#bronze pigs

[ebertsphotos]

Due to compression and upload limitations on Instagram and Bluesky, my tumblr showcases a broader selection of my work.

My High-Res Portfolio

These bronze pig statues located in a small town in Germany called Hagen am Teutoburger Wald (Hagen by the Teutoburg Forest) are actually a bit of a tourist attraction. Near those pig statues you can also find the statue of a pig dealer, of whom I'll also post photos soon. There's also a statue of a drummer, however, I've yet to take a photo of him.

This set of statues is meant to symbolize the Hagener Ferkelmarkt (pig market), which concludes the Hagener Kirmes, an event comparable to a funfair.

[vintagehomecollection]

The Englishwoman’s Bedroom, 1985

[pigs-in-art]

Tycoon Series (Jazz) by Zhao Yongchang

[go-against-fate]

Lloyd Frontera

[deirdrenicholls]

Newest Arrival

My latest piece- a 1/3 life size sculpture of a Berkshire sow. The Little Empress

[weemsgallery]

Happy little dancing piglet by Michele VandenHuevel in bronze. 

[woso-dreamzzz]

Dogs: Christmas

Keira Walsh x Laura Feiersinger x Child!Reader

Lucy Bronze x Ona Batlle x Child!Reader

Summary: Christmas with Pup

Lucy scrubs a hand over her face, yawning as she forces her eyes not to slump closed.

Late nights and early mornings clearly didn't agree with her anymore as she watches you whizz around the room with too much energy for seven in the morning.

Keira's seemed to doze off in the armchair by the tree while Ona and Laura happily work around each other in the kitchen.

"Presents now, please?" You ask, skidding to a stop in front of Lucy, who's only just realised that your Baby Sibling has finished their bottle of milk and fallen asleep again in her arms.

Lucy yawns. "You know the rules. No presents until everyone is ready. Ona and Laura are still busy with breakfast."

"I get them!"

"No, wait, Pup-"

You're already gone though and Lucy groans, moving your Baby Sibling up and attempting to burp them.

"She has too much energy," Keira complains, voice thick with sleep.

"You're not the one that got woken up first."

Keira yawns. "That's because she knows that she's got to wait until her clock has certain numbers to come and wake me and Laura. Why do you think I taught her numbers so early? I keep telling you to do the same but-"

You come skidding in again, slip-sliding over the area of wooden flooring before you're safely on carpet again.

"Mami and Mama say nearly ready! Have little pigs in blankets for us!"

"That's-" Another yawn from Lucy "-Great, Pup. Why don't you go and separate all the gifts into piles. Can you remember how to spell everyone's names?"

Your little face falls and you shuffle anxiously on your feet. "I don't. Sorry, Mum. I forgot."

"That's alright," Keira says, sitting up and snagging a pen and pad from the table," I'll write them out and then you can match the spelling to the words you see, alright?"

"Okay!"

By the time Ona and Laura come in with a tray of pigs in blankets and other small snack food that had all been properly cooked last night, you've managed (with Keira's help) to make little piles of presents for everyone.

You sit happily in the centre of the floor with Narla and Coco.

"You aren't going to open your presents, Pup?" Laura asks.

"No, Mama. I wait."

"Pup made us all gifts," Ona says," I think she's waiting for us to open them."

It's Keira that gets to hers first. It's quite badly wrapped but that's because you and Pina ended up fighting over the wrapping paper and tape at the arts and crafts table during training.

"That's us!" You say, pointing at the little misshapen plastic charm things that hang off the bracelet. "Is you because you've got your pretty curls!"

"Oh, Pup...That's so thoughtful, sweetheart."

Lucy's misshapen charm of herself is meant to have sunglasses on her because you think she's cool while you'd painted Ona's with stripes because she's fast like a cheetah and Laura's charm's head was fat because it was meant to represent the helmet she wears when she takes you climbing.

"Alright," Lucy says, hands covering your eyes," Now it's time for big presents. One from me and your Mami and one from your Mummy and Mama, alright?"

You try to pry Lucy's hands from your eyes. "And then tea time? Want to try my new puppy mug."

Lucy laughs. "Yes. Big presents and then we'll go and make a big brew so you can try out your new puppy mug."

"You ready, Pup?" That's Keira now.

"I'm ready!"

"Now," Lucy says," This one is from me and Mami."

Her hands peel away and you blink your eyes into focus.

Ona is standing behind a massive box.

"It's for your room in London," She says," Lucy's going to drill these into the wall for you."

"Like the climbing gym Mama take me too!"

"Exactly like that," Ona laughs," A little rock climbing wall just for you in the house with Mum!"

"Wow!" You say, eyes wide and face beaming with happiness," Thank you, Mum! Thank you, Mami!"

Lucy ruffles your hair. "You'll be the best climber in the world in no time!"

Keira rolls her eyes. "You better make sure those panels are secure, Lucy, otherwise you'll be in major trouble."

Lucy grins. "I've got this, don't worry."

Keira's hands covers your eyes now and you sit up properly again.

"And this big present is from me and Mama," She says," You're going to have to be very still and very quiet, can you do that?"

"I can."

"Good girl. I knew you could."

There's silence for a long while and then someone - Ona, you think - gasps.

"Kie, you didn't..." Lucy says.

There's a bit of movement in front of you and something wet comes across your cheek.

"Merry Christmas, Pup," Laura says as Keira removes her hands from your eyes.

Mismatched eyes stare back at you, a little tongue poking out of a little mouth and a little tail thumping against Laura's body.

"Puppy!"

Keira laughs. "Yeah, Pup, your Christmas puppy."

"My Christmas puppy? Mine?"

"Of course," Laura says," A puppy just for Pup."

"Is...Is a boy puppy or a girl?"

"It's a girl, Pup."

"I..." You look between your parents. From Keira to Laura and then from Ona to Lucy. "I...My book please? My puppy book?"

"I'll get it," Lucy says, standing up with your Baby Sibling in her arms," This one needs to be put down for a nap anyway."

You go flipping through your dog encyclopaedia the moment you're given it, trying to match a page in your book to the puppy in front of you.

You find it eventually, turning the book around for the puppy to say.

"This you," You tell her and you're pretty sure her tail wags even harder. "You're from...Mummy, what this word?"

"Australia, Pup. We went to Australia for the World Cup, do you remember?"

You don't actually but you nod anyway, looking back to your puppy.

"You're from Aus-tra-lia so...So you're like Bluey! Bluey's from there."

Your puppy wages her tail super hard.

"So...I call you Bluey. Merry Christmas, Bluey!"

[ebertsphotos]

Ferkelhändler Hubert (Piglet Dealer Hubert)

This statue might look familiar to some of: I've posted photos of the statue before - and have since learned its actual name.

I went back to the center of Hagen to photograph the drummer and decided to take new photos of this statue while I was there as well. I actually ended up preferring these over the ones I posted last time.

[sunlight-and-calliopes]

Lady Hestia

Goddess of the hearth, home, family, and the eternal flame.

Epithets

Aidios ~ The Eternal

Basileia ~ Queen

Polymorphos ~ Of Many Forms

Polyolbus ~ Of Many Blessings

Potheinotati ~ The Beloved

Prutaneia ~ Of the Polis; Of the Communal Hearth

The First and The Last

Associations

Animals

Chickens

Cattle

Pigs

Donkey

Colors

Red

Orange

Brown

Gold

Bronze

Black

White

Offerings and Devotional Acts

Keys and other symbols of the home

Flames and lights (including electric ones)

Bread and other grain-based foods

Home cooked meals

Beer and wine

Kettles, teapots, and teacups

Olive oil

Incense and candles

Fresh or dried flowers

Jewelry from family members

Apples

Anything that reminds you of home

Something that acts as an eternal flame (I and many others use salt lamps and electric candles)

Cooking and cleaning

Veiling

Practicing modesty (can relate to veiling, but doesn't have to!)

Spending time with family (given or chosen)

Caring for plants and pets

Journaling

Decorating your home

(credit to vibeswithrenai for the Hestia themed dividers!)

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Writing Notes: Medieval Beasts

for your next poem/story (pt. 2)

Lacta - a small animal that lives in the graves of the dead

Martineta - a bird that does not decay when dead

Nightingale - a bird that sings to relieve the tedium as it sits on its nest through the night. At dawn, it sings so enthusiastically that it almost dies. Sometimes nightingales compete with each other with their songs, and the one that loses the competition often dies.

Oriole - a bird that is gold all over, except for some blue on the wings; hangs its nest from the end of branches; from the ground, they appear to float in the air

Paradisi - called bird of paradise because of its celestial beauty; brown and small; the sweetness of its voice can arouse devotion and joy in people; if captured, it will not stop crying until it is freed; rarely found away from the region of the Nile River

Stymphalis - a man-eating bird with a beak of bronze, sharp metallic feathers it can launch at its victims, and poisonous dung; according to the Greek legend of the Labors of Hercules, he destroyed the birds with poisoned arrows

Thamur - a worm with blood that can be used to split the hardest stone, like marble; Solomon discovered this property when he needed to shape marble for an alter without using iron to cut it, which was against Jewish law

Uria - a worm found in pigs; blisters form where it bites because the bitten flesh burns

Yale - a beast with flexible horns that it can move at will; when it fights, it keeps one horn pointed backward, so that if the horn it is fighting with is damaged, it can bring the other to the front. It is the size of a horse, but has the tail of an elephant and the jaws of a boar, and is black. The basilisk is its enemy, and if it finds the yale asleep it stings it between the eyes, causing its eyes to swell until they burst.

Zerahav - a bird that lays its eggs at the bottom of the ocean; then floats on the surface above the eggs where she can watch them, and incubates them from there. When the eggs hatch, she dives to the bottom and brings her chicks to the shore, where she feeds them.

Source ⚜ More: Writing Notes & References ⚜ Part 1 ⚜ Medieval Period

[cattermelons]

previous ➸ next | beginning

Oh dear, young, idiotic King Nikomachos II, son of Demosthenes of Mycenae. Or, rather some smaller provincial kingdom of north-western Lakonia, to rather generalise, from which his great Eurypontid house needed to expel him; with a reign that proves as just as trivial and hedonistic as he. Powdered in rouge as an effeminate leukochrōs, Nikomachos, deformed and ill-bred, possibly a bastard of helot whisper and beheld among five elder sisters, the boy’s kingship was a jest among all the Peloponnese behind closed doors. Yet, in his Kastro Koiláda Chalkou, the scrutiny of the Ekkelisa could not reach him and his whore-bride to be, Eurynome, for the luxury and the splendour of Dionysos and Demeter’s sweet ecstasy were irresistibly intoxicating. For who has time for leading trade routes and waring territory when the pig has only just been carved?

so, what is this? i actually am not sure yet, will it be gameplay, will it be story? we will find out at some point, but i just desperately wanted to play with the late bronze age because as an ancient history and linguistics major, it is my duty. i have always been deeply in love with my hellenistic greco-roman history and thought it would be quite fun to delve into a period i am not as familiar with with the Mycenaeans, to see what i can learn. also considering the beautifully accurate amount of cc clothing for this era, particularly by @clepysdra which i feel the classical age is lacking in among historical cc compared to the bronze age. BUT in speaking of accuracy, those that noticed i referenced the Eurypontid house of the diarchic Spartans, the Ekkelisa and the names of my sims themselves, for the sake of my own enjoyment, i WILL be snatching names for funsies with no relation to their historical origin, but i do want to try my best to make this accurate to Mycenaean culture/dress/relgion, etc. but i am still learning about this fascinating time. i also want to give the BIGGEST praise and thank you to @kyriat-sims for her absolutely beautiful early civilisation save that she’s created, as well as the build featured in this post (which you can find HERE and HERE) as although i tweaked the interior to my manic over-cluttered taste, the castle shell itself is done by her and it’s so brilliant <3

[bitterkarella]

Midnight Pals: Physical Fitness

[at the beach] Sonia Greene: oh howard this was such a lovely idea! Greene: a romantic seaside picnic and just the two of us! Greene: and we've got your favorite food right here - untoasted white bread! Greene: isn't this nice? HP Lovecraft: [sweats, stares at ocean] right sure

HP Lovecraft: Hey! Quit kicking sand in our faces! Sonia Greene: that man is the worst nuisance on the beach! Aleister Crowley: [grabbing Lovecraft] listen here, I'd smash your face, only you're so skinny you might dry up and blow away!

Crowley: [to greene, as he manhandles lovecraft] look babe, why don't you drop that zero and get with the hero Crowley: i'll show you how a real man kicks sand in people's faces! Crowley: THE GREAT BEAST!!! DO AS THOU WILLT!!!!

Lovecraft: The big bully! I'll get even some day! Greene: oh don't let it bother you, little boy Greene: i'll fix you up a nice big meal, put some meat on those bones Lovecraft: and that'll help me build muscle? Greene: [sweats] um muscle? um sure yeah muscle

Poe: howard, you need to stop letting aleister pick on you Lovecraft: but he's twice my size! he's all buff cuz of all the mountain climbing! Poe: you could start working out? Lovecraft: you mean physical labor? Lovecraft: sport?! Lovecraft: [sweats] like a common cornishman?!?

Poe: you should try it Poe: a good regimen of rowing and swimming helped me build mass Barker: oh come on edgar Poe: no really! Poe: [removes shirt, revealing he is super swole] Barker: Barker: oh right Barker: right i forgot about that

Mary Shelley: listen up nerd you don't need exercise Shelley: what you need is one of these [flips switchblade] Poe: oh come on mary, what if he gets attacked when he doesn't have knife on him? Shelley: dunno, that's never come up

Shelley: next time aleister gives you shit, you give him one of these [pantomimes shivving] Poe: mary, violence never solved anything Shelley: it does if you're good at it Poe: Barker: ah ha ha she's got you there edgar

Lovecraft: Darn it! I'm sick and tired of being a scarecrow! William Hope Hodgson says he can give me a real body. all right! i'll gamble a stamp and get his free book Lovecraft: i'll just not eat this week to afford the stamp

William Hope Hodgson: are you "fed up" with seeing the huskies walk off with the best of everything? Hodgson: sick and tired of being soft, frail, skinny or flabby? Hodgson: i know because i myself was once a puny 97 pound "runt" Hodgson: today, I am two separate gorillas

Hodgson: give me 5 weeks and my body building plan will turn YOU into the bronzed adonis you were meant to be Hodgson: through a dynamic combination of cardiovascular training, lifting big kegs, and standing in the desert while getting your balls tanned by an ultraviolet machine

Lovecraft: wow, how's you get so buff?? Hodgson: from constant brawling during my navy days Lovecraft: w-wait Lovecraft: you're a sailor?? Hodgson: yeah you should know from my popular lecture series about how much the navy fuckin sucks ass Lovecraft: [sweats]

Hodgson: ugh, i tell you Hodgson: it's just impossible to pay the bills with pseudoscience fitness programs catering to mens' insecurities Hodgson: i'm gonna pivot to weird fiction instead Hodgson: that's where the big money is

Hodgson: what if a bunch of pig men attacked a big house Smith: [on phone] hey clark ashton? it's me! your cousin! marvin smith! Smith: you know that new horror genre you're been looking for? Smith: well, listen to this! [aims phone at hodgson]

[deirdrenicholls]

Berkshire Sow

Latest work in progress- very early stages. This video shows the piece roughed out and I’m beginning to get the key muscles in the right places. It takes a very long time, because every time you add some clay, or move the clay around, you need to adjust all the other elements. You can’t photoshop a piece of sculpture! Berkshire Sow

[the-starlight-mistress]

Idk if anyone has done this already but I’m gonna analyze the fuck out of this shot now.

I’ve seen other people talk about the key in the middle of the book so I’m gonna skip that detail and go right into the symbols.

Going clockwise this is what I see:

- Top center is a small shiny sort of shape, most likely the hero symbol, Goldie’s sun. There isn’t a sun-like symbol elsewhere on the cover and this one is also directly opposite from the crescent key which we know is the villain (nox’s) symbol.

- next is a bell. I’m gonna be honestly this is one I didn’t really have an idea for. I feel like it’s such an interesting symbol to use but I have no idea what role it could correlate with

- a crown. For a while now I’ve had the thought that there might be a leader role, a king of the country sort of vibe.

- next is violet’s villainess diamond. which is interesting because her key is inserted where silvers symbol should be. Which I guess makes sense I just didn’t expect it.

- this is another symbol I’m not too sure about. Honestly I don’t even know what it’s supposed to be. It just looks like a shape rather than anything more specific. It is opposite to bronze’s helper apple so maybe it has something to do with that. Like maybe it is the villain’s helper which would be a minion/henchmen or something.

Next is a star. It’s opposite from the heart so my first thought was it might be some opposite to a romantic interest, however I feel like I saw punko say somewhere that there’s no romantic interest role. So I was wracking my brain trying to think of what the heart and by extension the star could be. It’s not a strong theory but this is what I landed on. The heart is the soulmate, whether that’s platonic, familial, or romantic. And the star is the unattainable idol. It’s a bit of a reach but I could see it happening.

- crescent moon. This is nox’s symbol. The villan key. The moon to Goldie’s sun. Not much to say about it that I haven’t already seen

- some sort of crossbow?? I’m not exactly sure if that’s what this shape is but that’s what it seemed like immediately. I saw a while ago someone conceptualize the idea of a thief key and even though that feels a bit too specific I kinda wonder if this key is something along those lines. This key is also opposite from the bell but idk what that would mean for either of them. Maybe the bell is the lawful good to the crossbow’s chaotic evil? However it doesn’t seem like every key has an “opposite” so their positioning might not mean everything

- next is a quill I think. My only guess for this would be a sort of narrator role. Like maybe this is the person who keeps the story in order. Given how season 1 ended I’m not sure how much the story needs that sort of role but it’s the only theory I could come up with.

- next is where silver’s heroine key should be if violet’s key wasn’t in the way.

- bronze’s helper apple is next. I honestly thought this was a pig with wings for the longest time. But it makes so much more sense as bronze’s apple

- finally is a heart. If the soulmate idea isn’t right i don’t really know what this one could be.

Idk just some thoughts. I’d love to hear some discussion because I’m so curious about what other people think of this.

[muffinpink02]

Bronze Is Better Than Gold Part 5

Warnings - gun violence. gun violence, scenes of sexual assault

Lucy stared at the dark liquid, bleeding into the concrete pavement, she bent down to touch it, the temperature was still warm.

She pulled out her phone from her pocket, she went straight to Ona’s name, pressing on the call button, the familiar sound of the dial chimed loudly in her ear. She looked back at the empty paper cups on the floor. She could feel that something wasn't right, she could feel it in her bones. 

The ringing continued.

She looked back and forth around the wall, hoping to see something that would give her an indication of what happened, why Ona wasn't sitting in her spot like she always did. The dial tone kept ringing in her ear, she could feel her skin start to sweat. 

Suddenly the ringing stopped. 

“Ona-”

“You have reached the voicemail of the caller you are trying to reach, please leave a message after the tone.” The robotic tone called out.

Lucy hung up. Why isn't Ona here? She glanced up at the Spaniards building, the memories of them together only a few hours ago was still fresh in her mind. She didn't want to overthink the situation. Maybe Ona spilt the coffee on herself and she went back in to change? Or maybe-

The older brunette's thoughts were cut off as her phone started to ring, she looked at the screen. Her face scrunched in confusion as an unknown number appeared on the phone. Dread filled her stomach.

She tapped the green button to answer, but she kept quiet. 

The line was still, Lucy could just make out a quiet breathing on the other end. It sent an eerie feeling through her body. She then heard a russell and then a thud. 

“What's wrong, pig? Can’t you speak?” A man's rough voice barked through the phone.

“Who is this?” 

“Doesn’t matter. I got your little girlfriend with me, that’s all that matters.” 

Lucy’s stomach lurched.

“What do you want?” 

“I want my brother out.” 

That's when the penny dropped.

“Slims?” 

“Get my fucking brother out or she’s dead!”

Lucy went silent. She couldn’t respond, not with what she really wanted to say. 

“You know that’s not possible.” 

Lucy flinched as she heard a muffled scream. It was Ona. 

“Hear that, pig? I like the way your girlfriend screams.”

Lucy's stomach twisted. The fear that sunk through her body was chilling. How was this happening?

“Don’t you fucking dare!” She gritted through her teeth. 

“Got your attention now? If you don’t get him out she’s dead. And it wont be fucking quick. I’ll have my fun with her first.” Slims gave out a dirty chuckle. 

“You dare hurt her-”

Another chilling scream ran through the phone.

Lucy kept her mouth shut.

“Getting it now? Get him out.”

The line went dead. Lucy's heart either stopped beating or was running at a thousand beats per minute. She felt the bile ooze up her throat and out of her mouth. She coughed as the acid from vomit burnt her throat. She took a deep breath as she wiped her lip with her sleeve.

The brunette ran to her car, starting up the engine as quickly as she could. She held the steering wheel with one hand and her phone in the other, dialling the first person she thought of.

“Sarina speaking.” 

“Sarina, it's Ona… she's been taken. They fucking have her!”

“What? Who has her?” 

“Slims, that fucking…He didn't die. He-he has her, he's threatening to kill her, if we don't free his brother- Get out the fucking way!” Lucy slammed her hand down on her horn blaring the sound at a driver who was driving too slow for her right now.

“Okay, listen to me Lucy. Don’t do anything hasty, come straight here. We will find her. Come to the office.” 

Lucy hung up her phone, dashing it to the passenger side. She didn't want to listen to Sarina, but she knew she would only be driving aimlessly around the city, she didn't have any kind of leads on where Ona was. So, she zoomed past cars that beeped at her dangerous driving, but she couldn't hear them, all she could hear was the chilling sound of Ona’s screams.

It felt like hours before she got to the office, she just about parked her car before she sprinted into the building. She could already tell the news had got out as she felt her colleagues' eyes on her as she marched through the building. 

“Bronze!” 

Lucy turned her head to find Jill jogging up to her. She could tell by the look on her face that she already knew.

“Sarina’s upstairs. Everyones been told to go to the meeting room.”

Lucy nodded, not trusting herself to speak. 

Lucy followed the taller women into the meeting room, the majority of the team were already there, Sarina was at the head of the table ready to give out orders. The look on each member of the team's face was either determined and focused or down right scared. 

Lucy felt like both.

Sarina spotted Jill and Lucy.

“Lucy, you got a call from Slims?” Sarina asked.

Lucy nodded.

“Okay, give your phone to LJ, she will try and pick up the coordinates from the phone.” 

Lucy nodded, she brought out her phone and gave it to LJ. The young agent squeezed Lucy's shoulder as she left the room, though the older brunette had just about felt her touch.

Sarina cleared her throat, getting the attention of the room. “As most of you know, Ona has been taken hostage. This morning Lucy got a call from Slims, he wants his brother out of prison in exchange for Ona. We know that's not possible, we need to work closely as a team to safely return her. I need everyone to do their jobs and remember to keep a cool head.”

Lucy felt Sarinas eyes on her with that last sentence. 

“Do we have any leads? Can we question any of the gang members that worked with Slims?” The Dutch woman asked.

“We had a few guys that we didn't have enough evidence to lock up, they definitely worked with Slims. They might not talk, but we can try them.” Jordan answered 

“Okay, Jordan and Demi you go and question them, be forceful if you have to. But keep it calm. Millie you take your team with you, I want a squad car to follow them in case they need back up.”

“Yes, ma'am.” The girls jumped to their feet and made their way to leave, each girl gave Lucy a quick nod or a quick squeeze of the arm or hand, but she couldn’t bring herself to acknowledge them. She was in a deep state of fear, she felt like all her senses were shutting down. 

“I know this is a long shot but have we tried to track Ona’s phone?” Chloe asked.

The room fell silent.

“Surely they would have got rid of it, they can't be that stupid?” Jill scoffed.

“Do it. Track her phone.” Lucy ordered. 

Everyone turned to the voice in the room, finally Lucy had woken up.

“I’ll get LJ on it.” Chloe nodded.

Sarina eyed the dark haired girl, she was worried that Lucy hadn’t said much.

“Jill, once we have a lead I’ll need you with the firearm squad.”

“Yes, ma'am.” 

Sarina nodded, thinking to herself. “I’m going to contact other branches, it would be good to have more eyes and ears on this. I need to contact the next of kin.”

Lucy felt her stomach twist, she had no clue who Ona's next of kin was, maybe it was her parents? Or was it her friends? How would they react to this?

“Lucy, I want you to check CCTV. Travel to Ona’s house and see if you can get any leads from shops, houses, street cameras. Alex you take a squad car and see if anyone has seen or heard anything around the area.”

“Yes, ma'am.” Alex left the room as quickly as she could. 

But Lucy didn't move, she didn't like that idea, she wanted to get Ona, now, not look around at shop corners. 

“Jess, take the K9’s try and see if they can get a scent. Tail Lucy.”

“Yes, ma'am.” 

“I’ll go with Demi and Jordan to question the leads.” Lucy stated.

Sarina eyed the girl thoughtfully. “No, I don’t need you losing your head. I need you calm, Lucy.”

“I am calm! I don’t want to be fucking around looking for camera footage when we can go straight to the pricks and get information.” Lucy's voice started to rise.

“Lucy, I know you’re upset but-” 

“No! I’m not upset, I’m fucking angry! These fucking bastards have found out where Ona lives and fucking abducted her! God knows if she's okay, she might not even be alive! But you want me to look at fucking camera footage!.” Lucy was fully shouting now.

Sarina stared at the brunette, she understood Lucy's anger, but this is exactly why she didn't want her out with potential leads, her anger would only make things worse.

“That's an order, Bronze.”

“Lucy-” Jill tried to pull Lucy away, but Lucy pulled her arm back.

“You’re a fucking joke!” Lucy shouted, while she pointed at her superior.

Lucy stormed out of the meeting room, slamming the door behind her. The brunette rushed through the building's office, ignoring the questioning looks from her team. She sprinted to her car as the rain came down hard, her breath was ragged with rage by the time she got to her car.

Lucy gripped the steering wheel as she tried to control her breathing. She felt the tears threaten to fall but she shook her head in protest, fighting with herself.

“Fuck.” She shouted, leaning her head on the wheel.

The brunette stayed there for a minute, breathing deeply. Just before she put the car in gear the passenger side door opened.

“Wait, don’t go yet!” Jill jumped into the passenger seat, her hair and clothes soaked from the heavy rain. She looked over at Lucy, a concerning look on her face.

The outburst from Lucy was completely out of character, she wasn’t someone who would question her superior, she had nothing but respect for Sarina. And Sarina knew that, it's why she had moved up to a DC quicker than most, her work ethic was like no other. Sarina had it in her mind that Lucy would be the one to take her role the day she retires, but Sarina could see the anger in Lucy, this job was clearly hitting too close to home for her and she could see she wasn't thinking with her head, but with her heart.

But of course Lucy didn't see it this way and she didn’t like her decision, not one bit. She didn’t feel like she was doing anything helpful, she just felt like she had been given a useless task. She was just angry and honestly she was scared. 

Lucy felt Jill put her hand on her shoulder, squeezing her. Lucy spoke first.

“I can’t believe her. Why won't she let me go.” 

“Come on. You know Sarina’s doing what's best, you might find something that could help find her.”

“What if I don’t? What if she gets hurt, or worse.”

Lucy sighed. She sunk back in her seat, she didn't have the words to describe the fear she felt, not really. She wanted to scream, cry, run or kill.

Jill looked at her friend, not knowing the right words to say, she herself was scared for Ona’s safety, the whole team was, but she could see in Lucy that this wasn't just about a colleague, though right now wasn't the right time to question her on it.

The hand on Lucy's arm squeezed harder.

“We have to. There can’t be any doubts, she’s part of us, she's family, we need to get her back, and we will.”

The brunette nodded, her words lost in her throat.

Lucy bit her lip, she could feel her body going limp, she felt so useless, nothing was in her control. She just wanted to get Ona back, she wanted to feel her in her arms, tell her she was okay, that she was safe, not let anyone hurt her. 

—--------------

Ona winced from the aching pain to her eye, she could barely open it, thanks to the rings on Slim's fingers. She tried her best to not show any emotion but in honesty she was petrified. 

The day had started like any other, the only difference was the light spring in her step from her new found relationship with Lucy. Happy wasn’t even close to how she felt, the girl was elated, she was glowing, she was high from happiness. She had felt giddy as she got ready for work, ecstatic to see the older brunette again, even though she had just seen her not even 10 hours before. Not to mention the late night call only 7 hours ago. 

It was still dark when Ona had left her flat, thanks to the gloomy hours of December. She had made her way to the coffee shop where she always got hers and Lucy's morning coffee. She waited in the line like normal, greeted her usual barista like normal. They quickly spoke about Christmas and what she got up to. She walked back to her usual spot on her wall outside her building, just like she always did.

The sky was just starting to lighten when she felt the sharp pain in the back of her head, then everything became dark. 

She woke up to a hard jolt shifting her body. It was difficult to open her eyes, feeling weak when she finally came to. It felt like she was in a dazed dream. She could feel the familiar movements of being in a car. She slowly opened her eyes to see she was in the back of a van. 

Confusion clouded her brain, a stabbing feeling in her head made her wince as the throb bled into her skull. She tried to move, but her wrist was tightly bound behind her back. That's when panic settled in. What was happening?

“Wakey, wakey, sunshine.”

Ona recognised the voice straight away. She turned to see Slims sitting by the doors of the van, glaring at her. 

It felt like she was staring at a ghost. They had assumed he died from the fall. What did he want with her? How did he even find her?

“What's wrong? Aren't you happy to see me?” He spat.

But Ona didn't reply.

“You and your little dyke girlfriend was huddled together for a while, made me wait 3 fucking days before she left.”

Ona’s stomach dropped, Slims had clearly been following them to know where Ona lived. Neither Lucy or Ona had noticed.

Slims held up Ona’s phone. “What's the pin to your phone, pig? I need to make a call to the other pig.”

Ona ignored him again, only angering the man more. 

Slims chuckled darkly as he rubbed his chin. “Give me the cunting pin.”

Ona just stared at him, not giving the man what he wanted. His next movements were quick, he lept towards her like a crazed beast, making Ona flinch. The girl tried her best to move, but with her arms bound she had nowhere to go. His large rough hands grabbed her ponytail, making her gasp in pain, forcing her already aching head up towards his face. 

“You’re going to tell me the pin to your phone, then you’re going to tell me the name of that cunt that shot me.”

Ona felt rage rise up in her body, not thinking about her next actions, she spat in his already angry face. 

“You fucking little dyke bitch!” Slims lifted his arm, bringing his knuckles down hard against Ona’s eye and cheek, his thick jagged rings catching the soft skin under her eye.

The pain that shot through Onas face was like white hot liquid, for a second she didn't actually know where the pain had started or ended, engulfing all the nerves in her face. When she couldn't open her left eye that's when she realised what happened. She gritted her teeth, trying to firm the pain as much as she could.

“Give me the pin or I'll shoot you right now.” 

Her body went rigid when she felt the cold metal against the side of her head, Ona opened her good eye, the other one already swelling closed. 

“1006.”

Slims typed in the number, opening her phone.

“Now, tell me the name of the bitch that shot me.”

She pressed her lips together, she felt so helpless.

Slims pushed the gun harder against her head, wanting the name.

“L-Lucy.” 

The man looked around the van for his next plan. Ona watched as he found the grey duct tape, ripping some off and pressing it aggressively to her mouth.

Slims went on her contacts finding Lucy. He changed the number to unknown, calling Lucy's phone. Ona could hear the tone dialling, she felt sick, her emotions were everywhere. It was only two rings before the phone was answered but she didn't hear Lucy's voice.

“What's wrong pig? Can’t you speak?” 

“Who is this?” 

Hearing Lucy's voice sent a wave of emotions through her limp body, she wanted so badly to be with her, wrapped up in the safety of her bed, in the safety of Lucy's arms.

“Doesn’t matter. I got your little girlfriend with me, that’s all that matters.” 

“What do you want?”

Ona could hear the fear in Lucy’s voice, it was a foreign sound to her.

“I want my brother out.” 

“Slims?” 

“Get my fucking brother out or she’s dead!”

Ona flinched at the rage in the man's voice, the boom from his words sending a shooting pain to her head.

Ona could hear the pause. 

“You know that’s not possible.” 

Before Ona knew what was happening she was being dragged by her hair, releasing a muffled scream, she would have tried to hold back the noise but the pain in the back of her head made it impossible.

“Hear that pig? I like the way your girlfriend screams.”

Ona winced, she could feel a wet trickle dribbling down her neck, it was more than likely blood from the assault on her head.

“Don’t you fucking dare!” 

“Got your attention now pig? If you don’t get him out she’s dead. And it wont be fucking quick. I’ll have my fun with her first.” 

Slims gave out a dirty chuckle. Ona shivered at his words, she could feel her heart pounding against her ribcage.

“You dare hurt her-”

Ona cried out as Slims pushed her hard, making her back hit the metal tin walls. He grabbed her jacket before she could fall, his face inches from hers, she could smell the cigarette on his breath. The ache that shot through her almost knocked her out, she felt dizzy.

“Getting it now? Get him out.”

Slims hung up the phone, he glared at Ona, the hate in his eyes was evident. He released her clothing, allowing her to fall to the floor, smirking as she groaned from the pain. The man walked back over to the van doors, sitting on a crate.

“Fucking, pigs.” 

Ona closed her eyes, trying her hardest to calm her breathing, she could feel her body shaking uncontrollably. Even though she was trained for hard situations this was something that was completely out of her control. She could only hope her team would help her now.

After 40 minutes the van came to a stop, the engine turning off. The van doors opened, a cold gust of wind hit Ona’s face, making her wince. Slims jumped out of the vehicle, lighting a cigarette. Two more men appeared around the doors, clearly working for Slims.

“Take her inside.” 

Both the men nodded, one jumped in the back and pulled Ona up by her collar, he pushed her forward, wanting her to walk. She slowly walked to the edge of the van, but before she could get down she was kicked in her back. She let out a muffled shriek, not able to stop herself with her arms tied behind her back, she fell face first on the floor. She groaned as her chin took the worst hit, bleeding instantly, the cold rainy air hitting the cut made the sting worse. She could hear the men laughing behind her, her heart was racing with fear.

“Stop fucking about and take her inside!” Slims shouted.

Ona felt herself being lifted roughly, her body was aching, everything felt like it hurt. She looked at her surroundings, they were in the middle of nowhere, it was mostly fields and trees, aside from an abandoned looking storage unit. She was guided to the building, her legs were like jelly as she feared the worst. 

The goons walked her up a flight of metal stairs, Ona looked around with one eye, trying her best to see a place to escape. All she could see were beams of shelving units, but she was shoved in her back. They came to a room with old office equipment inside, the smell of damp and dust consumed her nose.

“I’m going first.” 

Ona heard those chilling words ring into her ears. Before she could stop it she was being pushed towards a desk.

“Take off the tape, I want to hear her.”

The second man ripped the duct tape from Ona’s lips, stinging her skin.

“No! No! Please, stop!” Ona’s voice cracked.

She was pushed forward over the desk. her chest hitting the wood with force, making her gasp loudly. She couldn't stop the tears this time.

“It's a shame she's all beating up, she's got a pretty face. I'd rather look at her while I was inside her, make it romantic.” 

The men laughed loudly at the joke. Ona tried to move but was only pushed further into the desk, constricting her breathing.

“Stop moving.”

She felt her body tense up, every muscle in her body was screaming, she couldn't move, she couldn't even scream, her body felt so weak, she was completely shutting down.

“What the fuck are you doing?” Slim's voice boomed into the room.

The two men turned to their boss.

“Just having a bit of fun, Slims.”

“Fun? Fucking get outside and patrol the area you dumb fucks. She’s the fucking police, do you not think the feds will be hot on her? Get outside, make sure no one followed us.”

Ona felt the pressure come off her body, the two men moving away from her, finally able to take a breath.

“Tie her up first. Fuck!” Slims slammed his palm on the door.

One of the men grabbed Ona’s weak body, moving her towards a metal radiator. Slims threw a bag at his feet. The pig eyed man grabbed some rope from the bag and tied it around Ona’s already restrained wrist, securing her to the metal bars.

The brunette lifted her head up weakly, meeting Slims eyes.

“You better hope she gets my brother out.”

The door slammed behind him, leaving Ona alone. 

She tugged at the restraints around her wrist, again and again, until her skin became red raw. She screamed out into the air, but she knew no one would hear her. Her knees weakly slumped down to the floor, every fibre in her body began to shake. She didn't want to cry, but she could feel her resolve crashing, she felt hopeless.

She began to think about her friends. Her family. Her parents. Lucy. 

She wondered if she would ever see any of her people again. She could feel her heart breaking as she pictured Lucy's face. That's when the tears began to slowly run down her cheeks. 

For the first time in a long time Ona had woken up the happiest she could ever remember being. And in an instant it all came crashing down. Now she didn't even know if she would live through the night.

She closed her eyes, hoping to wake up from this nightmare. The pain in her head started to throb as she fell in and out of consciousness.

—-------

“Okay no worries, thanks anyways.” 

A deep sigh escaped Lucy's lips as another door closed in her face. 

It was maybe the 50th house that she had knocked at, questioning any homeowner that would answer to her. Seen as it was the middle of the day not many people were in, more than likely at work, or the ones that did answer hadn’t seen or heard anything, giving Lucy no leads. 

She had already tirelessly roamed the high street, enquiring shop workers if they had any CCTV footage of the street view, just like her superior had asked. Only 2 of the 16 shops she had questioned had footage she was able to watch on site. Though, the footage she did watch didn’t show anything suspicious. The rest were either not able to give her the footage till the end of the week or simply didn't have any ideas on how to show her.  

She climbed into her car, the rain was coming down hard now, hammering on the roof above her head. Lucy felt weak. Her mind had been all over the place, she hadn't been able to think straight since this morning. But how could she? Ona was gone, she was in the hands of a dangerous criminal. 

So many questions filled the brunette's head. What was happening to Ona? Where had he taken her? Was she even still alive? Had he realised the demands he wanted were obscene, killing her in the process? Not knowing if she was safe was driving the brunette fucking crazy. 

Surely she was okay? He would have to be stupid to think he could hurt her and get away with it. Even if he killed her, he was found, he'd be going away for life. 

Lucy looked at the time, it was 3pm. She turned on her engine, ready to go question a whole other street of houses. Her radio automatically turned on with the car, just catching the end of a song.

🎵 “Islands in the stream. That is what we are. No one in between” 🎵

Of all the songs that could have played it had to be that one.

Lucy closed her eyes as she remembered the way the Spaniard had completely butchered the song at the Karaoke bar. The poor girl didn’t know the song as well as Lucy, making up the words as she sang, even singing some of the lyrics in Catalan. Lucy was no better, she was as tone-deaf as they came, but she couldn't stop the tears that fell from her eyes as she laughed hard at the shorter brunette, even her abs ached the next day. 

Ona had looked truly stunning that night. Her caramel hair fell perfectly around her face, making the contrast between her milky skin and her beautiful dark freckles pop. Lucy had caught herself staring at her throughout the night, watching as the younger girl laughed and danced. Ona would knowingly catch the older brunette staring, a small smirk twitching in the corners of her mouth before taking a sip of her drink, the twinkle in her brown eyes made Lucy's stomach do flips.

It was so blatantly obvious now. Now that Lucy thought back on it. They had both wanted each other, the signs were there, loud and clear, but they had both been too scared. Well, mostly Lucy had been too scared.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the radio.

“Here’s Charlie with your news.”

“A police woman has been abducted earlier this morning outside her residential home. It's led to believe a known criminal is involved in the abduction of 25 year old Ona Batlle. Chief Constable, Sarina Wiegman has told reporters that ‘she is determined to get Miss Batlle back safely’.” In other news…”

Lucy turned down the radio. Her heart wrenched, Sarina would have had to inform her parents or friends about Ona. Lucy gripped the steering wheel, anger spiked back up through her body. She regretted that day on the bridge, she should have just shot Slims in the head.

She was done waiting around, she put her car into gear and made her way to the destination. The rain continued to pour hard, her wipers working overtime to get rid of the water covering her screen. Her hands were turning white with the pressure of her grip, she had never felt a feeling of rage like it. Not since Sophie. It made her head throb, a tension that grew all over her body, like something was taking over her.

She finally got to the destination, she looked at the building where Slims was known to hide away, it was the same house they had raided before. She jumped out of her car, not caring that she was getting soaked from the rain. She got to the house and pounded on the door, she waited a few minutes until a man opened the door. 

He eyed her up, he knew she was police, going by the disgusted look he gave her .

“I’ve already told your little mates to piss off. I didn't talk to them, so I’m not talking to you.” 

The man tried to shut the door but Lucy wedged her boot in the way.

“Move out the fucking way.” He growled. 

“Where is he?” Lucy was trying her best to be calm.

“Fuck off, how about tha-” Before he could finish his sentence Lucy’s fist was splitting his lip open. 

“Ahhh, fuck!” 

The man let out a yelp, while falling on his arse. The brunette moved inside the door, she quickly scanned the house not seeing anyone else. 

“Where is he? Where’s Slims? You know he's taking her. Where is he?” 

The man spat out a mouth full of blood. “She's probably in a ditch somewhere.” He smiled at Lucy, showing his once white teeth stained red. 

Lucy booted the man in his leg, he let out another yelp.

“Fuck. I don’t know where he is!” 

“Don’t fucking lie!” 

Before Lucy could think she grabbed her hand gun that sat on her waist and aimed it at the man on the floor.

This went against everything Lucy was. The brunette knew what she was doing was completely illegal, nobody in the police force could just waltz into a person's home and start demanding information, let alone assault them. But right now she didn't care, she just wanted answers, she just wanted Ona. 

The man's eyes bulged open, finally looking scared. 

“I swear! I don’t know where he is! I only heard about it today!” 

Lucy cocked her gun.

“No! Please. I don’t know anything!” He started to cry.

“Lucy! Drop the gun.”

Lucy heard Jordans voice, but she didn’t lower her gun.

“Come on Luce. Drop it. He’s not worth it.”

Lucy stared at the man, she watched as his tears rolled down his cheeks, it made her wonder if Ona had cried when she was taken. 

Her finger stroked the metal trigger.

She uncocked her gun and slowly lowereed it, staring at the man 

“That's it. Come on, let's get you home.” Jordan’s voice was gentle as she tried to coax her friend away. The brunette allowed Jordan to monaver her, stepping back from the man sniffling. 

“Come, Luce.” 

They began to walk out the house, both Demi and Jordan had a hand on their friend. 

“Fucking bitches.” The man muttered, still lying on the floor. 

Demi didn't hesitate when she blew a fierce kick between the man's legs.

“Fuuuuuck!!” The man groaned as he rolled on the floor, wailing with his hands between his legs. 

“Sorry, my foot slipped.” Demi smirked as she followed Jordan and Lucy out the door.

“Did you get anything from them? Anything on Ona?” Lucy asked, her voice full of anger.

“No. Nothing.” Jordan shook her head, looking at the floor. 

“Fuck.” Lucy kicked the plastic bins outside the house, she was clearly losing her resolve.

“Demi, you drive my car. I’ll drive Lucy’s back to hers. Follow us.” Jordan threw her keys over to Demi.

“No. I want to go to the office. I want to see if there's been any updates.” 

Jordan wanted to argue but she thought better of it, she nodded. “Okay, but I'm driving.” 

“Fine.” Lucy whispered as she walked around to the passenger seat.

Demi and Jordan shared a concerned look. This wasn't like her, but they understood why. She was clearly going through a rollercoaster of emotions, they just felt as hopeless as her, wanting nothing more than to bring Ona home. They could see it was tearing her apart. The girl looked like she was about to lose it all.

It was silent as Jordan drove them back to the office, other than the sound of the window wipers clearing the relentless rain. She looked over every now and then at Lucy, she sighed as she saw the pain in her friend's face, she looked like she wasn't even there, a shell of the Lucy that she knew, completely lost in her own thoughts. 

She knew Lucy needed to take a break, or even a step back from the case, but she also knew if Lucy wanted something she was going to get it.

“How did you know I was there?”

Jordan jumped at the sudden voice. 

“We spotted you driving past us in the car. I knew you were heading that way, so we followed you. To give you back up… just in case.” 

Jordan flicked her eyes back and forth between Lucy and the road in front.

The brunette nodded, watching the rain drip down the window. She was thankful that they showed up, she wasn't sure if they hadn't, how it could have ended.

“Have you eaten?” The blonde asked.

Lucy shook her head. “I can’t eat.”

Jordan pressed her lips together as she came to a stop at the red traffic lights.

“Luce, you need to take a break. You can’t work like this. Let's get you something to eat, yeah?”

Lucy didn’t respond, she sighed as her thoughts were taken up by Ona.

Jordan drove for a little while more until she pulled over to grab some food for herself and Lucy. 

“Here, eat.” She placed the sandwich packet in Lucy's lap but the girl made no attempt to eat. 

Finally, they arrived at the office. The girls made their way inside, Lucy was praying that she would hear some good news about Ona, or any news.

They gathered in the meeting room, it was quiet, nobody spoke until Sarina walked in, from her face alone Lucy knew it wasn't good.

“I’m going to be straight with you all, there hasn't been any updates with Ona. I wish I could tell you more or even a different circumstance but I can’t. We do have more eyes and ears from other branches. I’m also in talks with the chief of police, who are going to help us further with the case. I think our best bet is to keep doing what we’re doing. Wait to see if Slims gives us any leads. I’ve also informed Ona’s loved ones about the situation.” 

The room was silent. Lucy could feel a few eyes on her, but she kept her gaze down.

“You’re dismissed, but please keep your phones with you in case I need to call you in. We will have an overnight team keeping an eye on any leads that may come through.”

The room started to slowly empty.

“Bronze, a word.” 

Lucy nodded, she knew Sarina was going to pull her up for her outburst earlier but she didn't care, she had nothing in her to care.

The blonde women eyed the younger girl as it became only them left.

“I’m so sorry this has happened, Lucy.” 

Lucy looked at her superior.

“I know you and Ona are close, maybe closer than just partners. So, I can’t imagine how you're feeling, but I need your head straight, Bronze, not for me, but for Ona.”

Lucy knew she was right, but words were so much easier said than done.

“Yeah, I’m sorry about earlier. I didn’t mean to-”

“Stop. It's nothing.” She smiled softly at the brunette.

“Go home. Eat, shower, sleep. I need you ready in case anything comes up.”

“Yeah, I'll try.” Lucy gave a sad smile.

The older woman wanted to assure Lucy that it was all going to be okay, that Ona was going to come back, but she knew she couldn't promise that.

The older woman patted Lucy on the back, walking out with her.

Lucy drove home, though she didn't remember doing it. She walked inside her house, but it didn't feel like hers. She looked at her phone, she had countless missed calls from her mum, dad and brother, they had obviously seen the news, but she had nothing in her to speak to them, she couldn’t. 

She slowly walked over to her front room slumping on the sofa, it felt like her body was made of lead. Her muscles and bones ached, but from what? She hadn't done anything, but the pain in her body swept over her all the same.

She felt like she was sinking, like her chest was  filling with sand, her rib cage becoming tighter with each breath she desperately tried to take, but never getting the air that she needed. She grabbed the closest pillow that she could, squeezing it to her chest, trying to feel herself, ground herself. She felt like she was in a hot fever dream, maybe she was? Maybe this was all just a nightmare and she hadn't woken up yet.

Maybe she was still in bed with Ona, stroking her naked back, smiling as the smaller girl giggled from Lucy's touch. Laughing as Lucy grabbed her in a tight hug, both their naked bodies warm against the other. 

Maybe she would wake up and they were at her parents house, laughing at Lucy's baby pictures. Maybe if she woke up she would be at that Spanish restaurant that Ona liked, finding out more things about the younger brunette. 

If only she could wake up and see Ona’s freckled morning face again, her fingers tangled in her hair as she made love to her over and over again. Her heart pounding as Ona barely whispered her name as she coaxed her to another orgasm, her legs shaking around her waist as they lost themselves in each other.

Lucy screamed into the pillow, it hurt. The tears then followed, the tears were blinding, she couldn't see, she couldnt breath. She screamed again, this time she definitely ripped something, but she didn't care. Her mind kept going blank, her head felt heavy, like she wasn't even able to hold it up, it felt like everything was shutting down. Her lungs, her eyes, her brain, her thoughts, it all felt too hard for her body to take. 

She woke up a couple hours later, she didn't even realise she had fallen asleep, she must have passed out. The pain in her head ached, it felt like she was hungover, her throat was dry, a metallic taste rose up her throat, her stomach was in knots and her hands were shaky. She forced herself to the kitchen, but she couldn't bring herself to eat. She showered, but for at least 10 minutes she just stood there, the luke water hitting her skin. 

As it got later Lucy tried to sleep. She laid in her bed, she closed her eyes, trying her hardest for her body and mind to rest. But of course it was no use. She tossed and turned in her bed. Her head was all over the place, all she could think about was Ona, her screams were cemented in her brain. She felt sick again. She needed air.

Lucy found herself driving around the city of London. The usually busy streets were a ghost town apart from the odd night dweller, or the bin people collecting the mountains of rubbish from the bars and pubs. She drove over tower bridge, taking in the bright lights of the city. It reminded her of the night she took Ona to the spot by the river, when it was her first week at the firm. She could still see Ona’s bright brown eyes twinkling as she took in the sight. 

Before she knew it she was parked outside the office. She glared at the grey building, the sky becoming a little lighter as the sun began to rise, the birds singing their morning songs. She walked up the steps, letting out a deep sigh. She didn’t know why she came here, it was like she was on autopilot. She knew she didn’t want to go home, maybe being here felt closer to Ona. 

She walked through the dark office space, she spotted LJ sitting at a computer, the bright glow from the screen on her face, she looked tired. 

“Hey, Luce.” She whispered. 

“Hey.” 

LJ didn’t seem shocked to see Lucy, it wasn’t the first time Lucy had slinked into the office when she couldn’t sleep. The older brunette was glad she didn’t question her on it.

Lucy leaned next to LJ, looking over the screens. The younger brunette was watching over any footage in the proximity of Ona’s house, looking for any vehicles or activity that looked suspicious. There was also a smaller screen to track Ona’s phone, the last place being tracked wasn’t far from her home, but since the last call they hadn’t been able to trace it again. 

“Any updates?” 

LJ sighed as she leaned back, Lucy heard a few of her bones cracking at her movements. 

“No, nothing. Well, one black van. I followed camera footage until it no longer was being picked up. I ran the number plate and now I'm waiting for the van company to get back to me.”

Lucy nodded. She walked over to her desk, her hand gently gripping Ona’s chair. She smiled to herself at how neat the Spaniards desk was compared to her own. 

She let out a deep sigh as she sat at her computer, opening up the files on the case that involved Slims. Half an hour later she was scrolling through the names of the men that were connected with the case. She wondered if she could find their properties and ‘question’ them. 

The older brunette stared out the window, the sun was just staring to make the clouds orange. The streets of London starting to wake again, 

She heard LJ groan and stretch from across the room, tiredly getting up from her desk, and heading to the toilet. Lucy gave out her own yawn, and made her way to the kitchen to make a pot of coffee. She put the kettle on and instantly zoned out, staring at the water as it began to boil through the glass. Her bitten finger tips unconsciously migrated to her mouth, biting the already bloody nail beds. The brunette was in her own world, lost in thought, once again feeling hopeless. Feeling sick.

Ona of course clouded her brain, she wondered if the girl was okay, she wondered if she had been fed, she wondered if she had been left somewhere, had she been hurt? Or worse. She felt her eyes pricking with heat again, threatening to let her tears spill over. 

The high pitched screeching sound of the kettle started ringing in her ears, bringing her back to the present. 

The kettle came to the end of the boil, the bubbles slowly calming down to a simmer. She looked up as she faintly heard the sounds of what sounded like the office phone ringing but then ended. She continued to make herself and Lauren a cup of coffee. 

The younger brunette was still away from her desk as Lucy placed the hot mug on her coaster, that's when her eye caught the red dot, blinking on the screen. 

It was Ona’s phone.

Her heart jumped in her throat, the small red dot was flashing across the map. She pressed a couple of buttons and was given the address. She could tell the location wasn't the city, it was easily a 40 minute drive, maybe 30 if she rushed and used her police lights through the town. She hurriedly took her phone out of her pocket, taking a picture of the location. 

She grabbed her jacket as she ran out of the building, but not before she stopped at the armoury room.

[bigidiotenergytm]

Antinous stood before him, arms crossed as he glanced at the king, the cuffs keeping him from attacking him tight. The only thing that kept him alive that night was the bronze collar around his neck which gleamed in the candle light of the palace.

He glared up at the older man, scarlet eyes gleaming in the scarce light of the room. Antinous' hair seemed like a lion's mane, long, thick, wavy. It was also a deep chocolate color that Odysseus had in his youth.

“I assume you don't want to tell me why you summoned me here,” the boy glared up at him, his eyes glimmering with malice, “again."

The ex-suitor hissed the word 'again' with audible distain in his voice.

The king and the boy would have been through this process three times already. Three times had the bot been brought to stand before the king only for the king to refuse to tell the boy why he was there.

It was starting to agitate the boy. Not knowing your fate was just about as damn terrifying as knowing your fate after all.

Absent mindedly, Antinous started messing with the red shawl over his robes. It truly only covered on shoulder, leaving the other one bare since his chestplate had been stripped from his possession at the beginning of his imprisonment under the king, but he hadn't made the move to fix it since he was thrown in jail.

With a wave of courage, Antinous stood up and approached the king. The guards who had been watching him panicking and holding the chains to his cuffs tighter.

"Just tell me why I'm still alive Odysseus!!! Why me!?"

(I'm using @cotton-candy-anon's Antinous because he looks closer to the Odyssey Antinous and I like that-)

"Hm?" The KING turns his attention to Antinous. Eyes simply blinking at him. Odysseus was enjoying a simple cup of wine. Sipping at it, swirling it around. The light reflected against the golden band that finally sits back atop his head after 20 years. He didn't sit at his throne. He stood, as he only ever had with Antinous in his presence.

Odysseus could tell. Could tell just how much this got underneath the prisoner's skin. As if the feral wolf this man tried to be was caged. Cornered. How long? How long, until the wolf would bare its teeth in its last hope to strike fear?

— Antinous lunges at him. Not long. The king doesn't move a muscle. The guards prevent the man from getting any closer. Those chains and cuffs force him at bay. It seems UNFAIR, doesn't it? So many men against one? Truly, it wasn't as unfair as you'd think. The guards weren't there to protect Odysseus.

"You want to know why you're the final man to die." It's been the same look since he's been back. That same look at greeted this man and the same look that turned him into a prisoner. How that white glint in his eyes always turn RED.

"Maybe I should crush you. Maybe I should drown you. Maybe I should turn you into the pig you are. Maybe I should make you fight which even the Gods are scared of. Should I make you kill more men? Or would you enjoy that? Should I keep you prisoner, forced to live in MY PARADISE while you suffer? Make you just a pet to the royalty you MUTINIED against?" Antinous is taller. Odysseus is all but forced to raise his head to meet his gaze. But somehow. Someway. The king ALWAYS looks down on him.

"You're alive because I know men like you. I know not knowing is what's KILLING you." A smile. "What is it, Antinous? Is it that you despise being played? Is it, that you feel, I HOLD YOU DOWN? While you slowly age? Is it, you feel, I'm holding you down while I slowly break your pride, your trust, and your faith?" He leans in close. "Do you feel you are left to go to waste, Antinous?"