Baldwin’s eyes filled with regret. “I’m sorry. I’ve dragged you away.”

Foli patted his hand to reassure him. “Our ancestors are never truly gone. His mind is resting in his body, waiting to be set free from its confines. He would never forgive me for missing out on this opportunity. You met with him before… yes? I was always curious. How did that go?”

“He didn’t tell you? Basically, he just wanted to congratulate me and give me some encouragement. Losing Professor Schneider was very difficult. Not just his death but the pressure of the expectations.” Unable to resist, Mr. Baldwin accepted another chocolate from the box.

“In the end, his choice was the correct one.” Foli spoke reassuringly to him. “Not only your training and education, but the power of your Soul Skill is undeniable.”

Mr. Baldwin grimaced. “I can barely control it. I’m no Anjou.”

“Such humility… it’s born of wisdom. It will keep you safe.”

“Keep me safe?” Mr. Baldwin chuckled with surprise. “I don’t recall safety being mentioned in this job description. But you do have a point… Time Zero, when it comes to applications on the battlefield…” He ducked his head and huffed. “It’s a bit unfair!”

“Just a bit!” Foli leaned against the table with one arm. “You’re not tired?”

“I am. But I can’t sleep.” He turned his eyes to the window. “The moon’s too bright tonight. And it’s nice to come here and chat.”

“How like you.” Foli said, delighted. “Then you’re fine with chatting with me?”

Mr. Baldwin gave him a small smile. “It would be an honor to chat with such a precious friend as you. The only thing lacking is some champagne.”

“I hope you don’t mind some tea instead? There’s a kettle.” Foli stood up and moved to a cabinet. Mr. Baldwin watched as he poured the tea and brought it back over to the table.

“What are we drinking tonight?”

“Just regular black.”

Mr. Baldwin began to chuckle.

“What’s so funny?”

He took a deep breath of the tea wafting into his nose and sat back in his chair. “When I visited the Italian branch to meet with Commissioner Gattuso they served me some tea called “Imperial Red” from China. It’s supposedly over a million dollars a pound.”

“Oh really?” Foli blew over his cup.

Mr. Baldwin gave him a fond smile. “I’ve gotta say. I like regular black better.”

Foli raised it in a small toast. “Only the best.”

They touched their cups together. Mr. Baldwin allowed himself to relax, letting the steam warm his face. “I don’t have many people in this business who understand me as much as you do. I miss the days in the dorm where we used to stay up and talk all night.”

“Yes… so do I. It’s been too long since we’ve had tea together.” Foli’s eyes fell to his cup. “But… you would do most of the talking!”

“I had a lot to say! Especially right before our graduation, remember? I had to go away to run the Executive Branch, and you were chosen by the elders to lead as well.”

“Is that the last time? I can’t quite remember.” Foli scratched his head.

“You wouldn’t. We drank a lot more than tea.” Mr. Baldwin lowered his voice. “You got piss drunk. No wonder you don’t remember.”

“Oh…” Foli looked bashful. “Well, you understand… alcohol has never passed my lips since.”

“It’s a cruel tradition. You can’t even spike a little brandy to help you relax without losing your job?”

“It’s just the way it is, my friend.”

Mr. Baldwin started to laugh again. “I was frantic trying to dry you out before you had to report to your family.”

Foli looked mournful. “You did?”

“Seems like you don’t remember that either.”

“Well your memory has always been better than mine!” Foli replied. ���Always has been. After all, you didn’t even confuse me with my brother! To be frank… it was a relief that you still remember.”

Mr. Baldwin reached into his pocket and pulled out a small gold medallion. It was carved with a skull ringed by twining vines. “Which reminds me, I think this belongs to you.”

Foli gasped, inhaling the tea he had just sipped. He covered his mouth, choking. “Where did you get that?” He asked around the coughs.

“You don’t remember but you left it in my room all those years ago. I couldn’t give it back to you without revealing to your family that you got drunk. So I took the opportunity to return it today.”

Foli reverentially took the medallion, speechless. “These relics are priceless. I assumed it was stolen from me.” He muttered quietly. His heart slammed in his chest as he tilted the heavy metal in his hand, watching the light shimmer across it.

“No one’s seen it but you and I.” Mr. Baldwin watched his friend’s reaction feeling deeply satisfied. “I’m the head of the Executive Branch. You will soon be one of the spearheads of the West Africa Branch. With Anjou, the relationship was wary. I hope to change that. Starting tonight.”

Foli opened his mouth to speak, eyes still glued to the medallion. But no words came out. He finally looked up at him. “Were it just up to me, I would absolutely accept full cooperation with Cassell. But these heavy matters? They’re left up to the Elder Council. That said, I will strongly convey your trustworthiness.”

He placed the medallion in his pocket. “Grant. People said that you changed after you were appointed, but you’re still the same person.”

“I changed only on the outside. I had to. Or else the Executive Branch might have fractured.”

Foli nodded. “I remember when we first met. I was full of many different worries.  I was… not prepared to make friends, but to maintain our secrets to maintain our superiority over the European Hybrids. At least, what I perceived to be superiority.”

Grant poured himself another cup. “I remember too. You were determined to show us up. Not that I blame you. The rest of our classmates wanted to teach you rather than the other way around.”

“I was shocked when all you asked were questions.”

Grant sipped. “That you didn’t want to answer.’

“And I asked, ‘why do you want to know?’ What did you say to me back then?”

“Isn’t that why you’re here? To teach us?” Grant replied.

“Yes that’s it. Your memory never fails!” He laughed. “Both Cassell and the West Africans have viewed each other with suspicion. Even now… it’s a bad habit.” Foli drummed his fingers on the table.

“One can’t be too careful.” Grant shrugged. “Trust is earned gradually.”

His expression turned grim. “You’re too kind. I just hope that trust gets its chance to grow and is not choked out by stubbornness and pride.”

Grant glanced at him. “Is there something wrong?”

Foli smiled again. “Ah… I believe it’s late. The moon is making me sentimental! But a cloud just covered it and broke the spell. We should get our rest.”

Together, they stood up. “Thanks for chatting with me. I hope we get this opportunity again… sooner this time.”

Together they walked out of the main meeting room, when they walked, it was hand in hand, leaving the cups steaming on the table.

[grey-eyed-menace]

So!

I'm coming straight outta left field with this one, but hey, some of the best things in life come from spontaneity!

Er... Maybe.

Anyway, here's my Pokèmon AU!

Featuring the Female Protagonists I played as, their names, general differences from canon, and personal headcannons I came up with during my first playthrough of each game!

...and how they fit into the wider world! Maybe. Kinda.

I'm only doing the main series females in this post, with potential a potential sequal in the form of the side game females!

I do know that the main series male's will have their own post though! Mostly because I legitimately cannot control myself, and it's already halfway done!

So, without a further ado...

Arden Forrest!

Childhood friend of Red Audra, and the maternal cousin of the one and only Blue Oak.

Chose Charmander as her starter, named the little guy Flare, and is extremely defensive of the nickname. She is/was ten! Sorry if her creativity wasn't up to par!

Ended up having to travel with Red because her mother absolutely refused to let her leave Pallet otherwise.

Simply stick with him out of convenience after Viridian Forest, mostly because at that point there really wasn't anything to gain in separating from him.

In this continuity she's the older sister of the Sun and Moon protagonists. More on that in Jericho's section.

At the end of her journey, her team consisted of Flare the Charizard, Lenz the Jolteon, King the Slowking, Knott the Vileplume, Skye the Pidgeot, and Blue the Raichu.

Raichu is a stuck up little shit, and pampered, the nickname was obvious. To her at least. Oddly enough, Blue the Raichu hates Blue the human.

The only reason Giovanni remembers her is because she straight up decked him across the jaw when he threatened to kill one of her Pokèmon.

Somehow ended up acquiring Silver as a travel companion for three weeks, Red was bemused. He was also incredibly confused when that feral eight year old showed back up three years later in the news.

Ended up hanging up her battling career shortly after she lost the championship to Lance, and handed over Flare to Red to battle on a more permanent basis.

She still trained the rest of her team, and still does, she just realized that despite her talent in the profession it just... Wasn't her calling. She wasn't as quite as in love with it as she was at the start of her journey.

Bounces around the world for a bit during the three or so years between the Blue/Red and the HeartGold/SoulSilver storylines, and after Lance wins the championship back from her. Trying to find herself.

She participates in the Galar league around the same time as Leon, Raihan, Sonia, and Nessa, mostly as a curiosity, and maybe as a way to try and reconnect with her battling roots, but jumps ship after Opal because fucking hell is their League a killer for self-confidence.

Her jersey number, for the record, was 069. She deeply regrets keeping the uniform years later.

She also finishes the Unova circuit, but doesn't challenge the Elite Four or the Champion, and she tries to do something in the Ferrum Region for a bit before packing up and returning home.

Perpetually pissed off that no one can remember her fucking name.

And no, it isn't about the Championship thing, she was fine with that, really, it's just that the moment she introduces herself ahead of Blue or Red people tend to either treat her like a commodity, or like she doesn't exist.

Made it through the Elite Four and beat Blue before Red.

So yes, she is the official record holder for the shortest Championship. Which, if you're wondering, is exactly thirteen hours, seven minutes, and thirty-three seconds.

She and Blue played Go-Fish for two hours while Red finished up with Bruno.

The ensuing eleven hour battle with Red both traumatized and bored Blue in equal measures.

Blue had the title for a week. Red bolted to Unova shortly after winning and declined the position, turning it back over to her. She proceeded to hold it for another six months before a match with Lance turned it back over.

Actually ends up as one of Professor Oak's lab assistants once she ends back up in Pallet, and... Eventually finds her calling in research.

She throws herself into her education with everything she has. And... Never really loses that passion and drive.

Has to be physically dragged to Passio during the Master's tournament/festival. Dragged. And no, that's not an exaggeration, Blue physically throws her over his shoulder, books their shared flight, and well, he basically kidnaps her.

If it makes you feel any better, he pretty much did the same thing with Red, only it was a private flight that was prearranged.

It makes her feel better, anyway.

She spends the entire tournament/festival in borrowed clothes.

She takes solace in mock-poker matches with Red, Grimsely, Lina, and, oddly enough, Cynthia and Steven Stone.

She does eventually end up becoming a professor in her own right, with a focus on Abilities and how they affect a Pokèmon's mental and physical growth, and also ends up with an engineering degree as well.

In her late thirties I see her taking over Professor Hasting's job for the Ranger association. Mostly because, in my head-cannon at least, Regional Professor status isn't all that it's cracked up to be, and at that point in her life the only reason she would even take over for Oak in any capacity is out of sentimental value for the Pallet Labs.

That, and it's a cushy job, plus she gets to see small children scramble around for over jumped flying tops. So really, it's a win-win.

Teases Jericho relentlessly over her relationship with Gladion.

Not that her romantic life is much better. Someone idly points out that Red is romantically pursuing her when they're nineteen and she proceeds to have a minor breakdown.

Or, you know, she just remains forever oblivious, and Red remains extremely passive in his pining.

Completely blind-sided by Blue's wedding, and honestly doesn't know what to think of his wife, but plays the role of doting aunt pretty well once they have their first kid.

Shows up in the White 2 storyline in a rental tournament, wrecks Rei's shit, comes back a day later during a Team Switch Tournament, and proceeds to destroy the battlefield.

Then, once Rei is the Unovian Champion, she comes for an actual vacation, and actively, and willingly, participates in the Cross-Region Tournament, makes it to the finals, wrecks Rei's shit again, and then destroys the Stadium when she goes up against Red in the semi-finals... Yeah, I'm not sure what storyline to put to the whole rage vent thing, but it's there. It exists. And Red pays for it.

I'm thinking Blue just gets in over his head a week or so before the tournament, and she quietly simmers all the while.

I think if I were to make a fic about her journey/life, I'd call it 'The Trials And Tribulations Of A Run Of The Mill Pokèmon Trainer'. Because... Ya know, against Blue and Red, she's actually a pretty average trainer.

Compared to Red, who'll have participated in over thirty league circuits in his lifetime, (and plowed straight through the champion in a pretty good chunk of them), Arden has only actively participated in maybe five, mantled a single Championship, and completed two other circuits, with the last three or so having her jump ship due to pressure, having to put it aside for prior commitments, or a simple lack of interest, (the incredibly vague Greece based region I have an idea for is incredibly interesting history wise, in universe, it's Gym and tournament circuit on the other hand... Lacks pretty much anything to make it even remotely interesting).

Red will be a living legend once all is said and done at the end of his career. While Arden has a single legal achievement to her name, the famed recognition of being one of three people to take down the Pokèmon equivalent to the Mafia, and a pretty average badge count for a career trainer.

Also, Lina loses to Red on Mount Silver. She knows, she was drafted as the referee because when she came to drop of Red's food for the week. She's pretty much payed off to say otherwise though.

And she doesn't know why.

She's convinced it's a conspiracy.

Fades into relative obscurity around the time of the Sun & Moon storyline, but her damn if her tiny fan club isn't dedicated.

Doesn't show up in Alola for the battle tree because Blue couldn't find her for three solid months.

No one knows what the fuck she was doing.

...she may or may not have been the Gates To Infinity protagonist.

There's a tiny aside to a Snivy named Leaf in article concerning Overgrow and how it affects the Snivy population at large though.

And that's Arden Forrest, a bit clunky, but hey, they're randomly ordered facts, not a character sheet. Next up is the Crystal heroine!

Marie Smith!

Traveled through Johto about three or so years before Arden, Red, and Blue began running around Kanto.

Older than her sister, Lina, by seven years.

I actually don't have all that much on her because I got to the third Gym on Crystal before my brother destroyed the Device I was using to play the game on.

What I do know, from this information, though, is that she disappeared around said time.

No build up, no cries for help, nothing. Just up and gone. She just cut contact with her family, things happened, and she's absolutely infamous for nearly killing three thousand people. Somehow, she's officially recognized as someone who completed the Johto Circuit though.

She got recruited by Cypher.

Again. Shit happened.

Oak blames himself for an incident in the Kiro Region, (Egyptian Region), pertaining to her.

Lina's entire journey is an event and a half because of her.

If I were to make these little things into a fic series, she'd get... Like a seven chapter mini-fic told from seven different people's perspectives throughout her journey.

Those people, in order, would be... Her mother, Whitney, Naoko of the Kimono Girls, Giovanni, Clair, and Oak.

With an extra chapter detailing her death during the Kalos invasion.

She shows back up in the Kalos storyline in this and traumatizes the ever loving fuck out of Serafina.

She chose a Chikorita. Who she loves dearly, even when she's pretty much gone off the deep end, and then some.

Lina Smith, local trouble maker, owner of a perpetually terrified Feraligator, and the best friend of the very weird Ethan Aurum, and the only person who seems to be on Silver's good side. Vaguely.

Oh so vaguely.

Youngest out of three children, her older brother, Gregory, is an incredibly average guy who's extremely confused as to what the fuck happens on her journey, and never NOT worried about her.

Parents died in a car accident some two years before the start of the storyline, is cared for by Gregory at this point in time

Don't ask why Greg is a thing. He just is.

Like Arden before her, Lina takes a very proactive approach to dealing with Silver during the Radio Tower Incident. Which involves decking him in the jaw.

Surprisingly, this is the part where there relationship improves.

Chooses a Totodile and names him Reyne, and is fiercely protective of him. The little guy could put a Sobble to shame... This also means Silver ends up with the incredibly overly energetic and affectionate Chikorita, all for my personal amusement, (said Chikorita is named Lyra, and no, he does not spoil her, shut your mouth Aurum!).

Her entire story isn't so much focused on her gym challenge or the reappearance of Team Rocket, as it is finding out what the fuck happened to her sister.

Ethan starts tagging along after Goldenrod, and starts to reveal he knows a lot more than he's willing to admit about the situation.

Gets caught up in a lot of nasty things, and nearly ends up dismantling an operation to kill Red, Lance, and Cynthia.

(Where are our favorite colored duo, and supporting tree, during all this you may ask? Why, still recovering from trauma of course! Like reasonable, sane, run-of-the-mill people. More specifically, Blue's officially taking over Viridian gym before the start of the Kanto gym circuit season, Red's fucking around in Hoenn for a good bit before coming to Mt. Silver just two months before Lina gets there, and Arden's in that vague Greece based region getting therapy.)

Her journey is just a really long incident report, and Looker has half a mind to slap her at the end of it.

A good portion of it is Ethan's fault though. Ethan, by the way, nails the looking right through you stare.

And a girl named Sarah Morgendy comes up a lot, although it turns out she's just a kid trying to protect her adopted brother from the shit shoe she got them involved in illegally.

The only two problems with that is she's about eleven and emotionally compromised.

Gets recruited by Interpol after everything is said in done.

Gets the code name Agent Lenz.

Demands therapy for herself, Ethan, and Silver. She gets it.

While she's training as an agent, Ethan and his mother move to Unova so that he can attend an Academy meant 'rising stars', and Silver becomes Elm's apprentice.

...somehow ends up married to Blue years down the line. They have two kids between them. Maria and Reginald

[cheemerthelizard]

Crusader of Life (Kakyoin x Reader) Chapter 14

Finally in Egypt. Dio was so close you could taste him. And since almost all of the Tarot cards had been used up, you should be pretty much done. Right? Right?

“I told you!” you boasted as you all sped through the desert sand in the dune buggy Joseph rented. “I told you we were gonna be attacked by a Stand!”

“We just had a near-death experience,” Joseph groaned, “and you want to brag about it?”

“I’m bragging because I was right,” you told him. “I knew that the submarine was a great place to get us cornered.”

“She has a point,” Avdol added. “She predicted what we didn’t.”

“Well, enough about that now,” Joseph said, trying to change the subject, “we’re actually meeting some Speedwagon guys just up ahead. They’ll arrive in a helicopter.”

“Really?” Kakyoin asked. “After we just wrecked their submarine?”

“They understand that some things may be damaged while we fight off constant Stand attacks,” Joseph explained. “Plus, this time, they’re bringing someone who’ll assist us.”

“Assist us?” Jotaro, who had been silent the whole time, suddenly spoke up. “You mean, another Stand user?”

“Precisely,” Joseph said. “But we’ll have to be careful. He has some... personality issues.”

Some time had passed, and everyone had gotten out of the buggy and met the Speedwagon guys in the helicopter.

“Iggy’s in the back,” one of them pointed to the rear door of the helicopter. “But be cautious. The ride here was really rough, so he’s already in a bad mood.”

“Well, where is he?” Polnareff asked, rummaging through the back. “Come on, show yourself!”

“Polnareff, be careful,” Joseph warned. “One of Iggy’s favorite things to do is-“

Just then, a tiny dog jumped out from the blanket on the seat and started attacking Polnareff.

“...chew people’s hair,” Joseph finished.

Iggy... Iggy was a dog? “How does such a tiny little thing have a Stand?” you accidentally thought out loud.

“You’d be surprised,” Joseph replied, then went to talk in private with the two Speedwagon members.

“Iggy!” Avdol prompted, holding up some gum. “I’ve got a treat for you!” Of course, Iggy came sprinting towards the smell of whatever flavor that gum was. You looked at the package, and saw it was coffee flavored.

“Coffee flavored gum,” you muttered. “What a weird dog.”

Still, weird or not, that fur on Iggy’s back was begging to be scratched, and you couldn’t just say no. While the tiny dog was distracted with his chewy snack, you sunk your hands into his back and started to pet it. He jumped a little bit at first, but quickly let you keep going. You decided to use different types of pets, too. You softly stroked him from his head to his rear, used your nails to delicately scratch his skin, and massaged slowly with your fingers. It wasn’t long before Iggy rolled over to let you rub his belly.

“Oh, yes, you’re a good boy,” you cooed. “A good boy with a Stand, that’s all.”

“You’ve already bonded with the dog,” Kakyoin chuckled.

“I have a soft spot in my heart for animals,” you said, still rubbing Iggy’s belly. “It can’t be helped.”

Kakyoin gave a small “hm,” as he started to sit down next to you in the sand. Both of you sat silently next to each other for a minute or two, until you let Iggy go, and watched him run back to chase Polnareff.

“Iggy really doesn’t like him, huh?” you giggled.

“Yeah,” Kakyoin said, almost deadpan. “You know, I overheard from Mr. Joestar’s conversation that there’s more Stand users headed our way. These guys have Stands named after Egyptian gods, and will be much more powerful.”

“Oh, that’s not good,” you replied. “Good thing we know they’re headed our way.”

“That’s not the point,” Kakyoin interjected. “The thing is, well, your Stand... will you be alright? I won’t be mad if you leave now. Don’t get me wrong, Ace of Pentacles is plenty strong, but not... fighting wise. I mean, um,”

“I know what you’re trying to say,” you laughed. “And no, I won’t be leaving. I just have to stay out of trouble, right?”

“Yeah, I guess so,” Kakyoin sighed. “I just don’t want you getting in any unnecessary danger.”

“Isn’t this whole trip just one big case of unnecessary danger?” You were only half joking, though.

“Hey, you two!” Joseph yelled from the buggy. “We’re leaving!”

“Coming!” Kakyoin yelled back. Both of you ran back, and entered the back of the buggy. However, Kakyoin was promptly forced out by a growling Iggy. The dog looked at you, and crawled into your lap, immediately rolling over to expose his stomach. Looks like your ticket to an actual seat would come with a price. And you knew from then on Iggy would know you as “The girl who pets me.”

“It just isn’t fair!” Polnareff pouted. “Why do (Y/N) and the dumb mutt get the full backseat to themselves while we have to be cramped in the trunk?”

“Hey, it’s not my fault he warmed up to me,” you grunted.

“Technically, it is,” Jotaro countered. “You decided to pet him, and so now he loves you. Dogs will love anyone who shows them affection.”

“Okay, maybe it is my fault,” you argued, “but I didn’t know this would happen.”

“Stop bickering back there!” Joseph said from the front. “When we reach a stopping place, we’ll throw some gum in the trunk, and you guys can move to the seats.”

“Fine,” Polnareff grumbled.

For a good while, the only sounds were the rumble of the car and Iggy’s happy grunts. But that nice silence quickly came to a stop as Joseph slammed on the breaks, sending the boys in the trunk flying forward.

“Hey, what gives?!” Polnareff exclaimed.

“Sorry about that,” Joseph replied, “but we’ve got a bigger problem on our hands.”

It didn’t take long for you to notice the helicopter that had delivered Iggy to you. Once the car was stopped, everyone ran out to look at the rubble from the wreck, and see if it was just mechanical failure, or if their new enemy Stand user had already arrived.

“Look at those scratch marks,” Jotaro pointed to the hull of the copter, where beast-like marks were clawed throughout. Subconsciously, your eyes moved down to the man who was right under the helicopter, and you immediately had to look away. That didn’t stop the horrifying image from burning itself into your mind, though. The man’s fingernails were bent unnaturally upward, and his mouth was filled to the brim with water. On top of that, he had a distorted look on his face, similar to the man in the fog town with Enyaba. The whole thing made you want to puke.

“Everyone, I found the second guy over here!” Kakyoin shouted. “He’s still alive!”

Sure enough, when you ran over, the second man was very much alive, but he was so dehydrated, he looked like a raisin.

“W...wa...ter...” was all the man could rasp out.

“Water! Of course! He needs water!” Kakyoin muttered. He quickly found a canteen that still felt somewhat full, and started to slowly dip it down for the pruned man. “Drink slowly,” he ordered.

“N-no! The water!” The Speedwagon Foundation worker suddenly gained the ability to make full sentences. “The water’s going to attack!”

Without warning, the water from the canteen shot forward in the shape of a hand, grabbed the man’s head, and ripped it off, sucking it into the canister from where it came. Nobody wasted any time getting out of the way, and hiding in the sand. Polnareff and Kakyoin were opposite to you, Jotaro, Joseph, and Avdol. And from what you saw, they seemed to be arguing, pointing over to the canteen from time to time.

“(Y/N),” Joseph looked over at you, his eyes barely over his hat, “I’ve gotten word from the Speedwagon Foundation that there are more, stronger Stand users who’ll be attacking us. For your own safety, I suggest leaving now, before you get caught in a situation that you can’t save yourself from.”

“Mr. Joestar,” a smile curled up from your mouth, “I appreciate your concern, but I can fend for myself if that happens. You’ve seen how Ace of Pentacles has gotten us out of tricky situations before. I can always do the same thing to myself.”

“She’s right,” Avdol replied. “Plus, she’s vital to the team. If she wasn’t here, we’d spend way too much money on first aid.”

“Hey,” Jotaro pointed over to Kakyoin and Polnareff. “What’s that thing in between them?”

It looked like a hand with very sharp fingernails, from what you could see. But it was clear...

No. But how? The Stand was in the canteen! When did it escape?

Before you could process what was going on, the water hand swiped at Kakyoin’s eyes, and he instantly fell to the ground.

“Kakyoin!” Polnareff shouted. “It... it got his eyes!”

“Kakyoin!” you screamed. You got up from your hiding spot to run over, but quickly felt a force pulling you back. You looked behind you, and Star Platinum was holding your shirt. Still, you clawed at the loose sand, hoping to make some sort of progress, but no prevail.

“Good grief, (Y/N),” Jotaro sighed. “We don’t even know what this Stand can do. Making sudden movements probably isn’t the best idea.”

Sure enough, right in front of you, the enemy’s Stand had appeared from underneath the Earth. After seeing what it had done to both the Speedwagon worker and Kakyoin, having it right in front of you made a wave of fear roll over your entire body. Was this it? We’re you going to die right here, before you could even save Kakyoin?

Before you knew it, though, the hand dashed over to a beeping sound coming from the Speedwagon member’s watch and swiped off his arm. Of course, that didn’t really matter, since he was already beheaded. But it gave you some insight to what really triggered the Stand’s movements.

“Sound!” Everyone turned to face you. “The Stand navigates by sound! That being said, nobody move!”

However, even with everyone staying completely still, the blood from Kakyoin’s eyes dripped to the floor. It didn’t take long for the water to hear it, and it shot back towards Polnareff.

“Okay, screw the staying still,” Joseph ordered, “everyone to the buggy!”

Of course, the crew obeyed, Polnareff carrying Kakyoin in his arms. Joseph and Jotaro, aided by their Joestar genes, made it first, followed by Avdol, you, and Polnareff, who quickly laid Kakyoin on the roof of the buggy.

“Fix him!” he demanded. “You have to fix him!”

“I’m doing it right now, geez!” you replied, having already summoned Ace of Pentacles.

“Yeah, well, do it faster!”

“If I don’t get this eye anatomy right, Kakyoin’s eyes will be deformed for the rest of his life!” You started to get uncharacteristically snappy. “Now, shut up and let me do this correctly!”

Of course, you couldn’t get into a full-blown argument right now. After all, if your full concentration wasn’t on Kakyoin, his eyes would never be the same. It’s a good thing you decided to take anatomy classes, because they were sure coming in handy.

“Alright, he’s fixed!” You started beaming with joy. “Now we just need to keep him away from danger until he wakes up.”

“Why isn’t he awake now?” Polnareff whined.

“Because, Polnareff,” you growled, driving every ounce of anger out of your body, “since my Stand isn’t instantly healing someone, rather just making extensions of other cells in their body to heal them, the pain from the injury is still there. Also, don’t you think I care about Kakyoin the most? I’m so close to him, he’s dating me! You’re lucky Ace doesn’t have any fighting abilities, or you’d be sent back to the sand, where Water Boy can rip your face straight off of that head with more hair follicles than brain cells! Because it seems like you’d rather me heal Kakyoin quickly, rather than heal him correctly!” After the rant was over, you started breathing hard, trying to calm yourself down.

“You done yet?” Jotaro asked.

“Yeah, I’m done,” you said.

Suddenly, the buggy's wheels sinking into the sand, which had been turned into mud. There was only one thing that could’ve happened. Water Claw was on the attack again. Before you knew it, the buggy had been flipped almost completely around, and everyone fell back down to the Earth, at the enemy’s mercy.

“Well, what do we do now?” Polnareff asked, not moving an inch.

“I guess this is the time to stay completely still,” Joseph answered. “Other than that, pray our souls will be saved.”

“Wait!” Avdol exclaimed. “I have an idea.” He started throwing his bracelet rings, one by one, in a footstep pattern. He was trying to trick the user!

And luckily, it seemed to work. Water started to rise where the last ring was thrown. But as Avdol summoned Magician’s Red, the water diverted its path to attack Avdol instead, leaving him with a huge gash in his neck.

“Avdol!” You wanted to rush over there, but you knew that was suicide. “I’ll heal you as soon as possible, I promise! Just hang in there!”

Of course, as soon as you finished your sentence, the water started to form right around where Avdol was laying. That meant Aqua Hand wasn’t done yet. You wanted so desperately to make it before it was too late, but any movement and you’d be the target instead of Avdol. However, it looked like Jotaro had given you an opportunity to heal the man, as he jumped from his spot and started running, and, luckily, the Stand chased after him.

Quickly, you scrambled over to Avdol, and summoned Ace of Pentacles. As skin is a lot less complicated than eyes (and a lot less delicate), you were able to fix him in ten seconds flat. And, since he hadn’t fully passed out, he woke up immediately.

“That’s the second time you’ve saved my life,” Avdol said, his voice straining a bit.

“Stay still,” you soothed. “Your body’s still feeling the pain from the attack.”

“Guys!” Polnareff shouted. “Guys! Kakyoin’s waking up!”

Nobody wasted any time getting close to the boy’s side, especially you. And, as Polnareff said, his eyes were slowly opening, and his throat was groaning. He had started to get himself to sit up, until you helped the rest of the way and kissed him on the lips.

“What a way to wake up,” he chuckled, rubbing his eyes. “And I see you’ve already healed my eyes.”

You gave a soft “mmmm-hmmm,” before you stuffed your face into his shirt. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

“I’m okay thanks to you,” Kakyoin said while he put an arm around your back.

“Okay, you two,” Joseph pried you off of Kakyoin’s grip, and helped both of you up, “let’s go see how Jotaro and Iggy are doing.”

All of you had gotten in the buggy, and had started going the direction Jotaro had. It didn’t take long to find them, though, with a figure laying in the sand beside them. Looks like they found the user. Joseph stopped for a moment to let the two on, and started going again.

“So, he could navigate with sound?” Kakyoin asked.

“He was blind, so he must’ve become an expert at listening for his life,” Jotaro answered. “But we were able to get close enough to beat him before anything else bad happened.”

“(Y/N),” Polnareff said, not meeting eyes with you, “I’m sorry.”

“Me too,” you responded. “I don’t think you have more hair follicles than brain cells.” After your true apology, you added, in a hushed tone, “They’re at least equal.”

“What?”

“Nothing.”

And finally, after seemingly an hour, you had arrived in the city where your hotel would be for the night. With all that had happened, when you fell into your bed, you almost went right to sleep.

That is, until you heard the door open.

“Iggy needs somewhere to sleep tonight,” Joseph explained, “And you’ve gotten along with him the best.” Then he closed the door, and you felt a small creature jump up into the bed with you, and curl its body close to yours.

“Goodnight, Iggy,” you whispered. This time, you truly drifted off to sleep, feeling like every single worry had left your mind.

Except for Dio. The threat of Dio would be constantly looming over your shoulder, especially now that you were in Egypt. But other than that, every care went away, as you slowly slipped into unconsciousness. You were finally here. Egypt.

Dio stood no chance against your team.

[is-it-madness]

My Glorious Purpose | Loki x OC Chapter 3

A/N: Hi guys! I’m so sorry I haven’t posted chapter three until now. This whole quarantine thing is really messing with me, I’ve been stressing a tad bit because my mom works at a hospital and the cases keep getting worse. So please, everyone, please be careful and stay safe. This really isn’t a joke. Anywho, here is the long overdue, chapter three.💜

Pairing: Loki x OC  (Tera Digitalis)

Word Count: 2k+

Warnings: None in this chapter :)

Chapter 3: Escape

(Loki’s POV)

I must admit, I’m surprised by the way Agent Romanoff was able to get me to reveal my plan to her. She was intelligent. For a mortal. And yet she had decided to leave a child to guard my cell. The mere thought of it brought a smile to my face. I would easily manipulate her to join me. I did not need my scepter for this. My silver tongue would suffice. I saw the worry on her face when Agent Romanoff told her to stay here and watch me, but now her back was turned. I began to listen to her thoughts, curious as to what she thought about being left alone with me.

Okay. I hear her tell herself. I can do this, it’s just standing guard. It’s not that big of a deal. It’s literally just standing. A pause before, Please don’t let him talk to me!

I smile. 

“Don’t you know that it is rude to have your back facing another?” I tell her.

I begin to listen again when she doesn’t turn.

Don’t you know it’s rude to try and take over planets? Or were you not taught that in your etiquette class?

I laugh, she is quite amusing. And stubborn.

 “No, I do not believe I was ever taught that.”

Dammit, Tera! You know he can read minds!

“Is that your name?” I ask her, curious, her back was still towards me. Hmm. She knew I was reading her thoughts. Interesting. 

 “I wish to converse with you face-to-face Tera, like civilized people.” I’m beginning to become frustrated.

Okay just don’t think about anything! He can’t read my mind if I’m not thinking anything, she tells herself.

I laugh again. “Please.” I tell her, “ I can do much more than hear your thoughts mortal girl. I can dive into your subconscious, I have the ability to learn your greatest fears and deepest secrets. And I will do so if you do not face me!”

She sighs in defeat. She turns around slowly to face me, but she refuses to look at me. Her eyes wander everywhere else, but she refuses to meet my gaze. 

“Look at me.”

“Or what?”

“Hmm. I think I will kill you myself when the Chitauri invade.”

She snaps her head up to me. I can see the fear in her eyes.

“That’s better,” I say with a smile. Finally, someone who knows when they are threatened.

I return to sit on the uncomfortable bench. I gesture for her to sit as well. I may be attempting to take over the Earth, but I am still a gentleman. Mother would be disappointed with me if I kept a lady standing. Even if she is a Midgardian.

“I prefer to stand,” she says coldly.

I smile and bow my head. “You wish to remain standing to keep your guard up, yes? I will respect this decision child.”

I noticed she clenches her fists when I call her a child.

This will be fun. I smirk.

“Since Agent Romanoff has completed her interrogation with me, perhaps I can ask you some questions.”

She frowns. “You aren’t going to be getting any answers from me.”

I chuckle. “No, no. You misunderstand. I simply want to ask about you.”

She looks at me, shocked. “Me?” 

“Yes, you. You may answer my questions to the best of your ability, and if you choose not to answer, I will respect that decision.”

“What’s going to stop you from reading my mind?” she asks, on edge, looking as if I might pounce on her.

“I admire your skepticism mortal, but fear not. You have my word that I will not make any attempt to read your thoughts.”

“Okay,” she says quietly. “ Can I think about it for a sec?”

“By all means.”

She begins to pace, and I watch her. 

Wanting to earn her trust, I restrain myself from hearing what she is debating. After several minutes she turns to face me. 

“Have you made up your mind?” I ask her.

“Yes. You can ask me some questions, but remember, I don’t have to answer if I don’t want to and you can’t read my mind. Agreed?”

I nod. It was good thinking on her part to lay out the term. She kept surprising me with her actions.

“Okay, what’s your first question?”

“Your first name is Tera, yes?”

She nods.

“I notice you became annoyed when I call you a child. Is this true”

“Yes.”

“Well if you are not a child, how old are you?”

I see the suspicion growing on her face.

“What will you gain by knowing how old I am?”

I smile, “I will learn that you are not a child.”

She glares before answering, “I’m 19.”

I continue smiling. “Yes, I suppose you are not a child.”

 “Humph.”

“Alright, here’s another question. How did you know I was able to read your mind? And what did Agent Romanoff mean when she said you know me better than anyone here besides the oaf?” 

I need to know how she knows so much about me. This is my first time on Midgard and yet she knows of my ability to read minds.

She smiles. “Well, before I met you and Thor, I believed you were myths, legends, stories of old. When I was younger, I was fascinated by mythology. Greek, Roman, Egyptian, Norse,” She says giving me a knowing look. “I would try to learn anything and everything that had to do with mythology. I guess you could say it was a hobby,” she shrugs. “I was always reading. Any chance that I got, any free time I had, I would use it to read. Still do actually,” she says with a small smile. 

She looks back at me after her gaze had wandered. I hold her gaze. She quickly looks away. I make a note of the flush rising to her cheeks. I want to delve into her mind. To know what she is thinking, but I held back. I gave her my word.

 I start laughing, realizing something.

“Perhaps you and I are not so different, Tera,” I say.

She scoffs, “I’m sorry, what?”

“We are intellectuals, you and I. We both indulge in the joys of reading.”

“Oh.” 

“What else do you know about me?” Just how much of my power does she know?

“Oh, um, well you can read minds, cast illusions and spells, shapeshift, you have super strength.” She hesitates before continuing, as if wanting to say something else, but she held back. “Yeah that’s pretty much all I know.”

“Shame,” I say. “ I liked hearing you list off all my abilities. They sound better coming from a mortal.”

She looks at me, puzzled.

I sigh, “I was jesting. Do you mortals engage in this past time? Based on all the people I have met so far, I would think not.”

She laughs. “You haven’t exactly given a reason for us to joke with you.”

I smile, “No, I suppose not.”

“Do you have any other questions for me?”

I hesitate before asking, “Do you have any family?”

The smile vanishes from her face. “I don’t wish to answer that question,” she says quietly.

I nod, “I understand,” I pause. “I have enjoyed this chat of ours.”

And I did. Finally, someone who is able to hold a normal conversation with me. It’s a shame I would be taking over this planet. But I have a duty. I have no time for distractions or pleasantries. 

She gives a small smile. “Glad to know that we bonded,” I can hear the sarcasm in her voice. “Now I’m sure you’re going to continue taking Earth over.”

I chuckle, “You’re not wrong.”

I know that Barton has reached the helicarrier, and I know that the beast will be unleashed any second. For reasons, I am unable to explain, I did not want this Midgardian child in harm’s way. She may believe she is not a child, but I disagree. She is extremely small. If the beast reaches her, well, he would be able to snap her neck before she knew what was happening. I didn’t want her to die. Not yet. I want to know why she wouldn’t speak of her family. I want to find out.

I begin muttering an incantation under my breath. 

“What are you doing?” she asks, taking several steps away from the cage.

I wave my hand, casting a simple sleeping spell on her. She drops to the floor with a thud. I walk toward the edge of the cage. 

I crouch and I tell her with some amusement, “For someone who knows so much about me, you should have known that I would be able to use my magic on you.”

I hear her whisper, “I hate you,” before passing out. I look at her, I don’t know why but my heart feels regretful. Seeing this girl, laying on the floor. But there are more important things than a small child. Much more important things.

I’m snapped out of my thoughts by the roar of the beast. I smile and wait, knowing that Thor will be here to make sure I’m still locked up. Several minutes pass by. He must be engaging with the beast. A moment later, I see Thor running into the room. I begin to let myself out.

“Nooo!”

He runs towards me, I crouch, making him believe I was preparing for impact, but he went right through one of my illusions, straight into the cell. The door closes behind him. He stands up and looks around before his eyes land on me.

I gave him a look of disappointment. “Are you ever not going to fall for that?”

Frustrated, he begins to pound away at the cage with his hammer. The glass begins to crack, but the cage holds. I laugh, mostly from joy but also from relief.

I begin to walk towards the control panel. “The humans think us immortal. Shall we test that?” I ask him.

“What have you done to the girl?”

I turn. I had moved her out of the way before Thor came barreling in here. She was laying at my feet, still asleep. 

“Don’t worry brother. She is not dead. Yet.”

He looks at her in horror. “If you so much as touched her, I swear-”

“Relax. I have only cast a sleeping spell on her. She was tiresome, non-stop talking, I simply did it for silence,” I lie smoothly.

I turn back to the control panel and am about to push the button that would drop Thor back to Earth when I suddenly hear someone say, “Move away please.”

It is one of the agents, wielding a rather impressive looking gun. Hesitant, I back up.

“Do you like this?” He asks about his weapon, as we both took several steps closer to each other. “We started working on the prototype after you sent the Destroyer. Even I don’t know what it does. Do you wanna find out?” He begins to fire it up.

Foolish mortal, I think to myself. Did he really believe I would allow myself to be captured so easily? I approach him from behind, thrusting my spear through his chest. I hear the sound of him yelling. My second illusion disappears from in front of him.

“NO!” yells Thor slamming the cage.

The agent drops to the floor, still holding the gun, blood coming from his mouth and breathing heavily. I walk towards the control panel and lift the cover from the button. Thor glares at me as I open it, the gateway to his hopeful demise. He takes several steps back and looks down with worry. He looks back up at me. I smile before sending him tumbling through the sky.

I turn to take my leave, but pause when I hear a faint, “You’re going to lose.”

I turn around. It was the dying agent. “Am I?” 

“It’s in your nature.”

“Your heroes are scattered,” I tell him. “Your floating fortress falls from the sky. Where is my disadvantage?” I took several steps towards him.

“You lack conviction.” He answers.

My face hardens. “I don’t think I-”

The agent blasts me with the weapon and I am thrown back, through the walls, a flaming ball. I get up and leave. I cross the runway, to the awaiting airplane. We take off as soon as I enter. I smile.

(Third Person POV)

 Fury enters and sees Agent Coulson on the ground. He kneels down by him.

“I’m sorry boss,” Coulson apologizes. “They got rabbited.”.

 “Just stay awake. Eyes on me,” Fury orders him.

“Oh I’m clockin’ out here.”

“Not an option.”

“It’s okay, boss. This was never gonna work- if they didn’t have something- to-”

His breathing halts and Fury stands to let the medical team through. He leans against the railing. He turns his head and sees another body under the control panel. He rushes over. It was Natasha’s mentee. He quickly checks for a pulse. Natasha had already lost Clint. He didn’t want her to lose the kid she was so protective over.

“Medic! Come here. We got another one. She’s alive but I want you to check her out. Make sure she’s okay.”

They put the intern on a stretcher and take her to the med bay.

Part 4

[captain-yeet]

Oh No, Het’s Hot - Part 5

Subtitle: Steadfast Resolves

Pairing: Felix x Reader

Summary: Felix prepares to leave with his coven for the trial of Cullens, but he begins to have some doubts. Meanwhile, Y/N slowly begins to realize her full potential with the help of a friendly Egyptian vampire...

Masterlist here

After the phone call ended, it was an easy for Felix to come to the conclusion that he felt like complete and utter shit.

He did believe her. He was mostly certain of that. After years of dedication and service to the Volturi however, it was hard for him to wrap his mind around the possibility that they may be in the wrong this time around. For as long as he could remember since he was turned, he'd been loyal to the Volturi. The thought of the trial coming to a sour conclusion, and the possibility of his mate dying as a result of their side winning made him sick to his stomach. While he was upset that Y/N never told him of the child, he wasn't holding it against her. Surprisingly he could see where she was coming from. It wasn't her place; so be it, as far as he was concerned.That wouldn't fly well with his masters, though.

"Your face is going to stay like that permanently if you keep scowling," a voice teased him, clapping him on the back and bringing his mind back to the present.

Felix turned and met the smirk of Demetri, who gestured for him to follow.  "I take it the call didn't go too well?" he asked, not sparing his friend a glance as they walked down one of the many long corridors of the castle. 

"What do you think?" Felix replied bitterly. "I take it you overheard?"

Finally glancing his way, Demetri grinned. "My closest friend of over 800 years finally meets his mate and has a phone call with her about a situation that will affect us all? No, of course not." 

"You're an ass."

"You'll live."

Eyes now staring ahead again, Demetri's tone turned serious. "If what your dearest Y/N said is true, then things are about to get very complicated."

A grim silence followed as they pair entered the throne room, where everyone else was gathered. The reality of just how big this whole ordeal was crept up on Felix, sending an unnerved chill down his spine. Everyone was here, everyone. Alec and Jane stood near the thrones as was their place, all the guards were present regardless of rank. What sent the shock to his system was that the wives were present. They were never brought down from the tower where they resided unless something important was about to happen.

The Cullens were in some deep shit, and if Felix wasn't completely scared of his mate's demise before, he sure was now.

 "Ah Demetri, you've retrieved Felix for us!" Aro sang out as they approached, clapping his hands together. His gaze shifted to Felix, and he held his hand out. "How did the call with your young mate go?"

Felix gave Aro his hand, showing no emotion. He couldn't afford to be emotional right now, for his sake and Y/N's.

Keeping his thoughts clear, he watched as Aro's expressions changed; pleasantly calm to begin with, then his brows furrowed as a dark glint overcame his milky red eyes. “Ah, I see.” Withdrawing his hand from Felix’s, Aro turned his back to him, hands folded behind him. “It appears Felix’s mate has also been aware of the child, but has refused to say anything prior to the present day to him.”

Murmurs echoed through the hall. Felix kept his eyes forward, on Aro, as his coven-mates began to give him an array of looks that made him want to snap at them. The judgement was there, as were the stares of blooming distrust.

 “I’ve always said the human couldn’t be trusted,” Caius spoke up, absent-mindedly tapping his boney fingers against the arm of his chair. “Felix, come here a moment.”

This can’t be good. Felix strode towards Caius, coming to a stop at the foot of the small section of stairs that sat at the feet of the master’s three chairs.

 “You are certain that your mate’s information is to be trusted, full-heartedly?” he asked, fingers ceasing their tapping.

 “Yes, Master,” he replied earnestly, trying to convey the best he could with tone alone that he knew Y/N was to be trusted. She was.

A grimace began to grow on Caius’ face. “And if she were not… are you willing to dispose of her, without bias, like any other member of this coven would in the even of a trial?”

 “Caius…” Marcus cautioned, now turning to stare in disbelief at his “brother.”

Felix froze on the spot. He couldn’t do that. He couldn’t. Over two thousand years of waiting for his mate to finally appear in the world, and to just… end them? Like they meant nothing? The thought made him feel sick.

Aro now appeared at Caius’ side, also watching Felix intently. “Now, everyone. The killing of mates is not something to be taken lightly, especially given current company,” he added with a pointed glare at Caius, who shrunk a little. “Not to mention Y/N is gifted with formidable abilities… the control of lightning.”

He began to mumble to himself, but Felix thought he caught the words, “...would make an excellent addition to the guard,” under his breath.

If it comes to it, I’ll take her and run, he decided, steeling himself. His newfound resolve made his stand up a little straighter; there was no way in hell he planned to let anyone hurt his mate. Not even my own coven.

 “Master Aro,” Jane spoke up from where she stood, always present beside her twin. “What is the course of action we’ll be taking against the Cullens?”

Aro clapped his hands together, as if he just remembered what this entire meeting was about. “Ah, yes!  Now, all of you listen very closely…”

                                                             ~~~

Y/N steadied her stance, eyes narrowed at the vampires who stood in front but a few yards away from her.  Surrounding her were Rosalie, Bella and Carlisle, along with newcomers to the Cullen’s woodland home.

It didn’t take long for everyone to learn of the Volturi’s plans to come and meet Renesmee. And with Alice and Jasper missing in action, they were desperate. So Carlisle called upon every friend and friendly acquaintance he knew to help.

One of those acquaintances, was a friendly young man named Benjamin, who stood just to the side of Y/N, watching every move and twitch of her expression intently.

 “Now, focus on where they’re positioned,” Benjamin urged her. “You’ll want to hit just in front of them.”

Nodding, you took a deep breath before raising one hand, palm outward, fingertips spread. The crackle of thunder above you was a tell sign that your powers were surging, drawing energy from the skies above. 

 “Try not to fry us, Little Thor!” Emmett called out, grinning.

A burst of white light appeared along with a ear piercing crack. The sound repeated again into two more cracks as the lightning strike branched out, striking the ground beside it’s original target in a circular motion around where Emmett and co. stood

You waited, as did the others around you, to see if it worked. Sure enough, by the sound of Emmett’s booming laughter, it did. The bolts of lightning struck just in front of the three vampires in front of you.

 “Man, I could feel the heat coming off that when it struck!” Emmett crowed, running over to rejoin Rosalie.

 “Excellent work, Y/N,” Benjamin praised, gently patting your shoulder.

 Upon learning you were gifted, Benjamin was very excited to speak with you, to say the least. Your own abilities were similar to his; something he’d never heard of before. When you spoke of the recent developments with your powers, a spark lit up in his eyes, and the two of you began experimenting.

This particular trick was a lightning trap; if it came to a fight, Benjamin thought of the possibility of creating a trap with your lightning, to which you’d agreed to practice. After singing some poor defenseless test trees and rocks, the live vampire test was a success.

 “Hey, your the brains behind this whole thing,” you countered, grinning back at the Egyptian vampire. “I’m just the chick with the lightning hands.”

Carlisle joined the two of you. “Thank you Benjamin for helping our Y/N  expand her power,” he said with a smile. He then turned to you, a slight teasing glint in his eyes. “Your capabilities are growing, I’m glad to see that no vampires were harmed in the making of this trap the two of you have concocted.”

You snorted, shaking your head with the grin still firmly plastered onto your face. “Now we wouldn’t want any roasted vampires now, would we?”

A little later in the day, you were sitting by yourself watching the sun set when a voice called out to you. Turning to the source of the voice, you saw Renesmee. “Hey kiddo, what are you doing here?”

She shrugged. “Mom and Dad are talking with Kate,” she said simply, coming to join you where you sat.

The two of you were quiet for the longest time. At first, you were wary of the little half-vampire girl, but like everyone else, when you finally got around to actually conversing with her she got under your skin. You were weirded out with the whole “imprinting” thing involving her and one of the wolves; besides that though? You liked the kid. In a way, you were now also an unofficial aunt.

 “Are you worried?” she asked out of the blue, her brown eyes locked on your face.

You smiled at her, suppressing the negative feelings. “What would give you that idea?”

She reached out and placed a hand on your face. You saw yourself, staring a the phone, waiting for it to ring but it never did. A sad sigh heaving from your chest. More pictures came; just after the trap test with Benjamin. You saw yourself smiling at Carlisle and Benjamin, but as they turned away, it faded into a look of doubt.

You sighed. “I didn’t even know you were there for that first one,” you admitted honestly. Swallowing, you looked back to the horizon. “Look Ren, your family and I are gonna do everything we can to make sure everything goes smoothly. It’s... terrifying, sure, but that’s not gonna stop us.”

 “Is it worth it?” 

You turned your head to look back at the girl, who now looked unsure, fiddling with a part of her sleeve. “What do you mean?”

 “I’m getting everyone in trouble,” she said sadly, eyes downcast, her usually melodic happy voice now uncharacteristically gloomy.

The poor thing, you thought to yourself. Shuffling over to the girl, you put an arm around her in an attempt to comfort her. “Don’t put yourself down, okay? None of this is your fault. You’re just a kid, and we’re gonna show them exactly that alright?” If anything it’s Bella and Edward’s fault for not being careful, you added internally.

With a little nod, she sniffled and curled into you. You kept your arm tight around her, trying internally to be hopeful. As the sun went down, you brought a now sleepy Renesmee inside to her parents. All was quiet, for the time being.

In five days was when the commotion would begin.

[cherrycarmine]

Child Under The Rose (First Draft)

This is the first draft of a story that I wrote sometime last year. It’s apart of a series ( see here for more context). I don’t know if anybody will see this, but any constructive criticism would be much appreciated.

"Hey, come to Alexandria tomorrow. There's someone I want you to meet..."

Horus had finally landed near the temple the other Horus had told him about. Despite being outside of Kemet and surrounded by a lush garden that put his father's own to shame the structure of the temple vaguely resembled the ones back home; large and open to the world, but colored gray and with vines wrapped around the pillars. The red roses contrasted greatly with the temple, the small yet vibrant flowers seemed to compliment it well. He was sure his parents would love the scenery as well. But now wasn't the time for sightseeing; he had a more important issue to focus on. He took a deep breath, then walked forward.

"Wow. This place is really beautiful. I wonder why no one's around - Ugh! What's that horrible smell?!" The smell of rotting flesh hit his nose. Had someone died somewhere around here? Was it the other Horus? Or did he kill someone and planning on making Horus his next victim? Other Horus or not there was no point in staying here.

But as he turned around he heard, "That's the stuff on Lili's eggs you're smelling. She's a mother now!" Eggs? Lili? What on earth did that have to do with anything? And just who was saying all of this?

"Who's there? Show yourself right now!"

"Relax. You're in good company."

Horus jumped when he heard that same voice coming directly from behind him. Turning around he saw a young boy floating down towards him."D-don't sneak up on me, damn it! Where did you even come from?"

The boy laughed. "I've actually been hiding behind you this whole time... And didn't you hear what I said earlier? Lili just had babies! A simple congratulations would be enough!"

Studying the boy further Horus realized he looked kind of similar to the man in his dream; then who had led him here. But this couldn't possibly be him... Right? "Just who are you, anyway?"

"Fine. You don't have to say anything to her, I guess." He must've wanted to brag about his pet some more, Horus thought. Maybe they could talk some more later on.

"Hey, can you help me with something?"

"Sure. What do you need?"

"I'm looking for a man named Horus. Do you know where he is?"

"You're looking right at him!"

"...Excuse me?" This kid had to be joking.

"Yep. I'm the Horus you're looking for. Call me Harpocrates."

Harpocrates? So he was a Greek god... But what would a Greek god need with a Kemetic god? Even though Alexandria lies between Kemet and Olympus, and both cultures were at one point tied together back on earth, neither side interacted with the other much (outside of festivals and the occasional visit from one of the Greeks, of course. Horus and his fellow gods usually stayed in Kemet.). He even looked like one of the Greeks own, what with his black and white robes and all. Something didn't feel right about this kid...

"Er, you're kidding. The guy that led me here was much older." Harpocrates nodded his head, "That was me. I just told Hermes and Hades to make me look older and more like a Kemetic... Hey now, why do you look so skeptical? Just 'cuz we don't look alike doesn't mean we aren't related. Genetics is a mystery after all."

Was he hearing right? Now, this kid was telling Horus they were related. "What are you talking about? I don't have any siblings." Horus wondered if he should just leave right now. This kid was beginning to get on his nerves.

"Oh, I used my ability on you and our mother. That's why you and the other Egyptian gods know nothing about me."

"Ability?"

Harpocrates smiled, "I can make anybody forget they've ever met me once they leave my sights. What do you think? Pretty amazing, huh?" He looked pretty smug saying something so suspicious. None of this made sense at all, but Horus had to learn more about him, "Okay. But why would you do something like that?" Horus was tempted to ask how he managed to do such a thing at such a young age, but then he remembered how powerful (albeit unskilled) he was when he was a child. Hell, several of the oldest gods he knows, like Ra and the Ogdoad, were "born" as fully-grown adults. No sense in asking a question like that.

Harpocrates shrugged and said, "Well, it'd be shameful if anybody found out about the affair our mother had, so I blocked it out of her memory -."

Horus whipped out his dagger and held it to Harpocrates's throat, stopping him from finishing his sentence. "My mother would never do such a thing!"  

"Ah, but you don't really know that, do you?" Harpocrates laughed and said, "A secret tryst between two people from different backgrounds... Sounds exciting, doesn't it?"

"Shut up, already! We're not related so stop talking like we are-! Horus stopped when he saw the lines around Harpocrates's right eye, Just like the ones around his own right eye. He moved his dagger away from his neck and then said, " No way... Is that... the Wedjat?!"

Harpocrates sighed in relief. "' Wedjat?' We call it the "Eye Of Horus" here in Alexandria. But yes, it is. So now you know how to tell when you're in the presence of another "Horus". Or "Heru", as we're known as back in Kemet."

So he really was telling the truth after all. "S-sorry about attacking you earlier. I should've just let you finish your story." Horus said. He felt like leaving after that sudden outburst. Harpocrates probably wanted him to anyway.

To his surprise, however, Harpocrates simply laughed and said, "It's fine, it's fine. I don't blame you. It is a pretty shocking story after all. If anyone's to blame it's the humans for making our origins and histories so complicated."

"You're certainly right about that. I wouldn't blame them for everything though; they can only know so much about us without us telling them everything." Speaking of which: Horus realized how little he interacted with humans, especially on a more casual basis compared to some of his fellow gods; some, (like Bastet and Hathor) are definitely more sociable than he is in general. Maybe he should get to know someone new someday.

"Ain't that the truth. Soo... Do you wanna fight me?"

Well, that was a sudden change in topic. Horus raised an eyebrow and said, "Um, why'd you bring that up?"

Harpocrates looked just as confused as Horus, but it seemed like he was confused by Horus's question more than his own suggestion. "Well, isn't that how the people of this world get to know each other better?" he asked. "It's common among the gods at least." "Yeah, but-"

"What's wrong with that? If you haven't noticed the people here aren't what we would call normal." Horus couldn't argue with that. He noticed how his comrades seemed to be acting more... Wild? Carefree? - Proud would probably be the better word - ever since they were forced to move to the Spirit World. He figured it was for the best; the outsiders have no need so many gods now, and everyone here finally has the power and freedom they never had on earth.

As tempted as he was to take Harpocrates up on his offer Horus was too tired to even think about doing such a thing, Alexandria was much farther away from Kemet than he had imagined, even in consideration with his flight speed. "Um, no thanks. I've done enough flying for one day."

Harpocrates shrugged, "Well, if you're really sure... Why don't I show you around my place instead?"

"Sure."

The two gods walked towards Harpocrates' shrine, chatting about the scenery (Horus finally got to meet Lili, Harpocrates's pet Hoopoe. She was cute and he was happy to hear that she was a mother, but was it really necessary for her to use such a foul-smelling liquid to protect her eggs? Though he supposed it would keep most predators away.), as well as each others histories and comrades. Horus never expected someone as light-hearted as Harpocrates to only have a few friends (though the kid seemed to have a habit of saying whatever he felt like saying, regardless of the situation or the consequences. Then again, his ability does seem very convenient. Couldn't blame him for wanting to use it to his advantage). At least he had a few pets to keep him company.

They had talked for so long they didn't notice that the sun was beginning to set. Horus had to get back in time for his nightly trip through Duat with Ra and the others soon. "Damn! Didn't know it was getting that late." He ran towards the exit, completely forgetting about Harpocrates before he had called out to him.

"Hey! Where are you going? Everything all right?"

Horus turned back slightly and called back, "Yeah! I need to get home soon. I'll come back later. See ya."

"Bye! Thanks for showin' up!" Harpocrates waved at him.

"I'll be sure to tell the others about you, okay?" Horus flew out of the shrine. Now it was time for another long trip back to Kemet. (And he had to get to work immediately no less.) Oh well, he could tell everyone about the trip tomorrow he supposed. He knew his mother wouldn't be thrilled hearing about... Huh? There was something he had to say to her. At least he thought he did... Why did he leave Kemet anyway?

[kurtty-drabbles]

Lovesick au (part 4)

@djinmer4 @dannybagpipesarecalling @discordsworld @look-ma-no-hands336 @sailorstar9

N/A: I like this idea of the X-men going to face slendy who is related to Lovecraft Kurt...who, in turn, will destroy him if he so much looks at Zaorva...and Zaorva can destroy him even if she does not know what she is.

The missing of Professor X was tugged under the rugger as Jean explains the man falls in love with a local woman in the Port City, Dagon, while Scott and the others don´t believe in Jean´s words, they have a new student. Jean made a barbed commentary about Kitty, cults and Rogue that Ororo chooses to ignore.

“Hello, Miss Pryde, my name is Ororo Monroe” the Egyptian woman greet Kitty with a kind smile, mentally remembering how Rogue was a child from a cult too. The X-men saw many cults along the years, Storm offers to show the school to Kitty as they talk. “What´s your power?”

Kitty Pryde halts for a moment and looks at Ororo, her powers are a bit hard for her to understand, however, if she can summarize in one word “I can phase through anything”  as Storm explain how the school works and how she´s safe, her eyes travel to the third window on the right and asked to Ororo “who is that?”

“That is Nightcrawler, the new headmaster of the school” Ororo replied and Kitty frown at the man and walks next to Ororo. Exist something really familiar in the name.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Rogue assemble a team to investigate a situation in a school, located in Oregon, Kitty Pryde is here by the Nightcrawler´s decision(Kitty remember gazing at the man and mentioned quietly she did encounter with him before, Nightcrawler seemed taken back by Kitty embracing herself) and the young woman will see how the X-men do the business.

(She recalls Nightcrawler´s eyes and is conflicted in asking about his eyes and stay away, yet, she is not happy for did stay away. This is very complex and Kitty can´t help by like)

“Sugah” Rogue speaks gaining Kitty´s attention “does your cult talk about what happens with the mutants?” Kitty shakes her head, is all a little bubble there and she hates. Rogue gave soft smiles and explain “I was a child cult too, the cult has a narrow view if you have a question I can answer on the best of my abilities?”

“How did you leave the cult? what´s happened to the mutants and why we have this power?” Kitty asked a bit desperate, there´s a rule in Dagon...don´t make questions, Kitty. Rogue seems to understand.

“It was the X-men who saved me, well, it is a more complex story, in fact, it was one of her ��heralds who saved me and take me to the X-men” Rogue then speaks again “her name is Venus, she said here is where I supposed to be as my blood mother and father were punished”

“For what?”

“They ...try to sacrifice me, the anti-mutant mood was a peak, now, things are better, nut 10 years ago...it was hell, it was thanks to the X-men that save mutant-kind”

“And Nightcrawler? How is he?” Kitty asked bashful and Rogue shares nice laughter amused.

“He´s single if is that what you are trying to fish” Kitty is bemused by the word fish and is pouting at the implication, even if she´s blushing.

“No, I just want to know if he´s” Kitty stops and remember their first meeting he´s a person that´s not a person, the same as Dagon(except he isn´t) and Kitty heard lots of talk about the creature, none are good(yet, the sensation of fear never invade her, just a nostalgia) “work with the X-me for how long...he´s seems to young”

“Oh, yeah, Nightcrawler is one of best professors and now headmasters”

__________________________________________________________________________________________

The abandoned school received calls that students are missing, at first, people thought it was a prank, then a kidnapper, now, the police does not know what to think. The chief police is a mutant and called the X-men.

“Is odd, last week Susan vanish and all it was left was those random notes that make no sense” Rogue gives the notes to the other members, Bobby is trying to impress Kitty, who is ignoring, there´s something familiar in the notes. She closes her eyes and can remember amused laughter (not her parents, not the fish people and not Dagon or herself) give space to a tiny smile, there´s something here that is familiar, yet, she knows she has no idea what the notes are saying or who Susan is.

Rogue is giving orders, sure this is a psych type of mutant, Kitty disagrees. “No, I think is something else, something more chaotic”

Her words are proven to be true later as Bobby gesture they lost communication with the few policemen who are helping them. “They´re behind me, I swear, and then the static beings and...they´re gone”

___________________________________________________________________________________

Chaos is the right word as even Rogue can testify something is stalking them, she is calling for help, but, the creature is blocking the signal. Kitty is looking at the notes, some of the symbols don´t make sense, some do.

“Guys, I think this thing, is hunting us” kitty states the obvious “because someone was dumb enough to summon it”

“And how we get this thing away from us?” Bobby asks.

“We have to kill the creature” Kitty replied and Rogue and Bobby now can see their mission changes.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Slenderman is the creature name, slenderman has a mission, yet, the mission is not being easy. Humans with strong power are a hard target. Slenderman thought, the best outcome would be scary them, killing the tiny human would be the best solution.

The idea of killing the tiny human was proved to be what his master does not appreciate and the X-men heard a demonic scream of pain alerting where Slenderman is.

Arriving on the spot, the creature was screaming in pain, his long arms try to touch Rogue, yet, Kitty, by pure instinct, shoot a crystal blue ray on the creature that causes even more pain, eventually, Slenderman was swollen by the earth.

Rogue and Bobby are trying to understand what the hell just happened, when Kitty, walks to the place where the creature used to be and asked: “can you tell me where the bodies of the other victims are?”

Rogue and Bobby are only looking as something non-human points to North and Kitty nods. The creature didn´t pay any mind to Rogue or Bobby as Kitty was asking about the Slenderman. Funny enough, while Rogue and Bobby can see what this monster is, they can´t understand him.

“Guys, the victims are still alive, in a cabin on the north, it won´t have any Slenderman” Kitty explained as the entity leaves. The victims are safe and sound(terrified and speaking about chaos and order)

__________________________________________________________________________________________

“It was you back then?” Kitty asked phasing through his office. Nightcrawler smiles showing his teeth and he can pretend to be human more than Dagon.

“Yes, the creature was a loose cannon, and I wanted to ended his life sooner” Nightcrawler respond and Kitty frown and didn´t enter in the room, not completely. Nightcrawler´s smile dies.

“Do you plan on hurt me?”

“Is that what Dagon told you?” Kitty is now taken back by the sadness in his voice.

“Yes, he told me your mission in life is to hurt me”

“And do you believe it?”

Kitty would like to say yes, but, at the same time….

“I don´t believe Dagon´s word. My parents sold their soul to keep me safe and I don´t want to be the idiot who jumps into the lion´s mouth” and adds “I´m always in the dark about everything and I hate it, now, answer me, do you want to hurt me?”

“Never, Katzchen, never. Do you want to stay here?”

“I don´t know, maybe, Dagon…”

“Ignore Dagon, do you want to be free?”

“Yes”

[jflashandclash]

Traitors of Olympus IV: The Fall of the Sun

Twenty: Sadie

Distracting Gods 101

             The god, Set, took a step toward us.

           I had several choice words that I wanted to share with Carter’s and my old frienemy. Unfortunately, all I could do was go “MMMM!” and feel far more sympathetic to mummies than anyone ever should feel, Egyptian or otherwise. I squirmed in my wrapping but I knew it was useless.

           “Oh, I do suppose you’d like your mouth back, wouldn’t you?” Set asked in that uncomfortable double voice. Set—or really, the boy that Set was possessing—smiled wickedly as his dark eyes shared a knowing look with Leo. “She’s such an amusing chatter.”

           I appreciated that Leo attacked Set instead of agreeing with him. I didn’t appreciate that the demigod must have forgotten everything I told him on the flight over: Leo held a hand up and blasted a stream of fire at the god of disorder and storms that could control fire.

           As the flames enveloped the leather vest and burgundy dress shirt, Set laughed. “Oh, that tickles!”

           In retaliation, Set did something I wasn’t expecting. He bit his Egyptian battleaxe. A trickle of blood dripped down the boy’s chin as he spit the concoction of body fluids at the stream of flames. Gross and, I thought, ineffective.

           “K’aak’t; Elel chi’bal!” the first, high-pitched voice of the boy hissed.[1]

           My ears popped, like I was in Ra’s sun boat when it decided to take a nosedive off a waterfall.

           The flames touching Set rippled from orange to a vibrant, whirling turquoise. The effect started to spread—well—like a wild fire, infecting Leo’s flame until the attack reversed course and overtook Leo’s hand.

           Leo shrieked, his eyes widening with panic and disbelief. He dropped the sledgehammer in his other hand and slapped at his arm. “Ay! Oh—ow! Ow! Oh! Fire hot!”

           That wasn’t a standard Set move. And trust me, I knew Set, down to his secret name.

           I rolled my eyes. If I wasn’t in these blasted wrappings, I would have pat Leo’s back and said, “Ah, yes, fire is hot.”

           But then, I remembered why Leo had come: he was fireproof. Leo’s next comment drove the point home. “This is what burning feels like!?!” he yelped.

           “Nicely done, little Lapis,” Set bellowed with laughter.

           Lapis must have been the name of Set’s host body. Anytime Isis took over my head, we communicated through our weird mental bond, like polite members of society. Leave it to Set to be bombastic about it.

           From my memory of our homicidal enemy, he wasn’t the type to let a host talk, let alone compliment them sincerely. Uncle Amos was the most powerful magician in the world and he still struggled to control Set when they shared power.

           “Dude, not cool on the weird fire,” Leo said, glaring fiercely and nursing the scorch marks on his hand. “How did you burn me? The only flames that can burn Admiral Leo are the flames of love.”

           I wanted to ask Set the same question—about the flames, not about his love life—but all I could do was go “MMMM!” still and do my best attempts at the worm dance move.

           Despite discovering a new weakness, I had to give Leo some credit: his eyes were scanning our surroundings like he was examining the blueprints of a car, looking for something to help us.

           From what I understood of Leo’s powers, he needed to be near machinery to be properly useful. He had the tools in his belt, but there weren’t a lot of machines around. Meanwhile, as Leo had summed up from my lecture on the flight over, the desert was like a Cookie Mart of Evil for jerks like Set. If it came down to a Leo versus Set fight, Set was in his element.

           “Oh.” Set waved a hand. “As I learned from some of the other gods that played with Sadie’s friends, you can become much more versatile when you intermix and play nice with others. I may not fully understand the methods for illusion and alteration, but Lapis is quite the Mayan sorceress.”

           His face contorted into a scowl and his posture altered to shift his weight onto one foot. “Sorcerer, you over-inflated ball of hot air!” the boy snarled to himself.  

           This god-to-host-chat was weird and complicated to follow.

           Leo glanced down at me for answers. As my most valuable skill had been taken away from me—my ability to be a brilliant orator—I furiously nodded towards Set, wishing Leo and I had some telepathic link to chat.

           From Leo’s immediate understanding, he must have fought plenty of big-and-tough guys before. Or actually had telepathy.

           “Sadie said you’re supposed to be in the Duat!” Leo protested. He understood: when in doubt, keep the arrogant megalomaniacs talking.

           Lapis’ weight shifted back to two feet to indicate Set had regained control. His vocalpitch dropped. “A god of chaos ignoring the rules? Tsk, Sadie Kane.” Those darks eyes peered down at me with amusement. “I thought we were closer than that. You know there is so much fun to be had in the mortal world.”      

           Something seemed off. The thick rings of charcoal around the boy’s eyes and the wild wideness of them, as though startled, reminded me of someone, and not Set.

           I’ve made a lot of people miffed in my life—I’m quite skilled at it actually—and I found myself wondering where I knew this young magician from. Set had said, “Long time no see.” Maybe that wasn’t just Set talking.

           “What are you doing here?” Leo asked. “A god of deserts and storms in a desert without a storm, beating up tiny demigods. Sounds suspicious.”

           Set belted out a boisterous laugh. “I would never miss one of Eris’s parties! Oh, does that Greek know how to party!” He twirled the Egyptian battle axe in one hand like a staff and pointed it at the unfortunate pile of rocks nearby. “I heard we’re going to execrate a goddess of day and I’ll get to feed off her dying powers. I do love a good picnic on a nice day.”

           “You hid Hemera in Camel Dung Mountain?” Leo asked.

           Either Leo was going to keep surprising me with how much we thought alike, or he really was telepathic. Considering how often I thought about Walt playing basketball shirtless, I was uncomfortable with the latter possibility.

           Set folded his arms and pouted. “It does not look like that.”

           “It really does,” Leo countered.

           “It’s a beautiful desert feature.”

           “Of camel dung.”

           Set glanced down at me again. “Really, Sadie, your friends are so rude. Let’s give you one chance to speak up for them, and if you go to cast a spell, I’ll spill sand into your lungs so fast, you won’t be able to say the word, ‘asphyxiate.’”

           To my surprise, he snapped his fingers. The wrappings shrank away from my mouth. It took every milliliter of my willpower to avoid saying something about camel dung. Instead, I said, “Lapis! Set is using you. He always uses people and will take full control of their bodies at the first chance. Fight him!”

           A devilish half-smile slid onto Set’s countenance. In a two-toned voice, they said, “What makes you think I can’t be a team player?”

           “Um, because you’re Set, god of evil and rockin’ red reaping and white pawn-eating. Remember the whole ‘I don’t do second-in-command’ thing you said to Menshikov?” I said, though my voice seemed to be losing conviction. Funny when that happens.

           Set waved his hand.

           The boy shifted his weight back onto one foot, signaling Lapis was in control. He glared with those terrifying, startled eyes. “Arrogant, rule-poppin’ Kanes think only your stupid family and initiates can come to equilibrium with a god. I mean, Holy Hun-Batz, how many times did that lie-mongering snake, Isis, tempt you to backstab the Sun God and put your brother and Horus on the throne? You don’t think she’d try to take over if she thought she could?”  

           I was rather offended. My initiates may have followed Ma’at and order, but we were quite a mischievous bunch and I wanted to defend our willingness to break rules, not “pop” them like Tic Tacs. Well, except Carter. [Sorry, my dear brother, you’re quite hopeless in the rule-breaking department.]

           On account of Isis, I couldn’t do much to defend her. She, ehem, wasn’t always the most loyal to Ra, having once poisoned him and all that.

           “See?” this time, Set spoke. “I’m rather fond of this little Pax child. Lapis occasionally lets me filet people. A much more enjoyable host than your Uncle Amos.”

           Lapis’ voice resurfaced, fluidly slipping away from Set. I was quite appalled. No one could get along with the god of evil so well and not be evil themselves. “And I had real reason to be here, before that double-crossing Ajaxamamma neglected to protect Tuft Ears or Ajaxapax against Ares.” Lapis kicked at the ground in anger. A mini swirl of red sand whirled up from his foot and spiraled away in a tiny dust storm. If any ants were about, they would surely need to sound the alarm for a tornado warning.  

           “This is getting confusing. Can you please stop with the voice alteration and the nicknames?” Leo asked.

           Lapis scowled down as though he hadn’t heard him. “I just want the Paxes to stick together and maybe kill that tree-romping hippie, Euna. Now, Tuft Ears and Ajaxapax are fucked up and my littlest brother, Dart Face, is well on his way to becoming a sociopathic baby killer.”

           “Yea, you’re setting a great example for him,” Leo said. He took a small step towards my cocoon. I wondered if he had some kind of mythical blowtorch that could cut me out of here without making a roasted Sadie dog.

           Lapis half-heartedly pointed his crossbow at my cocoon and said, “I wanted to meet the stupid person whose cursed, dead-boy boyfriend killed my mom, but Ms. Kane Swaddles is a bit underwhelming in person.”

           To be clear, I am quite impressive, but presentation is a bit difficult when you’re rolled up like a burrito.  

           But, dead-boy boyfriend? That was clearly in reference to Walt and Anubis, unless there were a lot of other dead-boy boyfriends running around. [Jack wanted me to clarify that I was not talking about a bloke named Nico Di Angelo. Apparently the Greeks do have their own supply.]

           “Your mum?” I asked, baffled.

            Lapis’ startled eyes fell onto me. Looking more exhausted than angry, he said, “Sarah Jacobi.”  

           For an instant, I didn’t understand. Lapis’ skin was chocolaty, so much that I would think him a pale African or a tanned islander. To my disgust, I realized my moment of hesitation was the same one people experienced when they saw me with my Dad and brother, because I was so pale and my brother and father were so dark. All those times people thought I couldn’t be related to them. And here I was. I had no idea what her father looked like, but, just because Sarah Jacobi’s skin was milky pale didn’t mean that wasn’t this boy’s mother.

           Shame choked me.

           During the battle in the First Nome, Walt had mummified Jacobi while she was alive and dragged her into the Underworld. But Jacobi had a child? Someone had loved that schizophrenic Wicked Witch of the West enough to have a baby with her?

           Jacobi would have killed me if Walt hadn’t stopped her, but knowing we’d left someone motherless, like I had been motherless, didn’t settle well in my stomach.

           Lapis’ startling eyes were just like hers and I could almost hear Jacobi’s laugh, like metal scrapping through sand. Try to imagine that as a lullaby. No wonder Lapis was a bit mental.

           “Yep,” Leo said, “That’s another name that means nothing to me.” He sidestepped close enough that he could have nudged me with his foot.

           “Sorry,” I said, suddenly unsure of what to say.

           Lapis didn’t look mad at me. Just frustrated with the situation. Although I didn’t know much about it, from what he was saying and what I had gathered from Leo and Jason, he and his siblings lost a lot in the last few months. Weirdly, I found myself feeling sorry for this crazy bloke.

           “You know, rule-poppers—“

           “I am NOT a rule-popper!” I snapped, unable to take that slander any longer.

           “—I don’t even care about this Hemera or any of Eris’ stupid ‘not’ plans anymore,” Lapis muttered, almost to himself. His gaze peered through me, and I had a feeling he wasn’t peeking into the Duat.

           “Then maybe you could not try to kill us, Desert Dude?” Leo suggested. He was right beside me now, two fingers in his toolbelt, hopefully looking for a magical jigsaw to get me out of these stupid restraints.

           Lapis’ expression went blank. He studied us.

           Gods of Egypt, could something that simple have actually worked?

           Then Set took back over. “I have a splendid alternative. See, Lapis did promise I’d get a chance at eating the power of a primordial goddess.” He rubbed his hands together. “Let’s have a fun little gamble. If you can survive me for five minutes and get Hemera, then—ta da!—you win. We’ll even get you a ride to the closest active portal.”

           “Do we need that?” Leo asked, glanced down at me.

           “Em… I may have forgotten to mention that portals have a twelve hour cool down period,” I admitted, a minor overlook. Though there must have been another portal somewhere nearby. Everyone was so obsessed with Egyptian artifacts, I never worried about there being an obelisk or pyramid in proximity, even if it was just an oddly shaped ice cream truck.

           “And if we lose?” I asked.

           “Why, I get to rip you limb-from-limb of course,” Set said with a good-natured laugh. “Lapis can execrate Hemera and I’ll get to feed off her power as the goddess fades to nothing.”

           “So, you’ll try to dismember us either way?” Leo asked.

           “Exactly!” Set exclaimed.

           Leo knelt down beside me.  The wind kicked up sand around us, like a storm was approaching. I had an uncomfortable feeling that Leo and I would not be able to stall much longer.

           “You know why you Egyptian gods are just like Greek ones?” Leo asked, the Latino elf’s face crunching into a grin.

           Set smirked, putting his hands on his hips. He licked his lips, like he was considering switching Leo’s and my head like the tops of canopic jars. “We both have gambling problems?”

           Leo’s grin turned smug.

           “You both like to talk too much.”

           By now, the wind was whipping Leo’s hair all about his eyes and kicking sand into my nostrils. I assumed Set was getting ready to obliterate us, but Leo must have known what was about to happen instead.

           A tornado blasted horizontally through the broken section of the iron fence. Had I been a mortal, I might have thought it hit Set. Instead, through the swirls of dust and sand, I could see Jason Grace propelled at the end. His fist slugged Set’s face.

           Set flew backwards, knocking another hole through the iron fence on the other side. A whirl of red sand followed him. The crossbow clattered away. He skidded to a stop with one knee in the sand, the other leg posed to rise. From the expression, I guessed Lapis was the one glaring at Jason’s hovering form.

           Lapis wiped blood from his mouth with the back of his hand. He smirked. “You’re mine, Pretty Boy.”

           The red sand around him thickened, until there was a swirling vortex of desert, debris, red sparks, and smatters of flame encasing the magician: Set’s combat avatar. Although I could barely make out the image of Lapis’s hands, he twirled the Egyptian battle axe around him.

           “Go get Hemera,” Jason ordered, scowling.

           The son of Jupiter didn’t have to tell us twice.

           Leo scrambled to heft me up into his arms as Set’s spitting red storm thundered into Jason’s white tornado.

 Thanks for reading! I hope you guys enjoyed! :D

 Footnote:

[1] “Roast the fire; burn with pain.”

[maevefiction]

Your Light in the Mist - Chapter 42

We left the Gold Coast on February 13th, returned home for two days, then were off again…first to Berlin for a screening of ‘The Night Manager’ with a Q & A session, then on to Vietnam, where shooting began the day after we arrived. The entire experience there was life-altering, in a way. The people, who were so kind, generous, and welcoming, and the locations, some of which had never before been filmed, were majestic and evocative of a land time had, to our benefit, forgotten…but most of all, the opportunity to immerse myself in a culture I had little knowledge of was humbling, and miraculous, and I made every effort to be out and about with every spare moment I had. When production wrapped in mid-March, Jordan announced that he was planning on relocating to the area, and I found myself just the tiniest bit jealous. There was such a sense of peace there, despite such a tumultuous upheaval in the not so distant past…a testament to the human spirit, our ability to keep pressing onward, to continue to live, and even thrive. A lesson in perspective, I suppose.

Tom was due in Los Angeles on March 20th for a photoshoot, so we opted to go directly there instead of heading home to London and then back out again. The 21st was booked with interviews, which would be followed by the official ‘I Saw the Light’ premiere on the 22nd. This was the first time I’d be walking a red carpet with him, other than the brief appearance at the Cube. Though Tom normally preferred the Beverly Hills Hotel, we were staying at the Loews Hollywood due to its proximity to the Egyptian, where the screening would be held, and Sadie’s Kitchen, the venue chosen for the after party. Our room was on the 15th floor, modern décor in shades of grey, white and burgundy, with a view of the Hollywood sign…currently packed with a team of stylists, garment bags and rolling racks making me feel like a sardine in a tin. Granted, a very lovely tin, but a tin nonetheless. Tom was almost ready to go, his bright blue suit complementing his eyes perfectly, black necktie offering a bold contrast to his white dress shirt. I was still in my skivvies, one of the gals taping me into my strapless bra ‘just in case’. Despite the opportunity it created for an epic wardrobe malfunction, I was totally in love with my gown. It was strapless with a sweetheart neckline, gradient purple, near black at the top, fading to pale lilac midway down in the front and plum in the back. The skirt was floor length and full, and both a portion of it and nearly the entire bodice were decorated with silver vines and leaves, cascading downward like a waterfall. I’d opted for dark purple heels, on the thick side because I figured there was less of a risk of tripping in front of the press line that way. Around my neck was my tourmaline necklace, and my hair had been pinned up in a loose bun. As I pondered what food choices awaited me at Sadie’s, the gal announced that my tits were secure and I was instructed to step carefully into the gown, zipped up, and released into the wild to fend for myself. Tom’s hands descended upon my shoulders as I inspected the contents of my clutch one final time, making sure I had a room key, my cell phone, tissues and a Snickers bar.

“You look gorgeous, as always.”

I turned my head to meet his gaze. “You don’t look half bad yourself.” He grinned, releasing me, and I spun around to get a better look at him. “Mmm. That is a nifty suit. To the left…to the right…where will…aha, LEFT. What’s that, eight out of ten or something?”

“I didn’t realize we were collecting data. Will the results be in the form of a bar graph or a pie chart?”

“A fifty page thesis, actually. Available for sale on Amazon. I figure we can fund our retirement with it.”

He laughed, interrupted by his phone chirping. “Car’s here. Let’s roll.”

“Walk. I’m going to walk. Probably. Rolling sounds like ‘a YouTube Star is Born’. But I suppose that could fund some shit too…”

We exited arm in arm, piled into the elevator with a bunch of other fancy people I didn’t know, then climbed into the black SUV waiting for us. It was still light out, the day bright and sunny. Our vehicle was sixth in line when we pulled up to the Egyptian Theater, and my jaw dropped at how old-school big-glam Hollywood it looked, the red carpet lining the courtyard, velvet ropes and press wherever I looked. It was far from my first rodeo, but it was the first time I’d be at such an event in the capacity of ‘movie star’s plus one’. A low whistle escaped my lips.

“Wow, so we’re like, really doing this. Surreal, Tom. Sur-REAL.”

He took my hand in his, pulling my attention away from what I could see outside the window. I smiled at the sight of the excitement written all over his face. “It is that, positively. And I’m…I’m…well, I’m like a live wire, Maude. Crackling and vibrating and super charged with energy because I’m not walking this one alone, you’re going to be right by my side and…” He let go of my hand, flinging both his up in the air and waving them around jazz-style as he grinned. “I. AM. UNCONTROLLABLY EXCITED!”

I leaned in to kiss his cheek, quickly wiping the lipstick I left behind away with one of my tissues. “My god you are just too cute. Does this car have a sick bag? Because the cute is going to make me barf, for sure.” I mock-gagged.

He continued to grin like a fool as he pointed to the window behind me. “We’re up! It’s time! Let’s go, my lady. LET’S GO!”

Before I could ask for a moment to get my shit together, he was out of the car, the roar of waiting fans greeting him as he ran around to my side and opened the door for me. I took his proffered hand and stepped out into the daylight, the roars growing louder, our names being shouted above the din by press and onlookers alike. As we made our way down to the entrance, Tom stopped to sign and take selfies as long as time would allow, and then it was time for us to strike a pose. The flashes were the worst part, a ceaseless strobing that made it very difficult to focus, but mid-way through my eyes and brain seemed to adjust and I found myself having a really good fucking time mugging for the cameras with the man of the evening. The interviews were a blast, Tom taking the lead and doing most of the talking, pulling me in here and there when it was someone he’d interacted with on previous occasions or mentioned my name. We were like a comedy improv team that sang on command, and by the time we made it into the actual screening I was totally high on fun. Not exactly the right vibe for such a serious, angsty, sad movie, but in the end I was grateful I went into it with a boost because the ended pregnancy talk scene was difficult to watch even though it was the second time around. There I sat, holding back tears with Tom’s hand in mine, shaking, and me rubbing his wrist with my thumb. As soon as the credits rolled we were ushered quickly to the car, and then it was off to Sadie’s. I was a very intimate setting, the décor an eclectic mix of woods, stones, metals and glass. The food was a bit too micro for my taste, and there were moments when I seriously considered grabbing an entire tray of hor d'oeuvres and making a break for the coatroom. Tom had been indulging in champagne all evening, and Rodney’s band was in the house, so I knew that it wouldn’t be long until an impromptu jam session occurred. I’d avoided going to the bathroom since we left the hotel, and the three sodas I’d guzzled made it impossible to postpone any longer. I kissed Tom on the cheek, leaving him with the drummer whose name I’d been given but could absolutely not recall and headed for the rest room. Fitting into the stall was the first hurdle, turning around was the second, and it actually got more and more complicated every step of the way until my hands were full of fabric and my ass was on the chilly seat. Figuring out how to wipe was the Rubik’s cube of the process, and I stared at the toilet paper dispenser for an untold amount of minutes. I heard the band begin to play Move It On Over, heard them finish, then start up with Long Gone Lonesome Blues. Tom’s yodeling snapped me out of my stupor and I bunched all the fabric in the crook of one arm, tore off the necessary quantity of sheets with my free hand and took care of business like a boss. As I thanked the gods for auto-flush, I unlocked the stall, dropped the fabric back in place and propelled myself outward…right into Lizzie, who was wearing a far more practical dress that wasn’t all floaty and poufy and just waiting for an accident to happen. She grinned.

“So? Enjoying the party? Or did you come in here to hide like, you know, I DID?”

I laughed. “So far, so good. Nice to know it’s not just me who seeks refuge in bathrooms, though. But this time it’s a legit visit. Which was terrifying.”

“Maude, there are more dresses in my closet that I wound up buying because they were unfit to return then I care to count. Wine, toothpaste, hair gel, lipstick, chocolate, things I don’t even know what they are and probably don’t want to…and lemme tell ya, I know all the best bathrooms for hiding in SO many cities all around the world. The private ones with really loud fans are just…” She sighed. “Perfection.”

Washing my hands, I nodded. “Oh yeah. Peace and quiet. If they only came with a Do Not Disturb sign…”

“Oh my GOD, there’s a bathroom in a restaurant in Toronto, I can’t remember the name but I know where it is, I can see it…damn…anyway, they HAVE that.”

“No they do not.”

She nodded, walking to the stall furthest from the door. “Yes they do! Best twenty minutes of my night a few years back.” Turning, she waved. “Okay, I’m goin’ in. If anyone’s looking for me…”

“I have no idea where you are.”

She blew me a kiss. “Bless you.”

As I re-entered the chaos, I was hit with an extra-loud, slightly slurred version of Hey Good Lookin’, and I couldn’t wait to round the corner and see Tom in action. And take a video. Which I’d totally post on Tumblr because surely it was something the entire world needed to see. The band had set up on one side of the dining area, which had been cleared of tables, and they were surrounded by cast and crew, some standing and clapping, others dancing. Tom was easy to spot, and as I worked my way through the crowd, I noticed that there was a woman hanging on him, her arm resting on his shoulder as she shimmied to the beat. She was waiflike, incredibly thin and tall, taller than Tom, even, in her white stilettos, her white mini dress so short I didn’t think it would be possible for her to sit down without putting on one hell of a show. There were triangular cut-outs at the waist, and her platinum blonde hair hung halfway down her back. Her eyes were huge, greenish-grey, and beautiful, the stand out component of her heart-shaped face with its perfect Cupid’s bow mouth. I’d never seen her before and had never asked him to point her out in the film, though I now recognized her from it, and as I registered that it was the woman he was terrified of running into, and that we’d forgotten the possibility of her being there, or at least I had, my heart began to pound in my chest. Claudia. Right there, in front of me, rubbing up against my fiancé.

As the song ended everyone cheered, and she placed her hands on either side of Tom’s head, turned his face towards hers, then kissed him squarely on the lips in far too intimate a fashion and for entirely too long. I heard a few gasps, but they were eclipsed by the roaring of my heartbeat in my ears, and I fought the urge to scream as I watched him gently push her away. He turned back toward the crowd, stone-faced, and when his mask slipped almost imperceptibly I knew he’d spotted me. I wanted to run, flee the scene, disappear into the night but this was a party full of his co-workers, part of the promo, and doing so would certainly hit the gossip rags in a flash and had the potential to damage the success of the film and so I stood, and I faked a smile as he walked toward me with the woman who possessed a cache of sex tapes starring them both at his side. Once they were two feet away, she opened her clutch and pulled out what I knew to be a hotel room key, as it bore the same logo as the one in my own. Her voice was a much higher pitch than mine, volume just loud enough for both Tom and I to hear when she spoke, pressing the plastic rectangle into his hand.

“Here’s my key. Panorama suite two. I’ll see you shortly.” She turned to me, smirking, then back to him, gesturing in my direction with her thumb. “You can bring her too, if you want, even though she’s not exactly my type. That giant cock of yours more than makes up for it.”

She grinned widely at me, then walked across the room, hair swaying back and forth as she rolled her hips, finally vanishing around the corner and into the hall that led to the exit after what seemed like forever. I heard Tom say my name, and I looked up, but I stared at the knot in his tie because I couldn’t look him in the eye. He took my hand in his, which I permitted, and after his first ‘good night’ it dawned on me that one, I should do the same because two, apparently he’d decided it was time to get the fuck out of there. As soon as we rounded the same corner Claudia had minutes earlier, I pulled my hand from his. Neither of us spoke then, and when he began to do so in the car, I silenced him with a terse ‘not now’.

The ban continued as we entered the hotel, and throughout the elevator ride. Once the room door was closed and locked behind us, I held up both hands, palms toward him.

“Tom. I’m going into the bathroom. I’m going to take this dress off. I’m going to take a shower. I’m going to try and calm down and return to some sort of quasi-rational version of myself. You are going to stay out here.” I could feel the rage bubbling up, words I shouldn’t say spilling out of my mouth. “Unless, of course, you’re planning on joining Claudia, which, FYI, I am NOT.” I took a deep breath. “I’m sorry for that. That’s exactly what I’m trying to avoid. I’ll be out when I’m ready.”

Once safely tucked away, I focused on each individual detail of every task. Zipper down. Dress off. Hang up the dress. Tape off. Bra off. Underwear off. Water on. Test water. Step into shower. By the time I’d dried off, I once again understood that the man on the other side of the door loved me, and that I loved him, and trusted him, and that we needed to discuss what had happened because there was a side to this story I’d yet to hear, and doing or saying or thinking anything without having that knowledge would be unreasonable. And wrong.

He was sitting on the floor, jacket and tie off, shirt unbuttoned ,back leaning up against the bottom of the bed with his knees up and his head in his hands. Hearing me pad across the carpet, he looked up at me, his forlorn expression shifting briefly to one of desire, which baffled me until I realized I was naked. Knowing that he wanted me in the midst of all this was strangely comforting, and empowering. I pulled a robe out of the top dresser drawer, wrapping it around myself as I walked to the bed and sat down, his body to the left of my own. His gaze was cast downward again, and I reached out and began rubbing the back of his neck, speaking softly.

“Will you sit with me and tell me what happened?”

He nodded, rising quickly and joining me on the mattress. His eyes met mine, and he inhaled deeply.

“I had no idea she’d be attending. I didn’t even think to ask. If I’m honest, I hadn’t given her a single thought in months, not until we watched the movie here, and even then the possibility of her turning up didn’t even cross my mind for more than a few seconds…and I pushed it away as me being paranoid. As soon as I started in on Hey Good Lookin’ I felt someone to my left, which wasn’t out of the ordinary as people had been all around me since we began playing, but the someone was incredibly close, and at first I thought you’d snuck up on me and were going to join in, but when I turned to look it was…her. And there I was, in the middle of a song, in front of everyone, and I wanted to stop and get away from her but…”

It was my turn to nod. “In front of everyone. I know that feel.”

He shook his head. “I told myself to remain professional, to keep going, and I thought if I pretended that we were filming I’d be fine. Then she…she…she kissed me in front of everyone, and I just couldn’t believe it and she just kept going and I wanted to shove her off me but that would have looked…and so I did it as normally as I could and the whole time I was hoping you were still in the bathroom but then I saw you…” He paused. “And when I started toward you she came WITH me and then the keycard and what she said…then watching you keep yourself together when I knew you were…I’m sorry. So, so sorry. If that kiss makes it online…my god. I’m sorry.”

His head was in his hands again, shoulders shaking as he wept, and I recognized that this experience had been so deeply traumatic for him that he didn’t quite realize it yet, his unconsciously focusing outwardly serving as diversion. I wrapped my arms around him and held him to my chest, stroking his hair until he quieted enough to listen. When he was able to look me in the eye again, I began to speak.

“Thank you for explaining. That’s essentially what I thought had happened, and, I’m very sorry it happened to you.” His left brow rose. “What she did was so completely inappropriate…I mean, that’s not really surprising, but…yeah. Is it okay if I go through my thought process here?”

He half-smiled. “Yes.”

“Obviously, there’s a component of jealousy. That hit me first. This beautiful woman that’s been intimate with you kissed you right in front of me, and you look amazing together, and she’s tall and blonde and skinny…and the way she presented the keycard to you made it seem like you had an arrangement, a plan in place. Most of way back here all what was going through my mind was that you’d been secretly contacting her and set this all up. But, then I reminded myself exactly who, and what, she was to you, and the jealousy turned primarily to anger, directed at her, but there was still enough jealousy left to generate some serious nastiness on my part directed at YOU. And, like I said before, I wanted to avoid that because it was likely baseless and unwarranted, the jealousy. So I showered, and I listened, and DAMN that anger is way worse now and you should probably keep that room key far the fuck away from me…” I took a deep breath. “Sheese. Again, I’m very sorry this happened to you. However you want to handle it, I’m here to help. Whatever you need, okay?”

He reached out to touch my face, letting his fingertips drag across my jaw and down my neck before grasping my hand.

“I wasn’t even thinking of anything happening to me. I was afraid of what you’d think, and…”

I entwined my fingers with his. “I know. And I appreciate that. We’ve been through some shit, my dude, and I’m a runner. Or, I was. Now…you’re more important than my internal bullshit struggles.”

A smile lit up his face, but it faded quickly, replaced with fear, then sorrow, then anger over the next several silent minutes as he stared at me.

“Maude, all I know in this moment is that I’m finished being afraid of her. I remembered what you said back in New Orleans, our options, and…well, it’s time, I think, for her to know that what she views as having the upper hand…isn’t. Not anymore.” He ran one hand through his hair. “So. I’m going up there, and I’m going to deal with this for once, and for all. Unless you think it’s utter madness to do such a thing.”

My mouth dropped open as my brow rose. “Oh, it’s madness, alright. But I like it. Hmm…”

He laughed, then poked my collarbone softly with his finger. “Ah, a plan is afoot, is it?”

“No. A plan is a plan. Not a foot.” He groaned and covered his eyes briefly, gaze returning to meet mine as I continued. “Okay. Several things to consider here. Ideally, you’d do this alone. Are you comfortable with that?”

“Well, yes and no. Going in, absolutely. But when I visualize reaction scenarios, I am concerned that a situation might arise that would result in an unfavorable outcome.”

I snorted. “Yeah, as in her recording the entire exchange and then heavily editing it to paint you in a…a…let’s go with ‘negative light’.” He nodded. “The hotel security feed would take care of pinpointing when you entered and when you left, but everything in between is up for grabs, and that’s not acceptable. Having a witness seems warranted, but who’s the witness? Am I the witness? Does my bias preclude me from being reliable in reporting the truth?”

Tom nodded again. “Likely, yes. But you’re the only witness available who’s privy to all the details of the history involved, and I wouldn’t trust anyone else to maintain any sort of confidentiality.”

This was something I had zero desire to participate in, for a multitude of reasons. It was pre-Maude, and in that aspect, none of my damn business. But since Claudia’s future actions could significantly impact my life, even if said impact was short-lived, that made it potentially my damn business. Then there was what I knew…what she’d done with him, and, far worse, what she’d done TO him. Unsettling at best, rage inducing at worst…in other words, I’d be walking into a situation wherein keeping myself in check was questionable, but of the utmost importance. And there it was, another lightbulb moment in the life and times of Maude Gallagher-soon-to-be-Hiddleston. I chuckled, and he stared at me, confused, head tilted to the side as he attempted to discern what was amusing.

I patted his knee. “I’m just laughing at my own stupidity, because I totally forgot that I’m a member of your PR team and thus have a rather valid reason to accompany you since part of the discussion will include…PR. And it ALSO gives me a reason to behave myself. Total coup, right?”

His arms wrapped around me, kissing first one cheek, then the other. “Oh, yes. Check mate.”

“No, that’s just the check. The checkmate is me recording the whole exchange on my phone, which will be tucked in my bra. Or somewhere.”

He pulled back, eyes wide. “Isn’t this a two party state? I recall you mentioning that…”

“Yeah. It is. But that won’t stop me from leaking it if the need arises. You know, someone could steal my phone at any given moment. It’s totally possible. I’m forgetful. I leave things behind ALL THE TIME…”

“Maude, you are deliciously fiendish. And I love you so.”

“Aw, thank you, baby. And I’m a total hypocrite, because I just admitted to being willing to do what I believe she shouldn’t. Anyway…criminal prosecution for this sort of thing is very rare. She could sue, of course. But I don’t think I care. Do you care?”

“I do not.”

“Cool. Hopefully we’ll never need to use it.” I rose, both hands finger-gunning in his direction. “Let’s do this.”

He stood, tugging at the fabric of my robe. “Should you dress first, do you think?”

I glanced down at myself. “Oh. Right. This is not one of my ‘don’t fuck with me’ ensembles.”

Snorting, he began re-buttoning his shirt. “Quite the opposite, actually.”

“Thomas. I’m struggling to keep a firm grasp on my professionalism. Cease.”

“Firm grasp, you say?”

I pretended to not hear him and searched my travel wardrobe for something that would work, in the end opting for black leggings, a fluffy, grey, oversize turtleneck sweater and my Birkenstock boots. As I caught sight of myself in the mirror on the way out the door, I decided my choices were just the right mix of business and badassery…but a V-neck would have made hiding the phone a whole lot fucking simpler.

****************************************

There we stood, outside Panorama suite number two, me turned away from the door with my shirt lifted and bra on full display as I wedged my phone into it and hit record. Tom and I exchanged a few words, and then it was Titty Time again. I was relieved to hear the playback was nice and clear and began another session, putting a finger to my lips to let Tom know we were on the record, so to speak. He knocked loudly, then even louder when there was no immediate answer. When he paused, a clicking that could only be high heels on tile was audible, its increasing volume indicating the wearer was travelling in our direction. The door swung inward to reveal Claudia, now clad in white lingerie, a lacy bra, bikini panties, garters and filmy white stockings, all paired with the same white stilettos she’d worn to the party. She placed one hand on her hip, smirking widely.

“Well, well, well. Hello, Tom. I expected you to turn up, but not…” A thumb with a fuchsia fingernail jerked in my direction. “…her. Not exactly a pleasant surprise, but, whatever. Come on in. I’ve gotten off with my vibe three times already but I’m still SO fucking horny. Just one kiss from you, that’s all it takes…mmmm…”

Tom held up a hand, palm towards her. “Stop, Claudia. Right now. Control yourself until we’re behind closed doors, for god’s sake.”

She bit her lip. “Oh my, someone’s feeling forceful. Must be my lucky day!”

We walked in past her, and she followed after closing the door and engaging the slide-bolt lock, stopping in front of the not-so-mini mini bar to face us.

“Anyone else want a cocktail before cock?” Neither Tom nor I replied. “Well I do. I need one. Who wears a turtleneck to a threesome? Christ.”

Tom’s jaw clenched, then released as he spoke. “I’m afraid you’ve misinterpreted the reason for this visit, Claudia. Hint, it’s not for a threesome. I’m only here to have a conversation with you, one we should have had quite some time ago. Maude’s presence is due to the fact that she’s a member of my PR team, and will serve as my advisor if necessary.”

She was stunned, silent, and the fingers she’d wrapped around a bottle of rum went white with the strength of her grip. When Tom noted it didn’t appear as if she’d reply, he continued.

“I’m not going to waste my time re-hashing the past, but I will say this…I made it abundantly clear that we were done when I discovered you were secretly filming our encounters. When I also made it clear that I didn’t love you, and pointed out that I’d never given you any reason to believe our relationship was anything more than purely sexual in nature, you threatened me. You threatened to provide a detailed account of our interactions to my family and friends, you threatened to publish all of the videos you’d made online, and you threatened to ruin my career and make my life a living hell.”

She’d done several double takes during his speech, looking at me, then back at him, then back at me, as if she couldn’t wrap her mind around the fact that I might be aware that something had transpired between them. She finally relinquished her hold on the rum bottle, lifting her hands in surrender. “Tom, that was…I was…I just said all that because I was angry. I didn’t mean it.”

He scoffed. “Really? You didn’t mean it? Yet you accepted a million dollar payout from me?”

“I thought we had a future, Tom. Together. The money was like…alimony.”

“I’m not even going to dignify that with a response, Claudia. What I want you to know is that from this day onward, you are to come nowhere near me. If for some reason we find ourselves at the same event or function, don’t approach me. Don’t speak to me. And most of all, don’t fucking TOUCH me. If you refuse to comply, I will not hesitate to file a restraining order against you.” He took two steps closer to her, his face now inches from hers. “Do you understand?”

She didn’t respond, and he repeated the question, his tone far harsher, volume ratcheting up five notches on the dial.

“DO YOU UNDERSTAND?”

Crossing her arms, she sneered at him. “You know, I still have all those videos...it would be such a shame if they went public and Maude found out what kind of person you really are…”

And there was my cue. I pulled Tom backwards and away from her, then stepped in front of him.

“Maude is acutely aware of the contents of ‘those videos’, Claudia.” Air quotes. I felt like an Office Space character for a second, and really, really wanted to tell her that if she would kindly fuck off and die that’d be great. “Opting to publish them is entirely your choice to make.”

Her laugh bordered on hysterical. “So you’re fine with ruining his career and making yourself a laughing stock? That’s cool. I’ll totally publish them then.”

I shrugged. “Be advised that there will be repercussions that will affect you personally and professionally if you choose to take such action.” She opened her mouth to speak, and I held up my hand to cut her off at the pass, my right index finger pointing up toward the ceiling. “First, since you’ll be violating the terms of the NDA you signed, a suit will be filed for breach of contract wherein we’ll be requesting both expectation and disgorgement damages. That means you’ll be on the hook for repayment of the one million dollars you received as a settlement, as well as any lost revenue Tom incurs as a result of the breach. Secondly, criminal charges will be filed under California’s Revenge Porn Law, which defines said revenge porn as the publication of nude photos or videos of a person one used to be intimate with, without their consent, with an intent to cause serious emotional distress. Each video that was filmed in the state of California would incur a penalty of a fine in the amount of $1000 and up to six months in jail…based upon Tom’s estimate as to video quantity, you’d be facing a prison sentence of up to ten years. Thirdly, and lastly, criminal charges and a civil suit will be filed for your violation of the Invasion of Privacy act. California is a ‘two party’ state when it comes to audio recordings of confidential communication in situations and locations wherein there’s a reasonable expectation of privacy. Audio that’s a component of a video is covered under this particular statute, and penalties include a fine of up to $2500 and a year in jail. Long story short, Claudia…do you want to wind up in jail? Because publishing those videos is how you wind up in jail.”

While I spoke, I’d witnessed her face first going pale, then gradually reddening until it reached a final almost-purple hue. She was shaking with rage, and I just stood there, certain she was going to attack me Dynasty lady-feud style. But she didn’t, pausing, instead to digest what I’d said as best she could and find a way around it. Her eyes, now more grey than green, narrowed as she spoke.

“My attorney will drag out your breach suit for years, and if you win, I’ll hide all my assets and file for bankruptcy and you won’t see a dime, ever. As for the rest, there’s no proof Tom never consented to filming. Same with that distress bullshit. My word against his. I’ll take those odds, and when I’m acquitted of all charges I’ll sue YOU guys for damages and take even MORE of Tom’s money.”

Raising my brow, I leaned in a little closer to her. “Tom saved all your texts and voicemails. Every. Single. One. They’re tucked away, safe and sound, on the very phone you sent them to.”

If Tom hadn’t been paying such close attention, the highball glass she picked up and threw would have hit me right in the face. He’d jerked both of us to the side, and the glass shattered when it hit the wall. With me in front of him, he propelled both of us toward the door at top speed, slid the bolt and pushed me out into the hallway, slamming the door behind him in the midst of the sound of more shattering glass and her screams of ‘get out, GET OUT’. We headed for the stairs, not wanting to wait for the elevator, rushed back to our room, entered and locked our own door, both of us unsure as to whether we were pleased, frightened, or a bit of both.

I reached up under my sweater to pull out the phone, hitting the stop button to end the recording. Tom placed his hands on my shoulders, eyes on mine.

“Are you all right?”

Nodding, I felt my mouth twist into a half smile. “That went better than I expected, honestly.” I stood on my toes and planted a kiss on his left cheek. “Thanks for rescuing me from death by assorted beverage containers. How do you feel?”

His eyes shifted down and to the side, then returned to my face. “Relieved. Like I’ve gotten some closure, and that I’m no longer at her mercy. The fear, the anxiety in regard to my past actions becoming public…that’s subsided significantly. But there’s trepidation present, resulting from her expression of violence towards you, which I’m not quite sure how to handle.”

I slipped my phone into his pocket as I wrapped my arms around his torso. “She just realized she’s powerless, and she was NOT happy about it. Probably best to let it go and hope she finds a new hobby. Or a good therapist. Or Jesus. Something.”

“Maude, if that would have hit you…”

“It didn’t, though. I’m fine, you’re fine, and…that was over the top, wasn’t it? Was she aiming for me? Or you? Or the wall? Wow, I’m kinda freaked out now.”

He pulled me to his chest, kissing the top of my head. “I’m sorry. I knew her behavior as I experienced it was abnormal, and I shouldn’t have involved you.”

I leaned back, reaching up to caress his cheek. “You realize I knew too based on your description of your experience, yes? I’m glad I went with you. She would have spun that visit in the worst way possible, Tom, if the opportunity presented itself. Now she can’t, and I’m glad for that. As for the rest…we have a plan in place if she releases the videos, and we’ll follow through with it. She knows now that you’re no longer afraid of that happening, and that you’ll fight back, and I’m thinking maybe that will take all the fun out of it for her.”

A heavy sigh escaped him. “I hope that’s the case, my love. Truly I do. And I’m not going to dwell on it, because allowing her to diminish our joy is akin to giving her precisely what she wants, and she’s stolen enough already. This shop’s doors are closed. Permanently.”

“That’s an excellent way to look at it, Mr. Eternal Optimist. The doors are closed and the shop’s in the rearview as we travel the road ahead of us into our future.”

He simply stared at me, a small smile upon his face, his eyes once again full of all those things that made me both weak in the knees and disgusted with my sappy-ass self all at once. I rolled my eyes.

“Man, you’ve gotta lay off that adorable shit. We’ve got three months to go until the wedding and when you look at me like that…I just want to say fuck it and go find a judge and do it, like, right now.” Next came the tears shining, ready to spill over. “No. Oh my god, not helping, Tom. NOT. HELPING.”

He laughed. “I’m not even sorry.”

“Color me thoroughly unsurprised.”

“I’d rather color your inner thighs with love bites.”

“That can be arranged.”

Less than an hour later, we were spooning, and I felt his breathing change as he slipped into sleep. I lay nestled against him, wide awake until near dawn, trying to force myself to stop thinking about Claudia. Her actions seemed, as I reviewed the evening’s events, to indicate she hadn’t quite…let go. Far from it, actually. I wondered what she actually wanted, after so much time had passed. Was it more money? Was it revenge? Was it still…Tom? Was it all three, perhaps? And then I found myself wondering how far someone who behaved as she had tonight was willing to go in order to get it. Whatever it was she wanted. And it shook me, so I sang our wedding song to myself in my head until I calmed down, finally dozing off reminding myself that things which were terribly frightening in the dead of night were often immediately vanquished as nonsense by the light of day.

[pastorralffriedrichs]

4 Ways Esther Inspires Us to Step Out in Faith

"Before I made you in your mother's womb, I chose you”

(Jeremiah 1:5).

When choosing teams in school, children should never choose teams.

Why?

Inevitably, the least popular or most athletically challenged children would be left standing alone, on display, easy targets for derogatory labels and ridicule.

Choose teams on the basis of birthday month, favorite flavor of ice cream or color of clothing worn that day.

The result?

Every child is chosen.

We all long to be chosen, loved by someone who sees us as we really are. Someone who recognizes our worth.

Esther was an orphan,

an insignificant and unknown Jewish girl living with her uncle Mordecai when she was chosen to be Queen,

the wife of Persian King Ahasuerus.

Esther had reigned for only a short time when Mordecai learned of a plot to assassinate the King. Mordecai told Esther who told Ahasuerus and the guilty men were executed.

The king’s life was spared, but life for the Jewish people became extremely difficult.

Haman, a very influential but evil officer in the king’s court, was promoted to the second-highest position in the land. Haman hated the Jews and convinced the King to issue a law that all people had to bow to the King, or they would be executed. That law would mean certain death for not only Esther and Mordecai, but also for every Jew who bowed only to God.

And there was one other small problem.

The King did not know that his new queen was a Jew. As Esther and her people fasted for God’s direction, Esther planned what might have been the first reveal party for the king and Haman. During the banquet, Esther revealed Haman’s plot.

Esther also revealed the fact that she was a Jew. True love won the day. The King condemned Haman to die and saved the Jewish nation. In short, God raised Esther up to save her people!

Esther made a life-changing decision to step out in faith and obey God. Because she made the right choice, she discovered her true worth in God. If Esther can take those steps, so can we.

Step 1:

Understand That We Are Chosen

“And who knows, you may have been chosen queen for just such a time as this"

(Esther 4:14).

Esther was chosen--not just by a King, but by God. God placed Esther in a high position of leadership at a very special time and for a very special reason. The same is true in your life and in mine.

You are no accident!

Where you are is no surprise to God.

Situational ethics is now being taught in many schools. One teacher, wanting to illustrate that human reasoning is many times wrong, gave the following situation to a class of students:

"Would you advise a mother who was pregnant with her fifth child to have an abortion--given the following facts?

Her husband had syphilis.

She had tuberculosis.

Their first child was born blind.

Their second child died.

Their third child was born deaf.

Their fourth child had tuberculosis.

Most of the students agreed that she should have an abortion. The teacher was quiet for a moment before responding. “Those of you who said, ‘Yes' would have just killed the great composer Ludwig von Beethoven!"

You and I were created in response to the love of God.

“I praise you because you made me in an amazing and wonderful way. What you have done is wonderful. I know this very well. You saw my bones being formed as I took shape in my mother's body. When I was put together there, you saw my body as it was formed. All the days planned for me were written in your book before I was one day old”

(Psalm 139:14-16).

We were created in love…for love. The plan came first! God personally supervised our formation. We were created for a special purpose and with a unique plan for our lives. In other words, we were created by God for God!

“Know that the LORD is God. He made us, and we belong to him; we are his people, the sheep he tends” (Psalm 100:3).

In this verse “LORD” literally means “Father” or “dearest daddy.” We were not created to be His puppet. We were created for an intimate, loving relationship with God. He created us and chose us, and just as God had a special plan for Esther, He has a special plan for you.

“I know what I am planning for you," says the LORD. "I have good plans for you, not plans to hurt you. I will give you hope and a good future” (Jeremiah 29).

The best plan for every life rests solely in the hands of the One who created it.

In the early days of the automobile, a man's Model-T Ford stalled in the middle of the road. No matter what he tried, the car wouldn’t start. Finally, a chauffeured limousine pulled up behind him and a wiry, energetic man stepped from the back seat, offering his assistance.

After tinkering for a few moments, the stranger said, "Now try it!" The engine immediately came to life. The well-dressed man then identified himself as Henry Ford. "I designed and built these cars," he said, "So I know what to do when something goes wrong."

God is our creator. When our lives are broken, He can heal them. When the plan falls apart, He can fix it. We not only find our strength in that truth, but we also find the core message of our calling as well.

We are wanted, loved, and cherished by God. We belong to Him. We are chosen.

Step 2:

Accept the Challenge

“I will go to the king…” (Esther 4:16).

Esther certainly understood stress! When the King’s law to destroy the Jews was published, Mordecai and the rest of the Jews lost it. Mordecai told Esther that she needed to go to her husband and beg for mercy.

Esther initially refused, but with good reason. If she went to the king without being invited, she would be killed. Now that is a real test!

Like Esther, every time life delivers a cruel blow, we must make a choice. We can choose to accept the challenge, or we can refuse it and miss the opportunity it offers. Yes, I said “opportunity.”

If you are like me, when a trial comes, I tend to look for the nearest exit, hoping to avoid the pain and examination that every challenge affords. At the center of every challenge is an opportunity. Behind every problem is a purpose.

“And I will give you treasures hidden in the darkness--secret riches. I will do this so you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, the one who calls you by name” (Isaiah 45:3, NLT).

Don’t miss this truth! God has gone before us, and in every problem, every darkness and trial, has buried a “treasure” and stored “secret riches.” The only way we can discover that treasure or uncover the secret riches is to face the challenge, walk through the darkness, and confront the trial, refusing to give up until the lesson is learned and the truth gained.

When golf balls were first manufactured, their covers were smooth. Golfers discovered that after repeated use, the covers grew rough, giving the ball greater power when it was hit. Life is much the same. It takes some “rough spots” to make us go our farthest.

Jesus did not come to eliminate our problems. He came to fill those problems with Himself. Someone once said: “When God permits His children to go through the furnace, He keeps his eye on the clock and His hand on the thermostat.

“So don't worry, because I am with you. Don't be afraid, because I am your God. I will make you strong and will help you; I will support you with my right hand that saves you” (Isaiah 41:10).

Queen Esther came to this truth when she accepted the biggest and, I am sure, the most frightening challenge of her life. She boldly stood for truth and against the enemy’s schemes. In doing so, she saved her people and won a place of honor.

What challenge is before you, my friend? Accept it, welcome it, embrace it--and just see what your God does through it!

Step 3:

Choose to Face Our Fear

“Then I will go to the king even though it is against the law, and if I die, I die" (Esther 4:16b).

The ability to walk through fear comes from trust in God alone. Esther was afraid and uncertain. She still chose to walk through her fear, ignore her own human weakness and limitations, and go to the king.

Fear is a control issue. Its opposite is trust.

Playing God is the root of fear. When we play God, we trust ourselves instead of Him. If you are struggling with fear, the question you must ask yourself is, “Who is God in my life?”

Step 4:

Step Out in Faith

"Go, gather together all the Jews…and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish”

(Esther 4:16).

A teacher was doing her best to disprove the miracles of the Bible. "Take, for instance, the crossing of the Red Sea. We know this body of water was only six inches deep," she said. A little boy immediately shouted, “Praise God for that miracle!" Annoyed, the teacher asked, "What miracle?" The little boy explained, "The Lord must have drowned the whole Egyptian army in just six inches of water!"

Paul writes, “It was by faith that the people crossed the Red Sea as if it were dry land. But when the Egyptians tried it, they were drowned” (Hebrews 11:29). Fear puts our circumstance between God and us while faith puts God between our circumstance and us. God’s people crossed the Red Sea and Esther saved a nation--because of faith.

Esther rose from the ordinary to the extraordinary and proved herself worthy because she understood that God had chosen her, just as He has chosen you. Esther was willing to accept the challenge before her. You can, too. Just as Esther chose to face her fear, you can face yours. Esther stepped out in faith and today, God is calling us to do the same.

#takeyourlifebacktodayshow

#ralffriedrichs

#fall7timesgetup8times

#nevergiveup

[cheemers-writing-archive]

Crusader of Life: Chapter 14

“I told you!” you boasted as you all sped through the desert sand in the dune buggy Joseph rented. “I told you we were gonna be attacked by a Stand!”

“We just had a near-death experience,” Joseph groaned, “and you want to brag about it?”

“I’m bragging because I was right,” you told him. “I knew that the submarine was a great place to get us cornered.”

“She has a point,” Avdol added. “She predicted what we didn’t.”

“Well, enough about that now,” Joseph said, trying to change the subject, “we’re actually meeting some Speedwagon guys just up ahead. They’ll arrive in a helicopter.”

“Really?” Kakyoin asked. “After we just wrecked their submarine?”

“They understand that some things may be damaged while we fight off constant Stand attacks,” Joseph explained. “Plus, this time, they’re bringing someone who’ll assist us.”

“Assist us?” Jotaro, who had been silent the whole time, suddenly spoke up. “You mean, another Stand user?”

“Precisely,” Joseph said. “But we’ll have to be careful. He has some… personality issues.”

Some time had passed, and everyone had gotten out of the buggy and met the Speedwagon guys in the helicopter.

“Iggy’s in the back,” one of them pointed to the rear door of the helicopter. “But be cautious. The ride here was really rough, so he’s already in a bad mood.”

“Well, where is he?” Polnareff asked, rummaging through the back. “Come on, show yourself!”

“Polnareff, be careful,” Joseph warned. “One of Iggy’s favorite things to do is-“

Just then, a tiny dog jumped out from the blanket on the seat and started attacking Polnareff.

“…chew people’s hair,” Joseph finished.

Iggy… Iggy was a dog? “How does such a tiny little thing have a Stand?” you accidentally thought out loud.

“You’d be surprised,” Joseph replied, then went to talk in private with the two Speedwagon members.

“Iggy!” Avdol prompted, holding up some gum. “I’ve got a treat for you!” Of course, Iggy came sprinting towards the smell of whatever flavor that gum was. You looked at the package, and saw it was coffee flavored.

“Coffee flavored gum,” you muttered. “What a weird dog.”

Still, weird or not, that fur on Iggy’s back was begging to be scratched, and you couldn’t just say no. While the tiny dog was distracted with his chewy snack, you sunk your hands into his back and started to pet it. He jumped a little bit at first, but quickly let you keep going. You decided to use different types of pets, too. You softly stroked him from his head to his rear, used your nails to delicately scratch his skin, and massaged slowly with your fingers. It wasn’t long before Iggy rolled over to let you rub his belly.

“Oh, yes, you’re a good boy,” you cooed. “A good boy with a Stand, that’s all.”

“You’ve already bonded with the dog,” Kakyoin chuckled.

“I have a soft spot in my heart for animals,” you said, still rubbing Iggy’s belly. “It can’t be helped.”

Kakyoin gave a small “hm,” as he started to sit down next to you in the sand. Both of you sat silently next to each other for a minute or two, until you let Iggy go, and watched him run back to chase Polnareff.

“Iggy really doesn’t like him, huh?” you giggled.

“Yeah,” Kakyoin said, almost deadpan. “You know, I overheard from Mr. Joestar’s conversation that there’s more Stand users headed our way. These guys have Stands named after Egyptian gods, and will be much more powerful.”

“Oh, that’s not good,” you replied. “Good thing we know they’re headed our way.”

“That’s not the point,” Kakyoin interjected. “The thing is, well, your Stand… will you be alright? I won’t be mad if you leave now. Don’t get me wrong, Ace of Pentacles is plenty strong, but not… fighting wise. I mean, um,”

“I know what you’re trying to say,” you laughed. “And no, I won’t be leaving. I just have to stay out of trouble, right?”

“Yeah, I guess so,” Kakyoin sighed. “I just don’t want you getting in any unnecessary danger.”

“Isn’t this whole trip just one big case of unnecessary danger?” You were only half joking, though.

“Hey, you two!” Joseph yelled from the buggy. “We’re leaving!”

“Coming!” Kakyoin yelled back. Both of you ran back, and entered the back of the buggy. However, Kakyoin was promptly forced out by a growling Iggy. The dog looked at you, and crawled into your lap, immediately rolling over to expose his stomach. Looks like your ticket to an actual seat would come with a price. And you knew from then on Iggy would know you as “The girl who pets me.”

“It just isn’t fair!” Polnareff pouted. “Why do (Y/N) and the dumb mutt get the full backseat to themselves while we have to be cramped in the trunk?”

“Hey, it’s not my fault he warmed up to me,” you grunted.

“Technically, it is,” Jotaro countered. “You decided to pet him, and so now he loves you. Dogs will love anyone who shows them affection.”

“Okay, maybe it is my fault,” you argued, “but I didn’t know this would happen.”

“Stop bickering back there!” Joseph said from the front. “When we reach a stopping place, we’ll throw some gum in the trunk, and you guys can move to the seats.”

“Fine,” Polnareff grumbled.

For a good while, the only sounds were the rumble of the car and Iggy’s happy grunts. But that nice silence quickly came to a stop as Joseph slammed on the breaks, sending the boys in the trunk flying forward.

“Hey, what gives?!” Polnareff exclaimed.

“Sorry about that,” Joseph replied, “but we’ve got a bigger problem on our hands.”

It didn’t take long for you to notice the helicopter that had delivered Iggy to you. Once the car was stopped, everyone ran out to look at the rubble from the wreck, and see if it was just mechanical failure, or if their new enemy Stand user had already arrived.

“Look at those scratch marks,” Jotaro pointed to the hull of the copter, where beast-like marks were clawed throughout. Subconsciously, your eyes moved down to the man who was right under the helicopter, and you immediately had to look away. That didn’t stop the horrifying image from burning itself into your mind, though. The man’s fingernails were bent unnaturally upward, and his mouth was filled to the brim with water. On top of that, he had a distorted look on his face, similar to the man in the fog town with Enyaba. The whole thing made you want to puke.

“Everyone, I found the second guy over here!” Kakyoin shouted. “He’s still alive!”

Sure enough, when you ran over, the second man was very much alive, but he was so dehydrated, he looked like a raisin.

“W…wa…ter…” was all the man could rasp out.

“Water! Of course! He needs water!” Kakyoin muttered. He quickly found a canteen that still felt somewhat full, and started to slowly dip it down for the pruned man. “Drink slowly,” he ordered.

“N-no! The water!” The Speedwagon Foundation worker suddenly gained the ability to make full sentences. “The water’s going to attack!”

Without warning, the water from the canteen shot forward in the shape of a hand, grabbed the man’s head, and ripped it off, sucking it into the canister from where it came. Nobody wasted any time getting out of the way, and hiding in the sand. Polnareff and Kakyoin were opposite to you, Jotaro, Joseph, and Avdol. And from what you saw, they seemed to be arguing, pointing over to the canteen from time to time.

“(Y/N),” Joseph looked over at you, his eyes barely over his hat, “I’ve gotten word from the Speedwagon Foundation that there are more, stronger Stand users who’ll be attacking us. For your own safety, I suggest leaving now, before you get caught in a situation that you can’t save yourself from.”

“Mr. Joestar,” a smile curled up from your mouth, “I appreciate your concern, but I can fend for myself if that happens. You’ve seen how Ace of Pentacles has gotten us out of tricky situations before. I can always do the same thing to myself.”

“She’s right,” Avdol replied. “Plus, she’s vital to the team. If she wasn’t here, we’d spend way too much money on first aid.”

“Hey,” Jotaro pointed over to Kakyoin and Polnareff. “What’s that thing in between them?”

It looked like a hand with very sharp fingernails, from what you could see. But it was clear…

No. But how? The Stand was in the canteen! When did it escape?

Before you could process what was going on, the water hand swiped at Kakyoin’s eyes, and he instantly fell to the ground.

“Kakyoin!” Polnareff shouted. “It… it got his eyes!”

“Kakyoin!” you screamed. You got up from your hiding spot to run over, but quickly felt a force pulling you back. You looked behind you, and Star Platinum was holding your shirt. Still, you clawed at the loose sand, hoping to make some sort of progress, but no prevail.

“Good grief, (Y/N),” Jotaro sighed. “We don’t even know what this Stand can do. Making sudden movements probably isn’t the best idea.”

Sure enough, right in front of you, the enemy’s Stand had appeared from underneath the Earth. After seeing what it had done to both the Speedwagon worker and Kakyoin, having it right in front of you made a wave of fear roll over your entire body. Was this it? We’re you going to die right here, before you could even save Kakyoin?

Before you knew it, though, the hand dashed over to a beeping sound coming from the Speedwagon member’s watch and swiped off his arm. Of course, that didn’t really matter, since he was already beheaded. But it gave you some insight to what really triggered the Stand’s movements.

“Sound!” Everyone turned to face you. “The Stand navigates by sound! That being said, nobody move!”

However, even with everyone staying completely still, the blood from Kakyoin’s eyes dripped to the floor. It didn’t take long for the water to hear it, and it shot back towards Polnareff.

“Okay, screw the staying still,” Joseph ordered, “everyone to the buggy!”

Of course, the crew obeyed, Polnareff carrying Kakyoin in his arms. Joseph and Jotaro, aided by their Joestar genes, made it first, followed by Avdol, you, and Polnareff, who quickly laid Kakyoin on the roof of the buggy.

“Fix him!” he demanded. “You have to fix him!”

“I’m doing it right now, geez!” you replied, having already summoned Ace of Pentacles.

“Yeah, well, do it faster!”

“If I don’t get this eye anatomy right, Kakyoin’s eyes will be deformed for the rest of his life!” You started to get uncharacteristically snappy. “Now, shut up and let me do this correctly!”

Of course, you couldn’t get into a full-blown argument right now. After all, if your full concentration wasn’t on Kakyoin, his eyes would never be the same. It’s a good thing you decided to take anatomy classes, because they were sure coming in handy.

“Alright, he’s fixed!” You started beaming with joy. “Now we just need to keep him away from danger until he wakes up.”

“Why isn’t he awake now?” Polnareff whined.

“Because, Polnareff,” you growled, driving every ounce of anger out of your body, “since my Stand isn’t instantly healing someone, rather just making extensions of other cells in their body to heal them, the pain from the injury is still there. Also, don’t you think I care about Kakyoin the most? I’m so close to him, he’s dating me! You’re lucky Ace doesn’t have any fighting abilities, or you’d be sent back to the sand, where Water Boy can rip your face straight off of that head with more hair follicles than brain cells! Because it seems like you’d rather me heal Kakyoin quickly, rather than heal him correctly!” After the rant was over, you started breathing hard, trying to calm yourself down.

“You done yet?” Jotaro asked.

“Yeah, I’m done,” you said.

Suddenly, the buggy’s wheels sinking into the sand, which had been turned into mud. There was only one thing that could’ve happened. Water Claw was on the attack again. Before you knew it, the buggy had been flipped almost completely around, and everyone fell back down to the Earth, at the enemy’s mercy.

“Well, what do we do now?” Polnareff asked, not moving an inch.

“I guess this is the time to stay completely still,” Joseph answered. “Other than that, pray our souls will be saved.”

“Wait!” Avdol exclaimed. “I have an idea.” He started throwing his bracelet rings, one by one, in a footstep pattern. He was trying to trick the user!

And luckily, it seemed to work. Water started to rise where the last ring was thrown. But as Avdol summoned Magician’s Red, the water diverted its path to attack Avdol instead, leaving him with a huge gash in his neck.

“Avdol!” You wanted to rush over there, but you knew that was suicide. “I’ll heal you as soon as possible, I promise! Just hang in there!”

Of course, as soon as you finished your sentence, the water started to form right around where Avdol was laying. That meant Aqua Hand wasn’t done yet. You wanted so desperately to make it before it was too late, but any movement and you’d be the target instead of Avdol. However, it looked like Jotaro had given you an opportunity to heal the man, as he jumped from his spot and started running, and, luckily, the Stand chased after him.

Quickly, you scrambled over to Avdol, and summoned Ace of Pentacles. As skin is a lot less complicated than eyes (and a lot less delicate), you were able to fix him in ten seconds flat. And, since he hadn’t fully passed out, he woke up immediately.

“That’s the second time you’ve saved my life,” Avdol said, his voice straining a bit.

“Stay still,” you soothed. “Your body’s still feeling the pain from the attack.”

“Guys!” Polnareff shouted. “Guys! Kakyoin’s waking up!”

Nobody wasted any time getting close to the boy’s side, especially you. And, as Polnareff said, his eyes were slowly opening, and his throat was groaning. He had started to get himself to sit up, until you helped the rest of the way and kissed him on the lips.

“What a way to wake up,” he chuckled, rubbing his eyes. “And I see you’ve already healed my eyes.”

You gave a soft “mmmm-hmmm,” before you stuffed your face into his shirt. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

“I’m okay thanks to you,” Kakyoin said while he put an arm around your back.

“Okay, you two,” Joseph pried you off of Kakyoin’s grip, and helped both of you up, “let’s go see how Jotaro and Iggy are doing.”

All of you had gotten in the buggy, and had started going the direction Jotaro had. It didn’t take long to find them, though, with a figure laying in the sand beside them. Looks like they found the user. Joseph stopped for a moment to let the two on, and started going again.

“So, he could navigate with sound?” Kakyoin asked.

“He was blind, so he must’ve become an expert at listening for his life,” Jotaro answered. “But we were able to get close enough to beat him before anything else bad happened.”

“(Y/N),” Polnareff said, not meeting eyes with you, “I’m sorry.”

“Me too,” you responded. “I don’t think you have more hair follicles than brain cells.” After your true apology, you added, in a hushed tone, “They’re at least equal.”

“What?”

“Nothing.”

And finally, after seemingly an hour, you had arrived in the city where your hotel would be for the night. With all that had happened, when you fell into your bed, you almost went right to sleep.

That is, until you heard the door open.

“Iggy needs somewhere to sleep tonight,” Joseph explained, “And you’ve gotten along with him the best.” Then he closed the door, and you felt a small creature jump up into the bed with you, and curl its body close to yours.

“Goodnight, Iggy,” you whispered. This time, you truly drifted off to sleep, feeling like every single worry had left your mind.

Except for Dio. The threat of Dio would be constantly looming over your shoulder, especially now that you were in Egypt. But other than that, every care went away, as you slowly slipped into unconsciousness. You were finally here. Egypt.

Dio stood no chance against your team.

[captain-yeet]

Oh No, He’s Hot - Part 4

Pairing: Felix x Reader

Summary: Half a year has passed, and Y/N and her Volturi lover boy are still going strong despite the distance… but the betrayal of a close friend of the Cullens may divide them. I live on angst.

Masterlist here 

Laying down on your bed, you took a deep breath and sighed.

It has been six months since the day of the Newborn attack, and a lot has happened within that time.

First off, Bella and Edward got married. Then proceeded to have a hybrid vampire/human child. Now she’s a vampire, and her and Edward’s daughter was growing at an alarming rate. Second, you and Felix were going steady. The Cullens were wary, the newly wed parents especially. Which you couldn’t fault them for; who knows what the Volturi would do if they found out about their daughter? If it were you, you’d want to keep your child secret as well. But, you were an adult and fully consenting in this relationship and they respected your wish to stay with him.

Dating Felix was interesting. For one, your communication was primarily through phone calls and letters. You missed seeing him terribly, and the feeling was mutual on his side too. Despite his reputation as the Volturi’s hulking, menacing executioner, he was quite a kind lover. Every phone call he would ask about your day and respond with interest when you talked to him about things that happened.

You didn’t tell him of Bella and Edward’s child. It wasn’t your place, and Renesmee herself was a sweet kid - you didn’t want to see any harm come to her.

The third and final development over the past few months has been your powers.

It seemed like the more you practiced, the stronger you became. Carlisle had been in contact with a few individuals that had similar abilities to you, trying to help you figure yourself out. One was Kate, a vampire from the Denali coven, with the power to electrocute anyone she touches at will. The second was a young man from an Egyptian coven, who could control the elements. Despite some similarities between yours and their abilities, even they could quite place their fingers on what exactly your powers were. The Egyptian vampire summed it up as a power similar to his; very potent, but for the most part, a mystery.

Regardless of the stress of trying to figure out what exactly your powers were, you enjoyed them.

You found that you could even travel via a chain of lightning summoned from the sky at will. The day you found out about it was not the best of times, but you found some slight amusement in it.

You were sitting on a log in the same snow covered meadow you fought alongside vampires in months ago, watching the little half-vampire girl leap high into the air to catch snowflakes. Her wolf protector - who you found out later was her “imprint”, a wolf version of vampire’s mating - standing somewhat near you. Renesmee excitedly showed her mother who was also present the perfectly shaped snowflake she caught, grinning gleefully.

It would have been a sweet, family moment, if not for the nearby vampire who witnessed it all.

Her name was Irina. You remembered her furious glare as she watched your group, before running away. Bella tried calling out to her, but no luck.

“She must be upset about Jacob,” she concluded, gesturing to the wolf who was hovering over Renesmee.

“We should head back, let the others know,” you replied breathlessly.

As you all got ready to travel, something unexpected happened. You began running back in the direction of the Cullen’s home, and then a burst of light appeared in the clearing. You felt yourself instinctively leap, feeling the cold winter wind against your face. Then, with a crack of thunder, you landed right on the Cullen’s driveway, surprising a shocked young wolf boy named Seth, who dropped a sandwich he was eating in shock. Your sudden appearance made all the vampires in the house run out to investigate.

Looking back through Seth memories, Edward informed everyone that you seemed to have teleported via a chain of lightning. From the singe marks on the ground surrounding where you landed, no one argued this conclusion.

Shortly after Bella and co. arrived back, Alice had her vision; the Volturi were coming. And they wanted to kill Renesmee on the suspicion she was an immortal child.

So now here you were, stressed and even more confused, blankly staring at the ceiling as you waited for Felix to call you.

Life here sure is interesting, you thought lamely, a small chuckle coming from you.

The phone laying beside you on the bed began to ring, and you took a deep breath. Was he aware of everything? He had to be. There’s no way he wouldn’t be.

Summoning your remaining courage, you picked up the phone and pressed the answer button. “Hey,” you said breathlessly.

“Hello Y/N,” Felix’s deep voice replied on the other end. There was a slightly formal tone to his voice, which added to your fear of him knowing everything.

You let out a heavy sigh. “So, things have gotten rather… complicated here.”

“So I’ve gathered,” he replied, “your surrogate family has made an immortal child, it seems. That’s not exactly a pardonable offense.”

You rolled on your side, pressing the phone to your ear a little tighter. “But that’s the thing, Lex. The kid isn’t immortal! She’s a… living, breathing thing.”

You heard an exasperated sigh. “Why did you not tell me any of this?”

“I didn’t feel like it was my place to,” you spoke earnestly, really trying to convince him. “I know I kept this from you, it’s true, and I’m so sorry for doing that. But please trust me that what I’m telling you no is the truth; there’s no immortal children here.”

There was a long pause on Felix’s end. You almost thought he’d put the phone down and left until he responded. “Then tell me your side of things,” he asked in a low voice. “Things here are very… hostile. I have Aro in my ear telling me not to believe you if you try to convince me otherwise. And now I don’t know what to believe.”

A pit of anger began to form in your chest at the news of his “master” trying to convince him that you weren’t to be trusted. “Okay love, I’ll tell you everything.”

And so you did. You told him of when Bella came back from her and Edward’s honeymoon sick and already with a baby bump. You told him of the details of the pregnancy, and the delivery - at least, what you witnessed. As soon as she went into “labour”, you stood there in shock. You followed them all into the delivery room Carlisle had set up. You saw Rosalie lose her cool at Bella’s blood. And you saw Edward use his teeth to get to the baby. That part of the story drew a shocked noise from Felix on the other end of the line.

You also explained how she aged quickly, and that she had a heartbeat. “And that’s everything I haven’t told you,” you concluded your story, anxious to hear his reaction.

It took a while for Felix to respond. “If… if what you’re saying is true, then this changes everything about what’s going to happen,” he spoke in a low, urgent voice. “Y/N, I’ll probably get Jane’s torture treatment for telling you this but… the Volturi aren’t coming to hear the Cullen’s side of the story. They’re - we, are coming for an execution.”

Your hands started shaking as you sat up straight. “But there was no crime committed!” you almost shouted, voice wavering.

“That doesn’t matter; my coven has had it out for the Cullens for quite some time now. Any excuse, any slight reason will do.”

You felt sick. You felt like you needed to run to the nearest bathroom soon. Or cry. Or scream. Or do all of those things in that exact order. “So there’s no hope, then?” you asked feebly.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen, mia cara,” he answered honestly, his tone now sad.

“I really am sorry for not telling you about all of this.”

“Hey now,” Felix began shooshing you over the phone. “I understand why you did it, and you’re being honest with me now.”

The two of you were silent for a moment, you taking a moment to steady yourself. I have to be strong, you thought firmly. Crying won’t get me anywhere, even if it’s a totally reasonable reaction to all of this. “So what happens now?”

“Now… I don’t know. I guess the next time I’ll be seeing you is at the trial, then we’ll know what exactly the truth is.”

“Wait…” you paused before continuing. “You do believe me, right?”

There was a pause on Felix’s end.

Too long of a pause for your liking.

You let out a humorless laugh. “You don’t,” you breathed, grinning bitterly.

“Y/N…” he began slowly.

“Don’t you trust me?”

“I do, of course I do!” you heard Felix curse away from the phone under his breath. Another voice could be heard faintly on the other line. “I just… I can’t think of a reason Aro would lie to us. I’ve been under his service for decades… I just cannot wrap my head around the possibility of even him stooping so low as to deceive us all, even with his grudge against the Cullens.”

Closing your eyes, you drew a deep breathe to calm yourself before replying. “But do you believe me?”

“I believe you’re telling me the truth now, I really do,” he said, being careful to choose his words.

The other voice in the background was louder now. You could hear them say, “We have to go now!”

“I’m sorry, I need to go. We’re preparing to leave soon,” his tone was apologetic.

Shaken, you nodded even though he couldn’t see it. “Felix?”

“Yes?”

“I care about you,” you said softly.

A small sigh could be heard from him. “I care about you too, more than you know. Whatever happens, that will never change.”

The line went dead. You flopped back down onto the bed, your chest tight with anxiety. You felt strongly for Felix - part of you even began to conclude that you even loved him. But you’ve never said it, preferring to save that for when you come face to face again.

But now, you wondered if you’ll ever get the chance to.

[simmonstrinity]

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