#boro is responsible and boro is welcome to answer

[blackrevell]

what does ur header mean???

You'll have to ask Bundestag about it, their email is: @ouroboros-hideout

[wifelinkmtg]

Wifelink: Murders! #sponsored

Welcome back to the best dumb idea I've ever had! Murder has come to the City of Guilds. Well, murder lives here, but it's crept out of the shadows, crawled up from the undercity, slunk through steam and oozed its way out of the breeding pools, and guild leaders are dropping like coins from a debtor's mouth. Who could be responsible? Who could be next? Who was that woman slipping furtively into an alley, and what's her deal? Is she single? Some of these questions and more will be answered on today's episode. Live from Ravnica, this... is Wifelink.

But first, a word from today's sponsor: picture this - it's your turn to host the monthly meeting of your true crime book club, and you maybe haven't finished Massacre: the true story of Ravnica's bloodiest killings and the woman behind them, and now you're trying to decide whether to finish it so you don't look like an idiot in the discussion group, or to spend time whipping up hors d'oeuvres so you don't have to serve everyone the same stupid veggies-and-ranch plate you did last time and suffer once more through Joanna's veiled disapproval. But what if I told you there was a way to get professionally-made charcuterie shipped directly to your home, leaving you the time you need to finish your last few chapters and craft a trenchant discussion question just in time for the doorbell? With Hello Flesh, it's just that easy: the incredible chefs at Hellbender will provide you with a mouthwatering selection of their finest meats: prosciutto, summer sausage, capicola, pastrami, and much, much more! Go to helloflesh dot com now, and sign up using offer code KNIFELINK to get your first month absolutely free! That's helloflesh dot com, offer code K-N-I-F-E-L-I-N-K. Hello Flesh: Don't ask where the meat comes from.

WAIT, WE'RE DOING RAVNICA? DIDN'T YOU SKIP A COUPLE SETS

What are you, Azorius? I've never felt any fondness for Eldraine, and I really didn't vibe with the new Ixalan set, so we're doing the Ravnica Murder Mystery set. I'm not going to do every single set that comes out or this will be my full-time job by 2026.

Cold Case Cracker (art by Wayne Wu)

Some things are very simple. Good cheekbones and the classic trench coat with the wide belt. I particularly enjoy the way her hair looks more like strips of fabric or parchment.

Merchant of Truth (art by Carissa Susilo)

"Goth angel" works on me every time, and this piece is particularly gorgeous - the composition and that dress, my goodness. You don't see a lot of angels from behind in Magic, on account of you would have to figure out what the anatomy and clothing situation is where the wings connect to the back, and Carissa has solved the clothing problem rather elegantly, and refused to engage with the anatomy problem at all. I can respect that.

I've never quite understood what's going on with Orzhov angels - I think they're mostly supposed to be disillusioned ex-Boros, but they don't really get much of a voice in story. You've got the flavor text on Angel of Despair, "it is as if their duty is to an empty void," but that's a quote from the most Boros of all the angels. Perhaps it's simply that the Orzhov don't labor under the same illusions as the other white-aligned guilds - the Boros and the Azorius and as we see in this story, even the Selesnya are all firmly entrenched in the idea that they stand for what's Right and Good on Ravnica, but ultimately they stand only for themselves and their own power and pre-eminence. The Orzhov, at least, make no secret of this. Maybe that's a comfort, to an angel.

Experiment Twelve (art by Michele Giorgi)

Oh baby girl the Simic fucked you right up, didn't they. Claws and scales and some sort of muzzle - do you feel like an animal, now? Do you hate what they did to you, or do you glory in your new sharpness? Did you escape, or are you on their leash? Are you hunted, or am I?

Bubble Smuggler (art by Leesha Hannigan)

This is Glovax. I've only had them for a day but if anything happened to them I would kill everyone in the room and then myself.

Honestly I'm disconsolate that this isn't a real animal that exists in the world and that I'll never get to rescue one from an aquarium and have an octopus fish best friend for life. You know that soul-sick feeling you get when you remember that Anomalocaris has been extinct for 500 million years ago and that you will never be able to pet one? Yeah. Goddammit they're going to make this a pet on Arena and I will spend real earth dollars on it.

ALL THESE TENTACLES AND STILL THE BIGGEST SUCKER IS YOU. NOW MAKE WITH THE LEGENDARIES

Etrata, Deadly Fugitive (art by Livia Prima)

I have looked at a whole lot of Etrata art, and do you want to know my considered opinion? This outfit fucking rules. It's got one and a quarter sleeves, thirteen visible buckles, a circular collar that connects only at the sternum, and a clingy ankle-length skirt with a slit damn near up to the thigh to reveal more buckles. It is the least practical outfit I can imagine an assassin wearing short of an inflatable dinosaur costume but god, it looks like it's meant for deadly stealth, and I am in love. Etrata is broody and gorgeous and has a big knife and extraordinarily naked shoulders, and what else could you want?

Judith, Carnage Connoisseur (art by Jodie Muir)

A look specifically crafted to elicit "step on me mommy"s from the general public. I'm on record as saying that there's no way Judith does any sort of aftercare, so maybe have a Selesnya cleric on speed-dial if you're gonna run that risk.

Judith, Carnage Connoisseur (alternate art by Alex Dos Diaz)

I think Loxodon Hierarch is screening my calls.

Honestly, I would do stupid, stupid things for a pretty girl with red eyes, sharp nails and facial scarring. I'm not sure what kinds of things I would do for a pretty girl with gold flame decals on her arms, but based on prior evidence, they would probably also be extremely stupid.

Izoni, Center of the Web (art by Justine Cruz)

It's weird how people get locked in your memory at the point in time you knew them. You know you've changed a lot since then, and if you thought about it you'd agree other people might well also have changed, but you don't think about it, and then you run into an old friend or an ex and the things you knew them for, the things you've tied their memory to in your mind, aren't even still part of their life.

So Izoni, my beloved Izoni, Ravnica's foremost bug girl and finder of beetles, has moved on with her life in the past six years. She's into spiders now, that's her thing. She's a spider girl. And that's cool, spiders are cool, too, but the way this went in my head I was going to tell her about the mantis-riders of Tarkir and the dune-beetles of Amonkhet and the behavioral quirks of giant ants on Innistrad and now, instead, I'm not sure what to say. "You're looking well," I suppose, or something about, "so, leading the Swarm now? How's that going for you?"

Analyze the Pollen (art by Anna Christenson)

It's not even that big a change, really. Hardly noticeable. She still has that same intensity, that same curiosity. Her brows still furrow in concentration. She's still covered in crawling things, and she is still the most beautiful woman on Ravnica. Spiders or insects, what's the difference? All it means is that six years have passed. All it means is that the places and people you love continue to move in your absence. All it means is that you're both talking past each other to your echoes, to the people you used to know, who no longer exist. Time has eaten them both.

And if you, like time, get hungry, don't forget to use our affiliate code KNIFELINK at -

HEY. HELLO FLESH IS A RAKDOS JOINT, RIGHT

- in the middle of the ad read, dude?

YOU SAID HELLBENDER CHEFS DO THE CHARCUTERIE. THAT'S JUDITH'S PLACE

Yeah, what about it?

DO YOU THINK SHE'S GONNA BE GOOD WITH CONTENT SHE SPONSORED CALLING SOMEONE ELSE THE MOST BEAUTIFUL WOMAN IN RAVNICA

Ah.

OR LIKE DO YOU THINK SHE'S GENERALLY COMFORTABLE SHARING THE SPOTLIGHT

...so thank you all so much for listening to this episode of Wifelink! I'm going to lay low for a bit, and if my body turns up face-down in an undercity canal, y'all know who did it.

[gofancyninjaworld]

Hey there new to the opm fandom and wanted to know why people ship saigenos? honestly I was a bit shocked to find out that it is a popular ship. I was not expecting people to be okay with placing a 19 and 25 year old together romantically. Is there a reason for this that I’m missing? Of course it’s a personal opinion but if I knew someone who was 19 dating a 25 year old I would be concerned for the basis of their relationship.

Welcome to the fandom!

The short answer: they can and they want to. No further reason is required. Fandom is where people play with ideas and characters in a way that may very well have no business in the canon. No justification is necessary.

Likewise, you owe no one an explanation as to why you don't care for it.

The only things fans owe other fans are good tags, so people who aren't into things can filter them out.

On Tumblr, I highly recommend using the filter (go to Settings, Filter) and you can filter by tags and/or by content.

Some ships commonly seen around here and their tags:

Genos x Saitama (and vice-versa): #genosai, #saigenos

Boros x Saitama: #borosai, #saiboros

Garou x Metal Bat: #Batarou

Saitama x King: #Kingsai, #Saiking

Tatsumaki x King: #Tatsuking

Character x oc: Usually tagged as such

If a specific person's content is particularly troublesome to you, block them. It's not an offensive action here; you're responsible for curating your fandom experience.

[ravnicaforgoblins]

Ravnica for Goblins

Laws of the Guildpact

Laws are a big deal in most worlds. On Ravnica, laws are literally the only thing preventing ten massive armies of Sphinx, Angels, Demons, Lich, Elementals, Giants, Wizards, Ghosts, Nightmares, and Kaiju from tearing each other apart in perpetual war. How is this possible? It’s possible because the Guildpact is not just words on flimsy paper. Guildpact Laws are Unbreakable Magical Effects. When all ten Guilds agreed to the Guildpact, they granted it absolute power.

How and why would many of the more evil and chaotic Guilds agree to something like this? Because Ravnica’s Guildpact is designed not only to account for each and every Guild’s lifestyle, but to empower it. There are laws that protect necromancy, laws that protect human experimentation, laws that protect torture, laws that protect murder, and laws that actually protect breaking the law. In addition to laws protecting peaceful citizens and law enforcement officials.

How can any civilization function like this? Balance. You may not be able to arrest a Dimir Agent for stealing, but you can absolutely break their face in. The goal of Ravnica’s laws is to preserve all ways of life for the Guilds, for better & for worse. Within your Guild’s set legal parameters, you are not just free but empowered to carry out that lifestyle. That lifestyle is written into the laws and protected by them. Which is why the single most important law is that you’re not allowed to punish a Guild member for obeying the Guildpact.

This is the most important law, but also the law that ended up destroying the Guildpact. House Dimir’s duty is literally to oppose the Guildpact, so when their Parun decided to kill the Boros Parun in broad daylight and got arrested by a Boros Wojek, the system kinda broke itself. Punishing a Guild for obeying the Guildpact by disobeying the Guildpact, resulting in: Error.4 *does not compute*

Fast-forward to the days of Jace Beleren as the Living Guildpact, and the laws have changed somewhat. The only laws that are still magically binding are the laws Jace verbally confirms. Once he does that, the person he says it to need only speak the law aloud and it’s an instantly unbreakable magical effect.

Now comes the tricky, difficult, infuriating part. For being so vitally important to Ravnican life, we don’t actually know what most, or really almost any, of the laws are. How are players supposed to utilize the effects of written laws if they don’t actually exist? Why didn’t WotC release an official Guildpact? That’s because a document that can actually encompass everything the Guildpact is theoretically supposed to be able to do would be an absolutely massive undertaking for a Card Game Company that doesn’t really need it for their card game, just for those of us playing D&D in their setting. Furthermore, even if they did put in the work, create a document, and release it; the internet (that’s us!) would tear it apart for flaws & loopholes. The internet would give the Orzhov, the Dimir, and the Rakdos a run for their money. Hence WotC doesn’t want to do this because it’s literally just a recipe for self-defeat, migraines, and disaster.

So instead, they give us little bits here & there. Promotional materials, card flavor texts, character stories, etc. Here is pretty much everything I’ve been able to gather that is either an Official Guildpact Law, references Law Magic, sounds close enough to Law Magic, or even just sounds true enough to the spirit of a Guild’s core beliefs to be potentially acceptable for invoking Guildpact Magic:

General Laws

*Petty theft is a violation of personal property with a charge dependent on judicial ruling. (Family Values)

*In consonance with the New Accord of the Guild of Ravnica, you are granted the right of exposure and are obligated by duty to present your evidence of financial corruption to the Living Guildpact. (Family Values)

*The Living Guildpact rules that coffee is an acceptable substitution for rest, as specified in subsection . . . whatever. (Catching Up)

*The magic of the Guildpact gives aegis to the spirits pressed into its service. Upon entering the afterlife, they find new focus and are charged with defending the Guildpact against those who would see it broken. (Guardian of the Guildpact)

Azorius Senate

*You have the right to remain silent. (Azorius Arrester)

*Your potential to commit a crime warrants further investigation. (Azorius Justiciar)

*To prevent action is to prevent transgression. (Inaction Injunction)

*We have confiscated your spells as evidence. Once we conclude our investigation, you may petition to have them returned. (Render Silent)

*Thanks to the magic in his Writ of Passage, alms beasts lumbered aside, anarchs bowed their heads, and even Rakdos acrobats rolled their spikewheels out of his way. (Azorius Knight-Arbiter)

*....A clause that ties the average length of prison sentences to recidivism rates. Theoretically, we could end up having negative-term sentences should the rate fall low enough.... Referenced an ancient Azorius Law, 394-H. (The Ascension of Reza)

*Azorius Law 3455-J: Failure to submit proper identification will result in detention for an indefinite amount of time. (The Ascension of Reza)

*If it happened in the Thinktank, I'm afraid we have no jurisdiction there. (The Ascension of Reza)

*Azorius Law 2795-V, Non-compliance with arresters.... (The Ascension of Reza)

*Azorius Law 3343-J, Traveling in a stolen vehicle.... (The Ascension of Reza)

*By the prerogative writ of emergency, and by a unanimous vote, I hereby declare Hendrik Azmerak Grand Arbiter pro tem of the Thinktank Enclave. As the leader of your people, do I have your permission to put the following law into effect? (The Ascension of Reza)

*To be Azorius is to serve as an exemplary model of moral conduct. (Azorius Guild Kit Instruction)

*Always keep your uniform pressed and your armor polished, in accordance with Regulation 654.2, Part 87, Section 28. (Azorius Guild Kit Instruction)

*Should you witness a criminal act, signal the Sky Hussars immediately and begin documenting the occurrence and details of the crime scene. (Azorius Guild Kit Instruction)

Boros Legion

*Your brother’s crimes are your crimes. You stood by and lent support, so you too must face judgement. (Wojek Embermage)

*It promises protection to those in need and proclaims a warning to any who would threaten Ravnican law. (Boros Guildgate)

*Stand tall. Even your posture should embody justice! (Boros Guild Kit Instruction)

*Act with honor, in all things. (Boros Guild Kit Instruction)

*Protect the innocent, at any cost. (Boros Guild Kit Instruction)

*You are never truly off-duty. Evil never rests! (Boros Guild Kit Instruction)

*Stay in top physical condition. (Boros Guild Kit Instruction)

*If you see evil, crush it. (Boros Guild Kit Instruction)

House Dimir

*All those who trade in questions must answer to the Dimir. (Citywatch Sphinx)

*Welcome to the Dimir Public Offices. Not responsible for death or loss of property. Basement off-limits. (Dinrova Horror)

*Do not disclose your affiliations with REDACTED (Dimir Guild Kit Instruction)

*Extract knowledge whenever possible. (Dimir Guild Kit Instruction)

*No fact is unimportant. (Dimir Guild Kit Instruction)

*Always REDACTED. Never REDACTED. (Dimir Guild Kit Instruction)

*Be invisible, silent, and ethereal. (Dimir Guild Kit Instruction)

*Know every exit from any building. it could save your life. (Dimir Guild Kit Instruction)

Golgari Swarm

*Waste nothing. Seek value in what they discard. (Golgari Guild Kit Instructions)

*Death is no excuse to abandon your responsibilities. (Golgari Guild Kit Instructions)

*Take pride in the decay that fuels our kingdom. (Golgari Guild Kit Instructions)

*Fear neither Death nor Darkness. They can be your greatest allies. (Golgari Guild Kit Instructions)

*You are now a part of the Swarm. Every action you take should serve the interests of the Guild, so that we may all rise together. (Golgari Guild Kit Instructions)

Gruul Clans

*We are the heart of the wild, the fire in its eyes, and the howl in its throat. Come, join the battle to which you were born. (Gruul War Chant)

*Nature is the ultimate mindless destroyer, capable of power and ferocity no army can match, and the Gruul follow its example. (Savage Twister)

*They are the voice of the wild, crying out with nature’s fury and bringing forth its primeval might. (Wild Cantor)

*Enter and leave the shackles of society behind. (Gruul Guildgate)

*Burn. Smash. Fight. Win. (Gruul Guild Kit Instructions)

Izzet League

*The only action worth taking is one with an unknown outcome. (Nivix Guildmage)

*Erase “impossible” from your vocabulary. (Izzet Guild Kit Instructions)

*Strive to discover something NEW every day! The point of science is not to endlessly confirm what is known- it is to map the barriers of reality to better demolish them. (Izzet Guild Kit Instructions)

Orzhov Syndicate

*Article 12 of the Orzhovniha, a governing person of Orzhov recognition may be granted entrance to the Obzedat's Chamber with proof of identity. (Family Values)

*Entrance is free. Donations are required. (Syndic of Tithes)

*Alms coins are only redeemable at Orzhov businesses. (Alms Beast)

*The fine print of countless contracts has ensured we are never defenseless. (Immortal Servitude)

*The rights of ghosts are strictly protected under Orzhov bylaws, and those who enforce them can count on the ghosts’ assistance. (Imperious Oligarch)

*Pay in gold. Pay in blood. Pay with the servitude of your spirit kin But pay you must. (Pitiless Pontiff)

*We have no need for military might. We wield two of the sharpest swords ever forged: Faith in our left hand, Wealth in our right. (Castigate)

*Remember by whose gift you ascend. (Gift of Orzhova)

Cult of Rakdos

*If the pig’s blood drips on you, you’re next on the chain. (Gore-House Chainwalker)

*Never suffer alone. That’s selfish. Pain is meant to be shared with others! (Rakdos Guild Kit Instructions)

*Revel in your pain, in all pain, for it is freedom! No wound compares to the suffering of a dull, law-abiding life. (Rakdos Guild Kit Instructions)

*Make a grand spectacle of your pain, and play to your audience! If they aren’t screaming, laughing, or both, your performance has failed. (Rakdos Guild Kit Instructions)

*Blood and fire look good on everyone. And make excellent decorations. (Rakdos Guild Kit Instructions)

*Always be creative, especially in your bloodiest ventures. New modes of carnage delight the Lord of Riots, and it is wise to seek his favor. (Rakdos Guild Kit Instructions)

Selesnya Conclave

*So many oppose us, but we are the reed that bends without breaking. (Druid’s Deliverance)

*From the seeds of faith, great forests grow. (Scatter the Seeds)

*Within the song of Mat’Selesnya, one becomes all. (Camaraderie)

*No one in the Conclave acts alone. (Armada Wurm)

*Just as leaves fall and the tree blooms again, one day I will fall and the Conclave will endure. (Conclave Cavalier)

*Whatever hatred destroys, a single act of trust can revive. (Emmara, Soul of the Accord)

*We are the shield that never breaks, the bough that never burns, the song that can never be silenced. (Join Shields)

*When you hold a shield, lend your shield. (Privileged Position)

*There are no soloists in the chorus of Selesnya. (Trostani, Selesnya’s Voice)

*Enter and rejoice! The Conclave stands united, open to one and all. (Selesnya Guildgate)

Simic Combine

*Life has no mistakes, only experiments. (Skitter Eel)

*Within each of us, the potential for great power waits to be unleashed. (Sauroform Hybrid)

*Look beyond, to the vascular awareness that all life is a map to greater knowledge. (Momir Vig, Biomancy, Volume I) (Biomantic Mastery)

*As I contemplate what is, I dive ever deeper into the depths of possibility. Then I set an experiment in motion and watch the truth rise to the surface. (Gyre Engineer)

*Fruits of magic, roots in science. (Vigean Hydropon)

*The unnatural pressures of life in this city are best withstood by lifeforms that adapt with unnatural swiftness. (Novigen, Heart of Progress)

*Mystery is beauty. Within the unknown we plumb revelation. (Simic Guildgate)

*Analyze every living thing you see, from the smallest tadpole to the mightiest dragon. Each one holds unique secrets of life, ready to be unlocked through careful study. (Simic Guild Kit Instructions)

*Modification of another’s body without their express permission will not be tolerated. (Simic Guild Kit Instructions)

*Learn to see the patterns all around you; let them illuminate truths that transcend species. (Simic Guild Kit Instructions)

*When you study a life form, identify its weaknesses, then eliminate them. (Simic Guild Kit Instructions)

[batsintheshadows]

A Promising Soldier

Fenir’s head, no, his everything, hurt. Like a bell that had just been struck too hard. His teeth felt like they were about to fall out of his skull. Thankfully, he recognized the place he’d ended up. He’d wandered through here before once or twice. Knew his way around. But it was later than it should have been. The sky was purple and red, darkness where there should be late afternoon sunshine.

What happened to me? Fenir wondered. His mind was a blank, only a vague memory of running and absolute panic remained. There was evidence of things that had happened. A burn in his throat that suggested vomiting, split open knuckles and torn nails meant a desperate animal fight. Snarling fury and not much else.

Gross.

Standing was harder than it should be, so Fenir didn’t bother. He was in a good enough place to sleep tonight, and he was so much more tired than he should be at this hour, even if he’d been fighting. Like he’d been hollowed out and left shaking. All his energy burned up. He curled into a ball, unable to care if whatever he’d been running from had followed him or not. Exhaustion clouding his mind.

“Hey kid!”

Before Fenir could look up, he was being dragged off the stairwell to face an utterly furious woman with deep gouges up and down her arms. Bits and pieces of plant still in her hair. Spitting fury, the woman punched Fenir full in the face.

“You got my brother arrested you little animal!”

The woman with the knife. The one he had just seen attacking the preacher. Fenir tried to bite and struggle, but all his energy was spent.

Stupid. He chided himself. Stupid stupid stupid.

“You’ll pay for that! You’ll pay for that in blood, I can promise you that!” She was just drawing back her fist for another blow when the sound of footfalls made her pause. She glanced over her shoulder, and a horrible, wicked grin split over her face when she saw the grey haired human with a cane that had approached the scene.

“Go away old man, unless you want to be next.”

The man’s voice was steady and strong. “You can’t afford to wait that long my dear.”

While the woman was trying to figure out what he meant, the man moved quick as lightning. Yanking her legs out from under her with his cane. She let go of Fenir’s shirt in pure shock as she fell, sending him tumbling to the ground as well. The man, with a lightness on his feet that his age never would have hinted at, stepped between her and Fenir’s fallen form. The woman glared at him as she leapt to her feet again.

“Beating children?” The man asked, disappointment in his eyes. “That’s low.”

“It’s my right after what he did to my brother!” The woman yelled.

The smile that came to the man’s face was truly chilling. “If you feel that’s true then please, feel free to go through me. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Too enraged to listen to reason, the woman charged, going low with the knife…

And was promptly knocked upside the head by the man’s cane. She collapsed to the floor, groaning. Stunned. Only then did the man look back to meet Fenir’s wide eyes and give a warm smile.

“We should leave.” He said, offering a hand up. “Azorius patrols will be coming this way soon, and they aren’t fond of vigilantes.”

All Fenir could do was stare, blood running from his mouth where the woman’s fist had split his lip. “Wh-who are you?” He managed to ask.

“Oric Vord. And you would be?”

“Fenir Vallas.”

“Well Fenir Vallas, we should leave.” Vord still held his hand out expectantly.

After a moment, Fenir took it. His legs nearly gave out from under him, but Vord held him steady.

“Easy there young man, you alright?”

Fenir could only groan in response.

“Alright then.” Concern bled through the human’s voice, though it was obvious he was trying to mask it. “Not to worry. I’ll get you out of here.”

 They didn’t walk far, but Fenir nearly collapsed when they reached a place a few streets over with stairs good enough to sit on.

“You’ve had a rough time haven’t you?” Vord asked, sitting down beside him. “You know there are places to go other than an empty doorway right?”

Fenir looked at his hands. They were quivering. Shaking like grass in the breeze. Was it shock? The after effects of whatever that preacher had done? He wasn’t sure.

Vord was still looking at him. Studying his face like he was trying to see what was going on inside Fenir’s head. “You’ve seen the Selesnya yes? They’ll take anyone in.”

Fenir’s face felt a little colder as the blood drained away. Cold horror. Fear. It seemed like the human understood what he was feeling, even though he couldn’t. Couldn’t know the sickness just thinking about those preachers and their magic bought on.

“The Orzhov have orphanages too, though I can’t blame you for not wanting to go there.” It felt like he was scrambling up a hill the way he was talking. Trying to fix some mistake but scrabbling at mud instead. Useless actions that only managed to make things messy.

The fact that he didn’t know what all these names meant scared Fenir almost as bad as the strange alien magic. Stranded on another world. Alone. No idea what was going on.

It was a terrifying fate.

“Do you not have any family?” Vord knew that Fenir didn’t. He must have known. But he was still. Talking. “Aunts? Uncles?” A moment’s hesitation when Fenir shook his head no. “What happened to your parents?”

The image of the last time Fenir had seem his parents barged into his brain like an unwelcome intruder. Kicking down the flimsy blockade of denial he’d built around it, dragging him back into that horrible moment. His breathing turned to gasps, almost full on sobs.

At least Vord looked ashamed of himself. “That was a stupid question.” He muttered. “I apologise.”

Right. Because that fixed everything didn’t it?

The human stopped talking. Finally. But he did not leave. He just sat there, watching Fenir like he wanted him to stop crying. All wide eyes and concern.

“I saw what you did for that preacher.” He said after a few minutes had passed. After Fenir had time to make his breathing go back to normal. “You hate the Selesnya, you’re scared of them. Why did you fight for him?”

All Fenir could offer in return was a shrug. It was the right thing to do, obviously. But looking back it seemed so stupid. The whole mess had wiped his sapience for a few hours and nearly split his head open.

It was still the right thing to do though. No matter if Vord thought it was stupid.

“You’re very brave.” The human’s gentle voice broke through Fenir’s angry thought. “There’s fewer people than there should be that are willing to stand up to injustice when it’s towards someone they don’t like.”

“Not like he deserved it.” Fenir’s voice surprised him. He didn’t use it much these past few days. Every time he heard it, it felt like listening to someone else. Somehow far more childish than it had been in years. “He was probably nice, I just…”

I just hate the way his magic gets inside me and makes me feel feral and small and scared. Hate the way it clings to his clothes and hangs in the air even when he isn’t casting it. Hate the way it makes me frenzy when he casts it right next to me and all I want to do is run and hate how I feel afterwards like now. Almost too tired to think.

Vord was still watching Fenir like he wanted to pull out the gears in his head and see what made them spin, but Fenir was done talking. The last of his energy seemed spent. He lay back against the wall, closing his eyes. Just wanting to rest, more than anything. But Vord shook him awake again.

“I…don’t want to take up too much of your time.” He said. “But I have something for you.” He slipped something into Fenir’s hand, and the boy forced his eyes open again to look at it.

A locket. Simple steel on a crimson ribbon. Curious, Fenir popped it open, revealing a red fist on a white background.

“You were brave today.” Vord says in answer to his questioning gaze. “We’d pass these along to recognise acts of valour, back when I was in the Boros. I’ve held onto it for far too long.”

Fenir couldn’t help but smile.

“You’ll pass it along too I imagine. One day. But you’ve parted with more valuable things.” Vord hesitated for a moment. “Where did you leave that blanket?”

“A sick lady needed it.” Fenir said before realising what Vord’s question meant. Realised the only way he could know about it was if…

“You? You gave me the blanket?”

“Ah. Yes I did.” Vord glanced away, not blushing but looking like he’d quite like to. “And the cakes. Did I overstep?”

Fenir shook his head vehemently, tears springing to his eyes. “Thank you.” He said, the words seeming too small. Not nearly enough.

“You’re welcome.”

“Can you-can you find me somewhere safe?” Maybe it was a selfish question to ask after everything Vord had already done, but Fenir had opened his mouth before he even realised it and the words just came tumbling out. But Vord didn’t frown. He didn’t laugh. All he did was stare into space for a moment and nod.

“I can put you up in an inn for a few nights every now and again, but my pension won’t be able to cover it forever. I’m sorry.”

“Then let me stay with you!” Still exhausted, Fenir struggled to his feet, swaying violently as the ground seemed to lurch under him. “I…please. There’s nowhere else to go.”

Vord frowned, but it didn’t look angry. It was more like the look he gave when Fenir nearly fell over. Concern. “You don’t even know me Fenir.”

“I don’t care!”

“You don’t know if I’m dangerous.”

“You aren’t any more dangerous than sleeping on the street.” Fenir’s voice rose in panic. “Please. You won’t even need to feed me. I’ll go back to where I’ve been getting my food. Just…please.”

So this is what my life is now. Fenir thought with a touch of bitterness. Begging a stranger for something he has no reason to give.

It all seemed so…empty. Scraps of his old life with his family. Echoes that would never be whole again, no matter how hard he tried.

“Okay.” Fenir nearly collapsed at that single word. That echo of what it meant to have a home. To be safe. “Okay you can stay with me, if that’s what you really want. Tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?”

“Yes. Tomorrow. I’ll make sure you’re safe for the night, and when you aren’t tired and scared you can decide what you want to do next.”

It was as close to a home as Fenir was going to get. “Tomorrow.” He muttered, swaying on his feet, vision going dark.

It was safe to sleep now.

[ravnica-rpg-resource]

The Owlbear in Ravnica

Man is there a monster more classic than the owlbear?......... well Beholder, don't worry we'll get to them eventually.......but the owlbear! there is just something iconic about it that feels right, equal parts menacing and ridiculous! Let's talk about how you can put this adorably ferocious monstrosity into your Ravnica game!

The monster?

You can find the owlbear on page 249 of the fifth edition monster manual, but there first appearance in Dungeons & Dragons was in the greyhawk supplement for first edition D&D by Gary gygax himself!

Owlbears are described the as a massive bear standing at least 8 feet tall if not taller, in addition to the fur that coats there body they also have patches of feathers especially on their arms and Paws. Instead of the head of a bear they have the distinct face of an owl with piercing frontward facing eyes and a razor sharp beak! 

These creatures are known to be aggressive, attacking anything that could be considered large enough to be a meal! Their preferred method of attack is to get their opponent into a bear hug and then tear them apart with their beak while in the embrace. Family units usually contain a mated pair, they raise their offspring until they are old enough to take care of themselves. Habitats are usually caves or other locations for a den such as dungeons or abandoned man-made structures.

The fun part about owlbears is that no one knows where they come from..... but everyone has their own story. Some will claim that owlbears are the result of a Mad Wizards experimentation, some claim that they are The Offspring of some strange forgotten Forest God,  the dwarves tell scary stories of how a ancient group of dwarves got lost in the forest and were transformed into owlbears, but if you ask the elves they will tell you that they were brought over from the feywild of course. With so many conflicting answers and almost no proof any of these could be true......or all of them.

What colors would an Owlbear be?

I firmly believe that if they were to ever print an owl their card in Magic the Gathering it would be a green creature with trample!

they thrive in Woodland environments and seem to fit into nature quite well. as far as secondary colors? The red seems to fit the most, but depending on the backstory you want to go with any color works. If they are faithful guardians of nature perhaps give them a little white, scavengers and cruel opportunist hunters sounds black to me, adaptive experiments that got loose? make them simic! The owl bear can fit in any green aligned Guild!

How to fit an Owlbear into the lore?

I think the most important thing to keep when moving owlbears to Ravnica is the mystery of their origin. Make it fun! A mistake of polymorph magic that only got half of the transformation correct, a result of what happens when an two creatures enter one of the Cities more active leylines, or maybe a joke gone horribly wrong. Perhaps people claim that owlbears have always been around since before the signing of the guildpact!

I suggest having both wild and domesticated owlbears. Wild owlbear tend to stay on gruul turf and other abandoned parts of the city including the undercity and Wildlife Reserves. They make their home in abandoned buildings and hunt anything that wanders into their territory being one of the alpha predators of their food chains. Wild owl bears would be known for their ferocity and feared by those who find themselves all these outskirts of civilization in the city.

On the other hand due to their adorable nature I imagine “trained” owlbears would be a popular pet option. I imagine most people buy them for their children when the creatures are small and especially adorable not expecting them to grow into large lumbering beasts, this has resulted in many abandoned owlbears in highly residential areas. Abandoned owlbears turn to Scavenging through rubbish bins until large enough to cause issues usually resulting violent incidents and the Boros Legion being called. Those who properly train their owlbears find out that the creatures make excellent Guardians and beasts of Burden.

The Owlbear and the guilds?

In this part of the post I'm going to focus on the green Guilds of Ravnica since that's their main color, but just because the Guild does not have green and its color alignment does not mean that they can't have owlbears! Imagine a very successful azorius judge with a pet owlbear, or a member of the boros legion with a trained guard owlbear, if you want a ring of rakdos to do Pit fighting perhaps one of the Monsters they're holding to attack combatants is a hunger owlbear! But let's get on with the Green Guilds!

Gruul Clans

The gruul are the premier beastmasters of ravnica! they don't tame their Animal Companions they let them Thrive as they were meant to as primal and Savage as nature would allow. The Gruul would look at the owlbear as a representation of two of Nature's greatest Hunters the bear and the owl. The gruul would tell stories of how the owlbear is a relic from the old world a sister Spirit to the Raze-boar’s offspring that should be respected.

The subgroup of the Gruul the Zhur-Taa clan would train these savage beast as hunting companions, having ones skull on your outfit would be a sign that you were a great warrior. Perhaps a coming of age ritual of the Gruul could be going off to find a lair of a owlbear and bringing something back the bigger the trophy the more respect it brings. The trophy can be anything such as the bones from the owlbear’s last meal, the head of the Beast itself which you fought and killed or the owlbear accompanying you as a companion whom you would gain the respect of!

Selesnya Conclave

The selesnya tell a story about the origins of the owlbear, in their story the creator of these beasts was Mat'Selesnya herself. Back just after the signing of the guildpact when the world tree was still just a sapling Mat'Selesnya created them for her domain. noble sage like beasts to protect The Guild these were the first owlbears, These stories say that these owlbears were sentient druids who knew the old ways of nature magic. Their offspring unfortunately we're not intelligent, all owl bears are descended from these progenitors it is said.

No matter if the story is true the selesnya hold the owlbear in high regard, it is not uncommon for one to be allowed to inhabit a selesnya gardens or sanctuaries if one does it is treated as a member of the conclave. It is not a uncommon sight to see a selesnya trained battle owlbear covered in armor, they fight beside a bonded selesnya Warrior for the honor of the conclave.

Simic Combine

Many trace the origin of the owlbear back to an experiment before the dissension that shatter the guildpact by the original Simic. The experiment in question case file 0-l7w, its original  purpose was to create a more sturdy, strong, but intelligent Beast of Burden for the merchant District. There seems to have been an accident and when simic guards were able to reach the laboratory it had already been torn apart, scientists have been viciously attacked and the experiment was nowhere to be found.

Some people point to a rare deformity that occasionally appears on owlbear hide when trying to connect the owlbear to the simic, this deformity looks like a patch of scales like that of fish and lizards. many members of the combine claim that this is a result of the current experiments that they do on owlbear and cite the lack of evidence that they are responsible for the creatures creation. Responsible or not the simic view the owlbear as an interesting creature and research it in hopes of using it to help create better krasis.

Golgari Swarm

On The Fringe of civilization where the city meets the undercity many owlbears have adapted to life as scavengers eating both meat and fungus. The Golgari view these creatures as nothing more than a part of the circle of life and while the creatures are living pay them little heed other than as another scavenger that lurks The Rot Farms. Occasionally a particularly aggressive owlbear has to be dealt with by the swarm, but it is not until an owl joins the Rot that the Golgari truly welcomes them to the Swarm.

Undead owlbear make for excellent guards for the rot Farms, they're large foreboding frame keeps away those who would want to steal from the Swarm. Even though dead their Brute Force remains making them excellent Beast of Burden in their reanimated state. As the Swarm does not actively raise owlbears the reanimated ones are either those who passed away of natural causes or those killed in conflict with the Swarm.

The way I plan on using them!

Let's review what we just talked about and put it together in a coherent little text blurb. Owlbear away!

“The owl bear is an aggressive predator that lurks on the outskirts of the city and the undercity places where civilization has a hard time taking a foothold. They are massive creatures standing 8 feet tall, but record show that can get much more larger. Owlbears have large Bear like bodies with the heads and talons of owls. this creatures preferred manner of attack is holding down its opponents in a form of bear hug and then using their sharp beaks to rip away at their prey. Owlbear territories are usually defended by a mated pair and will consume anything larger than a mouse.

The origin of the owl there perhaps just as odd as the creature itself as no one quite agree where they came from. Stories of a failed simic experiment are sometimes told, while others claim them to be manifestations of the ancient spirits of Ravnica long forgotten when the city was built. Some popular explanations are as follows, an izzet teleportation experiment gone horribly horribly wrong, creations of some powerful entity(some say the Nephilim others Mat’Selesnya and still others spawn of Utmungr the raze boar) as Protectors of nature and others claim that they existed long before the city was built. It is a common game for young children to try to tell the best story about the origin of owlbears whoever can tell the best most Outlandish story wins!

It's a recent trend that owlbear cubs have become highly sought-after pets. The adorable Cubs are usually bought when they're still small and manageable by owners that do not expect them grow as quickly or as large as they eventually do. An owlbear when trained properly make for excellent guards and loyal family pets, but due to their size food and upkeep can be rather expensive for these creatures. Unfortunately many owlbears are abandoned by their owners when they become to unwieldy to keep as house pets, many of these owners simply kick these creatures to the streets where they have to fend for themselves as scavengers eating the garbage of highly populated areas. it is unfortunate truth that I released owlbears are more likely to attack humans than a wild owlbears due to desperation for food. The Boros have teamed up with the selesnya in hopes of catching strays before it becomes too late, under the care of the selesnya they are taken care of and trained to be guard animals or simply released back into the wild where these majestic creatures belong.”

Thanks for reading this was a fun one! On Saturday I'm going to post a review of the week and quick links to all of my articles. As always if there is a creature from the monster manual that you want to see fit into Ravnica or a card from the magic the Gathering game from a ravnica set find a stat black message me and I'll see what I can do.

[hellomissmabel]

The worst in us - part 1

MASTERLIST

Pairing: Bucky x reader, Steve x reader

Warnings: friends-with-benefits relationship, allusions to a quickie.

Word count: 2.965

Summary: Y/N is a young woman that grew up in a world of richness and extravaganza of the Hamptons, until a family scandal forces her to leave her home behind. She now rents a little studio in Brooklyn with her roommate and co-worker, Wanda. Y/N works at Stark Hospital as a gynaecologist and is romantically involved with a trauma surgeon. Everything seems to be going well until a ghost from the past shows up unannounced, putting Y/N’s resolve to the test and asking her how truly good her intentions for leaving really were.

A/N: Inspired by the word “Onsra” (Boro) - that heart-wrenching feeling you get when you realise a love won’t last. Written for @howlingbarnes AND IT’S HER BIRTHDAY SO GO WISH HER A HAPPY BIRTHDAY

The commute to the hospital took longer than you had anticipated so inevitably, you to show up late for you shift. Not that you had anything special scheduled today, just a couple consultations and check-ups, leaving some room for you to catch lunch with your friends and colleagues. You hadn’t really been feeling yourself as of late and you desperately needed to recharge your batteries with some social contact.

You’re poking absentmindedly at your chicken salad, only listening half to the story Sam’s telling Wanda while trying to pay some kind of attention to the conversation Clint’s trying to hold with you. Occasionally you hum as a response or give a half-hearted nod, but when the table eventually falls silent, you know your cover’s blown.

“What’s wrong, Y/N?,” Wanda inquires softly, her brows knitted together in one big question mark.

“Nah,” you breathe out slowly, dropping your knife and fork next to your bowl. “I don’t wanna bother you with my problems.”

“Y/N,” Sam kindly places his hand on yours, “That’s what friends are for. To listen to each other’s crap. And you’ve already listened plenty, so what’s up?”

Sam is a male nurse who worked excruciating hours trying to provide a living for himself and his little brother and sister. Sitting next to Sam is Pietro, a physical therapist in charge of getting people back up on their feet and helping with their recovery. Pietro is loved by many and hated by many more, especially since he has a tendency of hooking up with co-workers. He’s also the brother of your roommate, Wanda, who’s one of the receptionists and contributed to you landing your job in the first place. Lastly, sitting next to Wanda is Clint, the only optometrist currently employed at the hospital and always terribly busy. It’s a small miracle he made it to your lunch date at all.

You laugh a little and shrug. “You know, that trauma surgeon I’ve been telling you about?” They all nod simultaneously, remembering you’ve mentioned him a couple times before. “Well, we’ve kinda been having this friends-with-benefits thing going on.”

Wanda gasps loudly, whispering a ‘no way’ as she locks eyes with an equally astonished Clint. “For how long?”

“It started the night we had that fundraiser,” you speak up in a soft tone, looking at your baffled friends. “We were both a little tipsy and ended up in a hotel room. The next morning was awful and awkward and we both promised each other it would never happen again. We didn’t want it to interfere with our professional relationship so we just forgot about it.”

“I sense there’s a ‘but’ coming…,” Sam says in a hushed voice, chuckling lowly.

“But…,” you click your tongue in amusement before coughing dryly, colour rising to your cheeks, “One day my car wouldn’t start so he offered me a ride and…”

“You ended up riding him instead,” Sam interjects playfully, poking your side before bursting into a fit of joyous laughter.

Wanda slaps his arm, squinting her eyes at him and speaking in a chastising tone. “Sam! Don’t say that! She isn’t finished yet!”

“It’s okay, Wanda,” you smile sincerely at her. “So yeah… Because we didn’t want this to get any more complicated than it already was, he proposed we’d become friends with benefits instead of just spontaneously bumping uglies whenever we run into each other. This way, we could keep a low profile, you know?”

Sam smirks knowingly yet Wanda’s concern only grows. “So what happened? Did he break things off? Or did you break things off?”

“Two night ago, he invited me over at his place in Brooklyn for drinks. We had a couple glasses of wine followed by a hot and heavy make-out session on his kitchen table. You can guess the rest… He’s really good at aftercare and the pillow talk is always so sweet. But I usually leave after we’ve come down from our highs…”

“He asked you to stay the night, didn’t he?,” Clint states immediately, recognising the signs, having experienced the same thing with his girlfriend, Laura.

“Yeah… and because I didn’t know what this would mean for us and how it would affect our work… I bolted. He texted me all day yesterday.” You look down at your phone and flip it in your hands, feeling a bit disappointed. “Haven’t received a single text from him today, though.”

“Sounds like he got the message,” Sam comments with a shrug.

“Just not the message I was trying to send…,” you say, biting your lower lip in a flood of guilt.

How could you be so rude to such a nice guy? It’s not that you don’t fancy Steve, my God, he’s made of 200% boyfriend material! But is it possible for a steady relationship to grow from something that was never meant to be anything more than just sex?

“Hey, Y/N, it’s okay. We’re all grown-ups and that includes your hot-shot surgeon, too,” Sam winks at you. “If you didn’t wanna sleep at his place, that’s alright. But you should probably talk to him anyway.”

You give him a brief nod. “Yeah, you’re right. I think I’m gonna do that.”

Your pager suddenly beeps and you read the message. Throwing your things back into your bag and passing your untouched chicken salad to Wanda, you mumble a goodbye to your friends, offering a quick explanation. “I gotta go. Emergency C-section. Pepper Pots.”

They all cheer a ‘you go girl’ at you and you feel an instant boost of self-confidence that carries on through the entire delivery. During your regular check-ups with Pepper, you’ve grown from acquaintances to mutuals. Yet Pepper is married to Tony Stark, the owner of the hospital, so there’s a lot of pressure on you. But you are determined to bring a healthy baby into this world safe and sound and make his or her parents happy and proud.

The C-section, although impromptu, goes very well and Pepper and Tony welcome their baby girl. Afterwards, you gladly receive many congratulations from your colleagues, heading straight to the lockers so you can change out of your bloody scrubs. You are sending a quick text to Wanda, asking her if she could cook you dinner as well since you are thoroughly exhausted, whilst opening the door to the locker room. As if fate itself has taken a personal interest in your love life, there is doctor Steven Grant Rogers standing right in front of you in nothing but his white Calvin Klein underwear.

“Holy crap!,” you exclaim in embarrassment, covering up your eyes and turning around to face the door.

You can hear him laugh heartily behind you. “Oh Y/N, it’s not like you haven’t seen it all before.”

“Steve!,” you squeal even louder. “Just put some clothes on, please!”

The rustling of fabric and a little laugh announce that he’s somewhat decent again, clad in dark blue jeans and a plain white shirt. Not to mention his go-to black leather jacket. When he says it’s all good and you can turn around again, you do so slowly and carefully. Of course you’re instantly met with a huge, lopsided grin and a knowing look in his eyes. For a second you believe he might come over to you, wrap his arm around your waste and lock your lips in a passionate kiss. But instead he stuffs his hands in his pockets and leans against his locker, which is conveniently the one right across from yours.

You groan inwardly as you open the lock and look inside your locker, taking out your clothes and motioning for him to turn around as you change, too. Another loud chuckle accompanied by a shake of his head and you’re swiftly shedding yourself from your scrubs and into a light grey, casual dress.

“You know, Y/N… you’re just the person I wanted to talk to.” He tries to sound casual but his voice has taken a lower pitch, nervousness shining through.

“Steve,” you sigh as you close your locker and he turns around to face you, placing his hands on your hips and bringing your chest to his. “I’m sorry, okay? I shouldn’t have left so abruptly.”

“I’m sorry, too, Y/N. I shouldn’t have brought it up in the first place.” His thumb circles the fabric of your dress, the soothing movement calming your raging hormones.

Laying your head to rest on his shoulder, you breathe in the familiar pinewood scent of his cologne. “I didn’t mean to leave things like that. I wanted to reply to your text, I wanted to answer your phone calls but I guess I just chickened out.”

“It’s fine, Y/N. Really.” Steve presses a kiss to your temple. “How ‘bout I take you out on a date first? A real date, not just a drink and a shag.”

Steve’s always had a talent for lightening up the mood and you chuckle in agreement. “A real date it is.”

Detaching yourself slowly from Steve’s embrace, you look back at him lovingly. “Let me take you to Luciano’s tomorrow night,” he proposes.

Immediately you put up a verbal fight. “No. No way you’re taking me to Luciano’s. It’s too much, too expensive.”

“It’s not too expensive for me, Y/N. I happen to have a very well-fed bank account.”

“I don’t care.” You take a couple steps back until your back hits the wall. Steve’s baffled expression pains your heart, but you simply can’t accept an offer like that.

“Y/N…,” he tries to change your mind, “I want to take you out on a proper date, a proper dinner. At a place I love and know you’ll love too.”

“The answer is still no, Steve.”

“This isn’t about the money, is it?” He’s starting to look agitated, the tenor of his voice changing to an annoyed tone. “You just don’t wanna go out on a date with me.”

“That’s not true!,” you defend yourself, balling your hands into tight fists. “I just – I guess I’m not used to guys taking me anywhere more fancy than the pizzeria two blocks down.”

“Then I’ll most definitely take you to Luciano’s,” he wets his lips as he speaks tenderly, running a hand through your tousled locks. “You know I won’t be sent away like an errant boy.”

Steve will never take no for an answer and he’s relentless in his pursuit, cornering you with his sculpted body, towering over you with a curious look in his eyes. Linking his forehead with yours, he cups your face with one hand whilst the other rests against the wall, preventing you from slipping past him.

“Please, baby,” he whispers to your lips and you know you’re a goner. He softly but tentatively brushes his lips to yours in a chaste kiss and your entire body sighs against him, leaning into his broad frame with the utmost ease. He’s familiar, everything about him is familiar. From the way he calls you his baby to the way he makes love to you at night.

“Okay,” you mumble in between little kisses to your skin, all the way from your jaw, down your throat to the nape of your neck. “I’ll let you take me to Luciano’s.”

“7 p.m.?,” he asks while nibbling on your sweet spot. You hum something between a yes and a moan, falling from your lips like a sermon to his touch. “I heard you did great today. Delivering the big boss’ baby,” he praises your latest achievement, hiking up your dress little by little until your fingers stop him.

“I was awesome today,” you grin smugly, “But I still have a last-minute consultation to head to, so I’m afraid we won’t have time to… blow off some steam.”

His pupils blow up in both lust and surprise. “A consultation? Now?”

“Apparently she only wanted to speak to me. Said only the best is good enough for her and that I’m the best.”

He squeezes your hips gently before releasing you, pouting slightly. “Off you go, then.”

With a goodbye kiss, you make your way to your office, just in time to sit down in your desk chair when there’s a soft knock on your door. Your assistant, Darcy, carefully opens the door and tells you your last appointment has arrived.

“Send her in,” you reply kindly and Darcy opens the door a bit more to let a blonde woman in, dressed entirely in designer clothing with a Prada handbag dangling from her arm. She sits down with a certain poise, collected and composed to the bone. She screams money from head to toe, probably her daddy’s or her husband’s money.

It isn’t until you hear her voice that you recognise her.

“Y/N, darling, it’s good to see you again.”

The velvety tone is unmistakable. The new hair colour threw you off at first, but now it’s as clear as day. The eyes of a snake, as deep as a bottle of liquor. The strictly-business approach to every single movement of her slim yet trained body.

“Natasha,” you drawl out with the utmost dismay. “Natasha Romanova. Long time, no see.” You give her a hard look and a once-over. “Weren’t you supposed to be a red-head?”

There’s a haughty smile playing on her lips. “My husband has a thing for blondes.”

It’s then that you spot the golden band around her ring finger, her hand neatly resting on her swollen stomach. Not wanting to continue the staring contest, and in an attempt to evade her scrutinising gaze, you start up your computer and look at her file.

“Your due date is in… five weeks?” Natasha nods in confirmation. “And you’ve chosen not to know whether it’s a boy or a girl,” you read in a monotone voice. “Your residence is in the Hamptons, so why come all this way to Manhattan?”

“My husband works here,” she replies as if she expected you to already know the answer, raising a sculpted eyebrow at you. “And like I already said, I want only the best of my child.”

“So you conveniently end up here.” At this point, her ability to keep a perfect composure is starting to annoy you, unabashedly glaring daggers at the woman in front of you.

“Look, Y/N,” she briefly purses her lips in thought. “I’m not here to pick a fight. I’m here for my child. I’m not fit for travel anymore and I certainly didn’t plan on staying in Manhattan for any longer than necessary. But unforeseen circumstances have brought me to you.”

She sounds sincere and it’s always possible something unexpected has come up. But you don’t want to get involved in her drama once more, so you decide to focus on the matter at hand itself, casually inquiring about the whereabouts of her husband.

“He’s not very keen on all this baby stuff. James will eventually attend the main event, but everything else is just secondary to him,” she replies casually though with a little spite.

The way she forms her sentences and carefully chooses her words rings a couple alarm bells inside your head. “If you don’t mind me being forward, but…” Her eyes lock with yours as her hands gently rub her baby bump. “Do you want this child or not? If you don’t, there are always options. We can discuss those now or later, whatever suits you.”

She holds up a manicured finger. “Hold it,” she albeit commands you and you have to bite your tongue to hold back an equally pointed response. “I did not plan on getting pregnant. Ever. I don’t like kids, as you might already know. But my husband James does… And this child is very important to him, even though he doesn’t always say or show it.”

Whatever little sympathy you still had left for this woman, you pour into your next words. “I’m sorry to hear that, Natasha. I’ll do my best to take care of your baby.”

And that is not a lie. To you, there’s nothing more adorable or more significant than children. Even though their parents might not be the nicest people on earth, they can’t help it that they’re born into a certain family with a certain background.

“Anyway,” she sniffs a little, “I already made another appointment with your assistant for an ultrasound.” Natasha gets up from her seat and gives me a stiff wave of her hand, accompanied with a tight-lipped smile. “I’ll see you in a fortnight.”

Her heels click against the floor and I cringe at the sharp sound. Just as she’s about to turn the doorknob, she throws a sideway glance at me, her eyes burning holes in my body. “You know, Y/N, I’ve always wondered what happened to you.” My eyes flit to meet her scorning gaze and I swallow thickly. “But it seems you ended up alright. You got to be a doctor in a certain way, just like your daddy dearest. That’s what you always wanted, isn’t it?”

Her voice is belittling, as if she’s only dealing with some small manners she can quickly take care of. As if you are just a formality to her. That’s the way it’s always been, that’s the way she’ll always look at you. As if you’re just an extra in the Great Natasha Romanova Musical.

 “Yes, you’re right.” You reach for the water bottle sitting on the edge of your desk and as you screw off the cap, you can see her gloating from the corner of your eye. One more victory for Natasha. Some people never change, don’t they?

“Oh, apropos,” she adds in a fake-innocent tone, looking down at her manicured hands and hot pink nails, tracing the heartlines of her hands. “Since we were talking about babies anyway… How’s yours?”

Part 2

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