#deadly voice part 29

[lovelyladyabsinthewrites]

Pairing(s):Edward Cullen x Wolf!Reader, Jacob Black x Witch!OC

Warnings: this will be the second to last chapter of this series, some spanish (i know a little but thanks to being extremely white washed i still had to go to google translate 🙃), really sorry this took so long :(, i'll try to get the last part out in a timely manner but no promises

Words: 3842

Part 1  Part 2  Part 3  Part 4  Part 5  Part 6  Part 7 Part 8  Part 9  Part 10  Part 11  Part 12  Part 13  Part 14  Part 15  Part 16  Part 17  Part 18  Part 19  Part 20  Part 21  Part 22  Part 23   Part 24  Part 25  Part 26  Part 27  Part 28 Part 29  Part 30  Part 31  Part 32  Part 33 Part 34 Part 35 Part 36 Part 37 Part 38 Part 40(series finale)

Screams coming from Sam's home has your paws picking up speed and Evita's hands tightening in your fur so that she could hold on. The others were at your heels, uneasiness clouding the pack telepathy and only thinking of the worse. Surely, today couldn't get any worse, right?

Once in the backyard, no one cares that you three wolves are stark naked. Evita didn't bat an eye having grown accustomed to the pack's frequent nudity.

Nearly ripping the backdoor off it's hinges, all of you crowd into the kitchen and rush through to the living room where Bella and Nadege are screaming, but not in pain in horror. Their outburst is one of pure delight when you catch the sight of a perfectly made ward clutched in Bella's hand.

Tension flees from you and you too pull Evita forward as both of you squeal in delight.

"You did it!!" Sliding onto your knees in front of her, you beckon for Bella to show you the ward. Evita's curls bounce with excitement as she says something in Spanish to Nadege.

Bella's eyes are large and there's the telltale sign of glossy tears that are on the brink of following over her bottom lashes. You'd never seen her smile that wide. Her hands are trembling when she hands it over to you for inspection.

"All the wards are finished." Evita gleefully announces to the others in the room that had gone unnoticed in the moment.

Seth, gleaming over Nadege's shoulder, rises to his full height to address Jacob. "Sam?"

Difficult to pull his attention away from Bella's ward, he reluctantly looks up at Seth and Emily who lingered near the hallway. "He'll be at the Cullens for a while. They have Irina there under some sort of sleeping spell."

You catch the younger wolves grumble about missing it but one silencing glare from Leah, they settle down and merely fold their arms. Quil and Embry, sitting next to them, are grateful that it's not them for once on the receiving end of Leah's deadly gaze.

"We need to disperse these wards as soon as possible." Evita says while searching through her backpack for a rolled up piece of printer paper. Inked on it was a map of the Forks-LaPush area. "They don't have to be placed at these exact coordinates. Just as long as they're in the general area."

"I'll go get the other wards." Emily nods and retreats to the bedroom she shared with Sam, deemed the most secure place in the house.

Back and laying out the rest of the wards on the coffee table, there's the question of dividing the pack into groups to scatter them in their appropriate locations.

And much to your shock, their eyes all turned to you.

It takes you a moment to realize everyone was staring at you. You were still congratulating Bella while the others spoke.

When you find their attention solely on you, it causes your face to warm. "What?"

"Well. . . since the older members of the pack are at the Cullens. . ." Jacob takes the lead since no one else was saying anything. "And you and Sam have been spending a lot more time together-"

"You're the closest thing to an alpha we have at the moment." Leah finishes for Jacob since he appeared to be struggling with an explanation.

Nadege and Evita possess toothy grins as they glance from you to your packmates.

"Me?" Voice squeaking, you feel your palms grow clammy.

Embry's warm eyes happens to calm your nerves as he gives you an encouraging grin. "Well, alpha?"

Taking a deep breath, you nod your head. "Okay."

Ideally you'd want to wait for the sky to darken a little more to better hide the massive wolves moving through the woods (and even having to cross a few public streets) to get to their given pinpoints.

You and Evita stay behind as you watch the other duos disappear in the weaving web of the forest trees. Brady and Embry to one direction, Quil and Colin, Seth and Leah; the only pairing you questioned slightly was Bella and Jacob. Perhaps they could use this time to make up as well (not like you were one to talk. you had yet to even mention what happened to him). Nadege would take the last one and shift to her bird body. She much preferred an aerial view opposed to you and your packmates navigating by scent and memory.

Phasing back to your superior wolf form, Evita easily swings herself onto your back. Her fingers slightly pull at your fur as she makes sure to get a good grip. The first time she'd been a passenger on you, she'd fallen without much help staying on you. Learning her lesson, she now used your fur as handlebars, being as gentle as she could while also affirming that she would not be flying off.

You and Evita would be the group to go the furthest out. You'd have to travel to the border of where Forks meets the Elk Creek Conservation Area. Doing your best to keep away from the public eye and keeping to the wilderness.

Trying not to stumble, you realize you're impatient to get this whole thing over and done with. No more of the black overbearing cloud that were the Volturi looming over your heads. Irina was subdued. Victoria was long gone. The Volturi were your only obstacle left. And then. . .

You might be able to have a chance to finally breathe and enjoy your budding relationship with Edward. Live a life of a young lady in love. Was that too much to ask for?

Awkward was not quite the word Jacob would have chosen. Tense, perhaps cringe inducing were the more appropriate terms. Instead of shapeshifting like the rest of his pack, he chose to use his motorcycle and have Bella on the back of his seat. Her hands cling onto the front of his shirt from behind. Jacob had noticed the lack of strength as she gripped onto the fabric. He'd overheard from Dieufel how using magic could drain one's energy. Especially those who are just beginning in the practice. Making that ward must have taken a lot out of her.

Irina had destroyed much of his garage including his beloved Volkswagen. But his motorbike survived.

They drove in silence to the northern most part of Forks.

Actually, not complete silence. Thanks to the slight auditory enhancement he possessed with his human body, Jacob could hear the rapid fluttering of the cardiac muscle that resides in her chest. Swore he could even feel it too against his back as Bella clung to him.

While he felt incensed for what (y/n) had down in spilling the beans, he knew he'd omitted the truth to Bella and ultimately was the cause for her hurt feelings. He'd wanted to apologize before hoping onto his bike, but time was crucial more than ever.

"This should be good enough." Jacob says once the engine of his bike is silenced.

Bella pulls off her helmet and puts it in the spot behind Jacob. She looks around at the barren area where they'd stopped at. Nadege instructed her that all Bella was required to do now was simply dig a small hole and bury the ward. The witch doubted the Volturi would even be aware of what the ward was if they came across it. Better safe than sorry.

From the small backpack, Bella grabs the two necessary items for their mission: the ward and a small handheld spade.

She couldn't mess this up.

She wouldn't mess this up.

Her fingers have a stranglehold on the items in each of her hands. Jacob watches her curiously while scanning his eyes around their surroundings every so often.

Dirt flies as she makes a hole deep enough to properly cradle the stone smooth ward. Covering it back up, she flattens the earth back into proper alignment to not draw attention to what is buried underneath.

"Done." Her smile is hopeful when she walks back to Jacob. Her helmet is almost on her head before Jacob interrupts her.

"Wait, Bella. . ."

Hesitantly, Bella lowers her arms along with the helmet and arches a slim brow up.

"I'm sorry about what happened the last time we hung out. I'm sorry about a lot of things, actually. I should have at least told you about the imprinting. But, I was in denial about it. I didn't want it to be on someone I didn't know. I always hoped that you would somehow be my imprintee." Jacob chews on his bottom lip. "You didn't deserve that though. You're my friend. Probably one of my best friends but don't tell the others."

"I just wished you would've let me be there for you like you've always been there for me, Jake. I can't imagine what you were going through all that time. Didn't understand why you were acting like an-"

"Asshole?"

"Yes."

Both laugh.

"I forgive you." Bella says with a smile still on her face. "How are you feeling about the imprinting now? Still in denial?"

That has his expression sobering up. "Can't really deny it anymore. Plus I feel better knowing that Leah's imprinted on that Dieufel dude."

"Wait- really?"

Jacob nods. "Yup. Neither Dieufel or Evita know about it. Sam instructed the pack not to let the witches know of the imprinting until after this ordeal with the Voltur is finished with."

Their gaze lingers back to their buried treasure. Bella encouragingly tells him "Well, that day may be sooner than you thought. If she's worth the wait, which I think she is, then you just have to bear through it."

Bella holds his hand. it wasn't even that long ago where this kind of contact would have him getting butterflies in his stomach. Now though he sees her as a sister.

That's when he sees the exhaustion on her face. "You tired?"

"Magic, as I am now learning, is a lot more energy draining than I imagined." With the weariness was contentment though. She glowed thinking of all that cramming paid off. "This makes me feel like i can right some of the mistakes that have come from my involvement with Edward"

"Want me to drop you off on the way back?" Offers Jacob.

She declines. "No. I want to see this thing through."

"Quit moping." Leah scolds him through pack telepathy.

The skin of Seth's muzzle furls into an ugly snarl that shows his front teeth. "I'm NOT moping. Why didn't you tell me you imprinted? I wouldn't have judged you for it or anything! I'm your brother-"

She turns to snap her jaws at him. The pouch that hung around her thick neck swings from the sharp movement. There lay their ward that they are to bury. "I didn't want ANYONE to know. I wished it had never happened!"

Seth flinches away, ears flattening against his head and tail moving between his legs.

Taking her temper down a few notches when she feels the hurt radiating from him, Leah internally sighs. She shouldn't be picking fights, especially not with the pack. Enough fighting will be ahead. There shouldn't be any interpersonal fighting within the pack.

She loved her brother and since losing their father, she didn't want to lose anyone else in her small family.

They begin walking again though Leah noticed Seth was further behind.

"I was scared, Seth. I'm sorry. I didn't know what to do. I panicked. . ." Hating admitting that she felt fear, Seth acknowledged her apology as genuine.

Quiet passes for a few minutes until Leah could feel Seth beside her once more; his paws emitting gentle pitter patters over small twigs and crunchy leaves. "No. . . it's alright. . . from (y/n) and Jacob. . . imprinting doesn't seem like a good thing."

"Hopefully when you imprint it won't be as complicated." Leah adds with a small lilt to her thoughts that makes it sound like she's smiling.

Doubt crept in. He hadn't seen anyone positively impacted by their imprinting thus far. Even Sam and Emily started on a rocky start. Imprinting became something terrifying to the younger wolves. He'd spoken with Brady and Colin, neither happy or looking forward to finding their soulmate. In fact they continuously hoped that it would never happen to them. Being a wolf was hard enough.

To change the subject, Seth goes about finding an appropriate dig spot when they reach their destination. His long claws are useful pulling up dirt.

Leah's back in her human skin, pulling at the chord around her neck to open the pouch. She holds the stone in her hand. Warm to the touch. Waiting for Seth to finish, her attention is completely enraptured by the small rock that would ultimately save so many lives. They were putting all their faith in this thing.

She heaves a heavy sigh, placing the stone into the ground, murmuring a silent pray she wasn't sure anyone would hear.

"Do you think anyone else from the pack will imprint soon?" Brady once again asks Embry and he has to refrain from groaning. The leather pouch strung around his neck bobs as he merely shakes his head to emote his ire. "I wish I had imprinted on Nadege. She's so hot."

If he were in his human body, Embry certainly would have rolled his eyes. "Focus Brady. This is important and we can't fuck it up."

The younger wolf whines. "I know it's important. I just want to lighten the mood. Everything has been so. . . life or death lately."

Embry felt for Brady. He really did. Poor kid was the youngest in the pack. Not even fifteen yet. Brady wasn't allowed to act like a kid his age normally will thanks to this whole werewolf shit.

Reading his thoughts, Brady flicks an ash brown furred ear. "I'd rather be a wolf then some boring teenager."

"You think that for now." It had been all fun and games for Embry too until (y/n) imprinted on Edward.

Thoughts are interrupted by the loud screeching of a bird from overhead. Brady's body lowers to the ground, lips parted in a snarl as his eyes shoot upwards. Embry too digs his nails into the ground, preparing for any kind of air assault that may come their way. This bird didn't sound like any they'd encountered in the wild before.

Familiar colored feathers flurry around in a storm when a giant falcon dives to the ground. Nadege is flushed, panic striking her eyes. "Bury the ward and get out of here. I just saw two cloaked figures traveling down the mountainside. They must be your Volturi."

She returns to her hawk form, allowing the boys to pick up speed and hurry up all while shooting the message down the pack telepathy.

"Stay calm you guys." They can hear Leah's voice. "Just get it down and get out of there. Like Nadege said."

"Evita said once the last ward is in place, the entire thing will activate." (y/n) says. Since Embry has known the girl since childhood, he picked up on the nervous tremor of her thoughts. She was rightfully worried about them encountering members of the Volturi so soon. "We've already buried our's. Evita got a text from Bella that they've buried their's as well."

"Our's is buried too." Quil replies.

Nadege follows them from the sky, partially leading them to the area they were supposed to be in.

"Maybe if Brady hadn't been mooning over Nadege-"

"Shut up Colin!"

"Both of you shut up!" Leah and (y/n) command in unison.

Phasing, Embry yanks open the pouch hastily while Brady starts to dig a hole with his giant paws.

Another ear splitting cry from the treetops, cutting through the forest. Nadege. The Volturi were even closer, uncomfortably so. Her bird body lands on a branch, sharp talons piercing the bark for support. Feathers ruffled in agitation.

Kicking dirt back into the hole, Embry successfully grins. "Done!" He pivots to Brady. "Lets get the hell out of here!"

Brady wasn't looking at Embry though. Frozen to the spot and fur spiked up, slowly his snout furls into a snarl. Nadege releases a high-pitched whistle, sharp and penetrating scream.

"So, these are the wolves Irina told us about."

Without his heightened wolf sense, their scent had passed by him. Embry feels sweat prickling at the nape of his neck despite the chill in the air.

"Turn around, boy."

A throaty growl rumbles from Brady who dared to take a step closer to Embry. Embry simply tried to shoot him a look that hopefully read 'stay where you are' or 'don't move'.

He does so, knowing the rest of the pack was on their way. And that the wards were in position. To test it, all the Volturi had to do was try and pass over it to get to Embry and Brady.

Embry holds his breath, staring into two pairs of blood red eyes. Eery and reminding Embry of the newborns they'd faced off with two weeks prior.

One of them chuckles. "He's nothing but a mere child. The other also seems like just a pup himself."

They creep closer and Embry has to resist glancing down at the ground at the fresh pile of dirt that hid the ward. Instead he waits while his heart is ramming against sternum, threatening to break free from it's confines. These two. . . they felt different from the newborns he'd faced off against.

"Where are the others in your pack?" The taller of the two cock their head to the side. His foot steps over the threshold, a few inches away from Embry. Immediately there's a sizzling sound before the Volturi guard shoots back as if electrically shocked. He hisses in pain, scarlet eyes glaring at Embry. His companion eyes him questioningly before Nadege swoops from her perch and in another flurry of feathers switches back to her human form to protectively stand next to Embry.

He hisses "A witch. More unnatural creatures."

Recovering from his pain, the other one bares his teeth. "Aro will be pleased to know about this. He'll enjoy wiping all of you off the face of the earth."

"I'd like to see him try." Nadege fiercely barks back. Her height matched that of the taller Volturi member. She was a commanding beauty who wouldn't back down. Not when it meant the lives of those she had befriended. "You Volturi are ignorant of the world around you. If you truly aim to rid the world of other beings like us, you'll never achieve it."

That statement outrages the vampires.

Not more than the thundering of large paws that makes the earth tremble. Back up had finally arrived.

A horde of snapping jaws and snarling faces. Bella is seated atop of Jacob's russet brown wolf while Evita is atop of (y/n)'s back. The human girls glare at the ruby eyed vampires. Bella recalling their identities with a scowl.

"Miss Swan."

"Demetri." Her pale lips spit out. Fingers curl tighter into Jacob's fur.

Demetri's companion hisses. "Traitor. You have gone back on your word."

"The situation has changed."

Edward, flanked by a newly returned Carlisle and Jasper, emerge from the trees on the side of the Volturi guards.

"Explain this heresy." Demetri turns to them while Felix keeps his wicked gaze on the wolves. "Why have you allied yourselves with these beasts? Not telling the Volturi of their existence would be considered the highest of crimes."

"Like Edward said, the situation has changed. They helped us fight Victoria's newborn army. They are not the werewolves which the Volturi exterminated throughout Europe centuries ago." Carlisle simply explains with that calm demeanor of his. Perhaps Jasper was using his ability on their side to soothe the tempers of Demetri and Felix as the rigidness of their posture slackened.

"One of those wolves just so happens to be my mate too." Edward proudly announces which only sends disgust through Demetri and Felix.

Felix laughs bitterly "So you traded in a human for a mongrel?"

The wolves growl in indignation for their packmate. (y/n) simply flicks an ear, uncaring for what they thought.

"Easy there." warned Carlisle. "Right now you're trespassing on their territory. I would change the tone if I were you. If you'll just follow us back to our house-"

"What and talk it over a nice cup of tea?" Demetri lightly mocked. "No, this can't be resolved that simply."

"Demetri, please-"

"You've aligned yourself with these savage animals. Not just them, but mortals who possess the powers of a supernatural. They have no place in our world."

"Que hombre tan tanto. (What a stupid man)"

Evita's eyes round at the two newcomers entering the forest. A fearful tremor in her voice. "Mama?"

As if taking a leisure forest stroll, Alice and an older woman stand side by side. Alice looking so petite and pale compared to her companion whose dark, wild curls had strands of silver that would catch on the light. A burgundy shawl is wrapped around her shoulders, covering the cream colored blouse she wore.

Evita's mother scowls at her daughter on the other side of the ward's protective embrace. "Evita, estas en un gran problema. ¿Aquí es donde has estado? (Evita, you're in big trouble. This is where you've been?)" Her eyes, while being the same lovely color as Evita's, had the tell tale signs of aging. Also much like Evita when the pack first met her, there's that tangy scent of magic that wafts through the air that clung to the older woman.

At the slight threatening tone in her voice, Evita pales.

Switching from Spanish to English, Annalisse huffs and turns to address Demetri and Felix. "You two feel like big men? Threatening children?" They open their mouths like their about to protest, but Annalisse silences them with a slash of her hand. Whether that was due to magic or just her intimidating air would be a mystery. Either way it did the trick.

Almost comedic how they shrank away from her as she struts straight up to them despite Alice and the other three Cullen males trying to stop her. This woman was fearless and had the pack staring at her in admiration. Witches were made of much stronger stuff than the regular human. Even Nadege almost leapt into action once the Volturi duo arrived.

"If you want war, the only losers in it would be the Volturi. Only a handful of your kind possess special abilities. Unlike us. You think immortality will save you? That your massive coven will be enough? You're outnumbered even now."

A few quiet seconds pass, Demetri and Felix exchanged glances, a hint of uncertainty flickering in their eyes. They were used to asserting dominance, but this woman exuded a power they hadn't anticipated. Reluctantly, Demetri spoke up, his tone begrudging. "Carlisle, show the way."

Please let me know what you guys would like to see in the final chapter :) I'm interested to hear how you want things to end.

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[bupia]

Hello ✨ could you please do 28, 29 and 36 with Copia? <3

Inexperienced Smut Prompts: Copia, Papa Emeritus IV

"Do that again." "I never knew you could make such sweet sounds." - "Me neither..." "I got you."

There’s a smut bellow the cut, +18 only, please. [fem!reader] (voyeurism and oral sex) — I guess I wrote a lot for this one.

You inhaled deeply before your hand grasped the doorknob to his office. This wasn't your first time entering his office; in fact, you had been here many times before. However, a sense of nervousness gripped you this time, unlike any previous visits. It was different now that it was he who had summoned you with an air of urgency.

Gathering courage to face Papa, you sighed and reached for the doorknob, opening the door of his office.

"Papa...?" you called for him as you opened the door.

"Sorella! Vieni, vieni!" Copia exclaimed, gesturing with his hand inviting you to come inside. "Come inside, per favore."

"Thank you, Papa," you said, entering his office, closing the door behind you.

"I'm glad you found a time for me. I know you've been very busy those last few days."

"Oh! Yes, since you left your Cardinal role, things have been changing and you know how we need to rearrange everything inside of the ministry for you."

"Sì, sí," he nodded. "But that's not the reason I called you here today, sorella," he cleared his throat before continuing. "You should know that you are one of the most remarkable members of our ministry, I appreciate your devotion and your posture inside of our unholy house, but, a little bird told me your little secret."

At this moment, you come to a halt where you stand. What was Papa referring to? Maybe...

"At our ministry," he went on, "We wholeheartedly embrace the seven deadly sins, as you are aware. However, a little bird whispered to me that you, sorella, are unacquainted with one of them."

Copia strode towards you, coming to stop right in front of you. His hands extended towards your neck, his fingertips gently caressing the skin as he traced upwards, ultimately reaching for the knot of your habit's veil situated at the back of your head. With a deft motion, he untied it, allowing the veil to cascade down and settle onto the floor.

"P-Papa..." you uttered, your breath catching in your throat. "I... I can... explain."

"There's no need for you to offer any explanations, sorella," his hand extended toward your scalp, his fingers weaving through the strands of your hair as he administered a soothing massage to your head. "I've not come to pass judgment upon you, not in the slightest. In fact, I called you here today to assist you."

Your gaze met his, a blush warming your cheeks, as his gloved hands continued their gentle ministrations on your head. The sensation of his fingertips kneading your scalp made your lips part involuntarily, a soft sound escaping your throat, almost a whimper, as you surrendered to the sensation, closing your eyes to fully savor the moment.

"Does it feel good, sorella?" Copia murmured.

"Y- Yes..." you whispered, swiftly opening your eyes and instinctively moving a step away from him. "I apologize, Papa. I'm truly sorry."

"There's no need," he reassured, his smile carrying warmth. "Now," he continued, stepping back towards his desk. "Share with your Papa what transpired, why you find yourself unfamiliar with the sin of lust."

Copia shifted his position, leaning against the desk for support, while you advanced a few steps, positioning yourself before him—close enough to engage yet maintaining a respectful distance.

"You see, Papa, I... I..." you began, your voice laden with a hint of uncertainty as you attempted to summon your courage to speak. "I've already touched myself, sometimes, but... I just never did it with someone else."

"Oh, sì," he nodded in understanding. "So the issue here is that you never actually engaged in it, sì?"

"Yes, that's the reason I haven't... partaken in the sin of lust," you affirmed.

"And is it your desire not to, sorella?"

"I do want to," you nodded. "However, I don't wish to engage in such an act with just any fellow member of the ministry, Papa."

"What do you mean by that, sorella?"

"I'm not entirely sure how to explain, Papa," you responded, your gaze drifting away from him to focus on your feet. "It's not that I lack the desire, but rather that I believe I shouldn't."

"Shouldn't? How so?"

"Well... I mean, technically I could, but I don't think I should with someone I don't genuinely desire."

He concurred, his expression understanding. "You are absolutely correct, cara," he acknowledged, his hand lifting to touch your chin, gently tilting your head to meet his gaze. "But if you have a particular someone in mind, remember that you can always confide in me, cara."

You nodded, watching as he stepped away from the desk and made his way to his chair. You observed him as he seated himself, then took a deep breath, your fingers gripping your habit.

"You," you admitted.

"Hm? What?"

"I... I w- want it to be you, P- Papa," you stammered, nervously.

His eyes widened slightly, then narrowed slightly. "Eh?" he asked, his tone conveying surprise. "Why would you wish to have me, cara?"

"I... I... I just thought..." you stammered. "That you might be able to help me... I mean, I know you're our Papa, but..."

"It is true, I am Papa," he confirmed, nodding. "But that does not mean I can't share my bed with a sorella."

"I know that, Papa," you sighed. "I was hoping that perhaps you would be willing to share your bed with me, though."

"Carissima," he smiled, inclining his head. "You are very beautiful, cara, and you are also one of the most devoted siblings of our ministry, so I would be honored to share my bed with you, sorella."

Your heart leapt within your chest, causing your breathing to become erratic.

"I suppose we should discuss the details of this arrangement, cara," he said.

"What details?"

"The specifics of our arrangement, for one thing, cara," he explained, his smile growing broader. "And of course, I will need to know more about you, cara. Do you have any experience in matters of the flesh?"

You blushed furiously, averting your eyes. "I..." you began, your voice faltering. "I haven't had much experience in such matters as I said before, Papa," you confessed.

He chuckled softly. "Ah, cara, you are adorable. I am certain that you will be an excellent lover, sorella."

You watched as he stood up and walked over to you, his hands reaching out to cup your face.

"But enough talk, cara. It is time for us to consummate our agreement."

You blushed again, then looked up into his eyes, your lips parting slightly.

"Papa..." you whispered. "Are you sure?"

"Sì." His hand slid around your waist, pulling you against him. "Let's go to my chambers, cara?"

"Yes, Papa," you replied, your voice trembling.

He walked towards the door of his office, opening the door for you. You walked in his direction, leaving the office. He followed you and you both walked through the corridors, your heart pounding within your chest. You were afraid that you were going to faint, but managed to keep your composure.

As you two arrived on his chambers, Copia opened the door for you and you entered with him following you right after, closing the door behind him.

He turned to you, smiling, his arms reaching out to pull you close. You placed your hands on his shoulders and kissed him passionately, your tongue sliding between his lips. His arms wrapped around your body, holding you close as you continued to kiss him.

He pulled away from you, his hands sliding down your back until they reached your bottom, pulling you closer against him. His fingers slipped between your legs, caressing your mound through the fabric of your habit. You moaned softly, your hips moving against his hand.

"You want me, don't you, cara? "he asked huskily.

"Yes, Papa," you gasped, your voice breathless.

"I want you so badly, sorella."

He lowered his head, kissing your neck, his teeth nipping at your skin. You felt yourself becoming wetter as he continued to touch you, his fingers sliding inside your panties. He moved them slowly, rubbing against your clit, making you gasp.

"You are so wet, cara," he whispered, his breath hot on your neck. "I can feel how wet you are. You are already soaking wet for me, aren't you, cara?"

"Yes, P-Papa," you breathed, your voice husky. "I'm so wet for you. I want you so bad, Papa."

He groaned, his fingers continuing to rub against your clit, making you even wetter. "Oh, cara, I want you so badly," he moaned, his voice low and rough. "I want to taste you, cara. I want to taste all of you."

You whimpered, your hips pushing against his hand. "Please, Papa, please," you begged.

"Anything you want, cara. Anything you want," you could hear the lust in his voice. "Anything, cara. Just tell me what you want."

"I want you, Papa," you breathed, your voice hoarse. "I want you so much, please."

You heard him groan. "Sì, cara, you'll have your Papa. But first..."

He pulled away from you, your hands falling to your sides as you stared at him, your breathing ragged.

"First..?" you asked, your voice trembling.

"First, I want you to remove your clothes," he looked at your eyes. "I want to see you, I want to see all of you."

You started to unbutton your habit, sliding it down your body, staying before him in only your underwear.

"Take it off.," he ordered, his voice deep and demanding.

You did as he said, unhooking your bra, letting it fall to the floor, your eyes never leaving his face.

"Now, cara, lie down on the bed."

You walked towards his bed, lying down on the bed. He stood over you, staring at you.

"You told me you never did it before, but that you did it to yourself, so show me, sorella, show me how you touch yourself."

You smiled up at him, your fingers sliding into your panties, your folds moistening with excitement. You breathed his name in a whisper and he knelt beside the bed, leaning forward to look at you. His hands reached for the waistbands of your panties, slowly sliding it down your ankles.

"Oh, sorella, look at it," Copia said, leaning down, running his tongue along your slit. "Come here, I got you."

You gasped, your hips jerking upward. He licked you again, this time along your inner thigh, his tongue slipping between your flesh. You moaned softly, your hips moving against his mouth.

"You taste so good, cara. So sweet," he grinned.

His tongue slipped between your lips, licking up and down, dipping into your entrance. He moaned, his tongue sliding deeper inside you, tasting your juice. He removed his tongue from your entrance, sitting back on his heels, smiling up at you. He flicked his tongue against your clit, sucking it into his mouth, rolling it around his tongue.

"Ah! Pap-Ah! Fu-Oh! Please, this is so good!"you moaned, arching your back, rolling your head on the bed.

"Sì, cara, I know. I know that you like that. I know that you like my tongue on your pussy," he murmured, getting up from his knees. "But now, show me, cara. Show me how you touch yourself, for your Papa."

You reached down, your fingers slowly stroking your wetness. Your finger sliding easily between your folds, your wetness flowing freely. You closed your eyes, and your finger slid inside your entrance, but you quickly removed it. You heard a hum of disapprove from Copia, causing you to open your eyes, looking at him.

"No, cara," he shook his head. "Do it again, touch yourself properly for your Papa."

You slid two fingers into your entrance, curling them upward to rub your clit. He watched you, his fingers rubbing his growing bulge on his pants. You removed your fingers, going with them to your clit, circling it, spreading your legs wider.

"Papa... Papa, this is so goo-Oh!" you whimpered, rolling your eyes to the back of your head.

You moved your fingers back to your entrance, thrusting them faster inside you, your hips grinding against your hand. His fingers were still moving on his hardness, as he tilted his head to the side, watching you attentively. You were panting now, your fingers moving deeper, your hips moving faster as you curled your fingers, hitting your spot, crying out as your orgasm his, your body writhing beneath his gaze. You came hard, your walls clenching around your fingers.

"Oh, Satan, Papa! Oh Satan," you moaned softly, closing your eyes.

Copia grinned mischievously. "Did you enjoy that, cara?" he asked, pulling his clothes off.

"Yes, Papa, I did," you said, breathless.

"Molto Bene, because I have more for you. And this time, I'm going to give you want you want," he bent down and kissed you softly.

[wondereads]

Weekly Reading Update (11/17/24)

I'm back! And hopefully I'll keep up with this once again.

A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik (★★★★★, reread)

Ostensibly, I was reading this for my thesis, and I was keeping a close eye out for any way that Novik uses language and magic to signify power. Things like the incantation track being the most popular and certain languages being more valued. However, nothing can keep me distracted from El and Orion for long. I absolutely adore their romance, and they're such fun characters on their own too. Reading for my thesis allowed me to really get into the nitty-gritty of the worldbuilding, my second favorite part of this book, and even while annotating and taking notes I burned through this in only a few hours overall. As always, I highly recommend it!

More under the cut

Fairest by Gail Carson Levine (★★★★☆, reread)

I only vaguely remembered this book from my childhood, but it remains a cute story about beauty under the surface. I think that thematically it's a bit more heavy-handed than Levine's other works, but it's still sweet. Aza is a character that is both kind and selfish, and her desire for beauty is one many young girls can relate to. The whole concept of a singing kingdom is lovely, though it does contradict Char's account from Ella Enchanted where he claims they are largely silent outside their sings. I liked the romance for the first part, but Ijori turns on Aza too quickly for my taste, and I know it's a children's book but Ivy getting off scot-free when she nearly caused a rebellion and attempted murder doesn't sit right.

Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones (★★★★★, reread)

I mean, do I really need to say more about this book? This reread was as an audiobook, as I had a friend hostage in the car for a road trip and seized on the chance to make her listen. I had as much fun as I ever do, and the audiobook is fun. It's narrated by an older English woman, and her attempts at a Welsh accent for Howl are...not great, but her voice for Calcifer was spot-on and humorous.

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine (★★★★★, reread)

Another audiobook I held my friend hostage for, I stand by my assertions that this is the best Cinderella retelling out there. Ella's obedience is supernatural, but her abusive family, tough social situation, and refusal to bow her head are all things that occur perfectly naturally. Her romance with Char develops naturally and is just absolutely adorable, probably one of my earliest romances personally. I will say that for some reason they had a prepubescent narrator, even though Ella is 15/16 for the majority of the book, which, while I got used to it, was quite annoying.

The Squire's Tale by Gerald Morris (★★★★☆, reread)

Yes, another reread. This one I've been working on for a while, and the influx of work I've been doing with Arthurian legend spurred me on. This book may seem a bit quick-paced and disjointed, but Morris does a great job of mimicking the style of Arthurian legend itself and the work of fantasy authors such as T. H. White. Despite being written by a man in the 90s with an almost entirely male cast, the story does its best to respect women and include a variety of characters that, even if exaggerated, rarely fall into stereotypes.

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke (CR: 29%)

I am being forced to take another go at this book by my thesis. I wouldn't say I dislike it, but I'm not enjoying it either. There are hints of things going on, but I need more than hints, and the main character is resolutely not picking up on any of them. The House itself is incredibly interesting, but I need more than statue descriptions to keep me engaged. I should be finished with this by the middle of the week, so wish me luck.

Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik (CR: 4%)

This is a bit of a last-minute read for my book club. Despite the fact that I've barely read anything, I'm enjoying it so far. Miryem is already my favorite character; I love a ruthless woman. I also love that this is an explicitly stated Jewish fantasy, though I can't tell yet if it's set in our world or a world adjacent to ours. I'm excited to keep reading!

[little-tyrant-gortash]

Oathbreaker

Pairing: fem!Tav x Enver Gortash, fem!Tav/Astarion

Tags: Emotional Manipulation, Manipulation, Manipulative Relationship, Paladin Tav (Baldur's Gate), Vaginal Sex, Penis In Vagina Sex, Drunk Sex, Unrequited Love, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Scars, Blood and Injury, Injury, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Pregnancy, Unplanned Pregnancy, Miscarriage, Torture, Psychological Torture, Implied/Referenced Torture

Word count: 3,023

Ao3 here.

Chapter 1.

Chapter 2.

Chapter 3.

Chapter 4.

Chapter 5.

Chapter 6.

Chapter 7.

Chapter 8.

Chapter 9.

Chapter 10.

Chapter 11.

Chapter 12.

Chapter 13.

Chapter 14.

Chapter 15.

Chapter 16.

Chapter 17.

Chapter 18.

Chapter 19.

Chapter 20.

Chapter 21.

Chapter 22.

Chapter 23.

Chapter 24.

Chapter 25.

Chapter 26.

Chapter 27.

Chapter 28.

Chapter 29.

Chapter 30.

Chapter 31.

Chapter 32.

Chapter 33. ⬇

Chapter 34.

Chapter 33: If Only

"Ketheric's and Orin's stones stay with me."

She didn't even know what she expected. Because what was he, if not a cruel strategist – a deadly snake, waiting for the best moment to strike?

A few seconds passed in absolute silence; her heart was beating in her ears, and she could've sworn that the hilt under her palm burned even hotter. Then, Gortash laughed.

"As they should", he agreed. "I was merely testing you."

Tav's eyes widened in disbelief. Her very first thought were just two words: you motherfucker.

And then her anger dissolved, her hand slipped off the pommel of her weapon, and tears flooded her eyes. Now the frustrations, the emotions, everything came crashing down on her shoulders. Gortash waved the Banites and the Steel Watcher off, and they left without saying so much as a word.

"This should be an alliance of peers", Enver continued. "You've got a backbone, and the makings of a leader."

"And do you have a backbone?!" Tav's voice sounded a tad higher than usual. She felt sick again. "Are you insane?! I honestly thought you would kill me!!"

He didn't look bothered at all. Even if her words twisted his heart up in a knot. She still didn't trust him... but in her shoes, he probably would've done the same. They were both aware that their alliance would last so long until Lord Bane decided otherwise. Gortash just hoped it wouldn't happen anytime soon.

"Are you angry? So was I, when I saw that you disappeared without a word."

His equally rising temper didn't help hers at all.

"I am my own woman, I go wherever and whenever I please!"

"And judging by the two bloody stones, I know full well where you went! Can you even imagine the worst case scenario that could've happened to you?! After we've seen what she'd done to a Bhaalspawn?!"

"I'm fine! I haven't suffered a scratch!"

"You just said you bled for both stones! So when did you lie to me? Right now, or five minutes earlier?!"

Tav blushed, up to the tips of her ears.

"Stop changing the subject! What made you think that pulling this stunt on me would be any good for me?!"

"And what made you think that going against Orin without letting me know first was a good idea?!"

The relief that she didn't need to actually fight him, coupled with the anger she felt that he had the guts to test her boiled over inside of her. Tav looked enraged – and if Gortash wasn't mad himself, he would've said that she was beautiful when she was angry.

"Fuck you!" She spat, then spun on her heels and started to walk away.

"Oh no", he snapped, then jumped after her and grabbed her arm to turn her back to face him. "You're not leaving again. Do you have any idea how worried I was? That I'd find you dead, or worse?!"

"I wasn't alone!" Tav snapped right back, trying to get her arm out of his hold, without success. "Unhand me or I swear I'll shove my boot right up y-"

"No, you will listen to me", he growled, pulling her closer to himself. She struggled, but only for the first two steps, because the aura he radiated in that moment almost… pulled her in. Her breathing quickened and she gave in to his authority; a part of her very much wishing to obey his every damned whim. She hated the effect he had on her, for a moment. "I am responsible for you, especially in your state. So the next time you're going on a suicide mission, tell me, so I can at least assign a few trusted soldiers to help you."

"You have no right to meddle in my affairs!" She tried to yank her hand away, but his firm hand was holding her in a steel grip.

"I will be your husband, I have every right to meddle in your affairs."

"You're not my husband yet!"

Gods, how she wanted him to be! She turned her head away as she realised she really wouldn't get her arm away from his grip, so she decided she'd defiantly stare at the stuffed bear he had in there.

"We can get through the ceremony any second, just say the word."

He noticed it. She hated how he seemingly noticed everything. It must've been the curse of being as intelligent as he was. His free hand reached up to grab her chin to turn her head back, and even though she let him do that, she still stared behind him, into the space of the vast hall.

"I can't lose you", he admitted quietly. "If I lose you, I'll lose my mind. Do you know what that means?"

Tav merely rolled her eyes.

"You needn't be so angry about this. I was with people I trusted."

"Really?" Gortash's hold on her chin tightened. Her eyes found his, and he was staring down at her inquisitively. He'd test her again, he decided. "Who were there with you?"

"Karlach", Tav replied without even blinking or thinking.

"Reliable and strong. And?"

"Lae'zel."

"Fearless githyanki. Who else?"

"Shadowheart."

"Cleric, in case you get injured. Good. Anyone else?"

Tav's lashes fluttered as she hesitated. If she told him now that Astarion was there, he'd be mad again; especially after what he'd learned from the vampire in the sewers. If she lied, he probably would know - but she really didn't want him to know the truth. It'd only create more problems for both of them.

"Just them."

Gortash was aware that if she was lying to him this easily, he'd need to keep a closer watch on her. He spun her around, making her gasp for air as he literally made her dance across the space, then he pushed her up and against the wall beside the statue.

"Stop lying to me", he ordered as coldly as he could, which was hard, especially how his own body reacted to her as he pinned her to the wall. She squirmed in his hold. Deliberately rubbing her thighs against his front. His eyes darkened even further; her sudden, cheeky smile said it all. She was doing it on a purpose. She wanted to distract him. "Tav", he growled her name, his tone dangerously low.

"What?" She tried to summon her most innocent expression.

"Tell me the truth."

"I've told you everything you wanted to know."

Gortash pressed his lips together, annoyed, then he slipped his knee between her thighs. Tav blushed deeper as he rubbed at her core.

"Say. It."

"I have nothing to sa-ah-"

"Are you sure?"

"Enver-"

"My, my, my, you're running so hot, Tav. Wouldn't it be easier to be honest with me?"

She knew she could've said stop, and she was aware that he would, but the truth was, she missed him and very much enjoyed his little game. After all that happened… seeing Orin in that terrible form… life just seemed too dangerous and too short not to enjoy herself at least a little.

"Astarion was with us, too", she sighed at last, making him raise a brow.

"See? It wasn't that hard to admit, was it?"

"Enver please-", she whined when he started to pull his knee away. "Don't stop-"

"Don't stop?" He pressed a soft kiss to her forehead, his voice way softer than before. "Do you think that girls who sneak out and then lie to me deserve to ask me not to stop?"

The noise she made caused him to chuckle quietly.

"Please?" She whined.

"Hmm", Gortash raised a brow, then leaned close to her ear and whispered,"beg."

"You monster!" Her gasp made him chuckle in her ear. "I'm begging you, please!"

"See? You can be a good girl for me. You can follow simple instructions."

"Enver!"

Smirking, he moved his knee back where she wanted it. He took his time teasing her, allowing her to reach the peak she wanted so desperately, then held her close, kissing the side of her neck as she was playing with his ebony locks at the back of his head as her heartbeat slowed to it's normal rhythm.

"I didn't want to upset you", she murmured tiredly. "I know that you know that I have... history... with Astarion..."

"I still prefer honesty from you", Gortash whispered in her ear, knowing full well what he'd need to say to get in her mind with it. "No matter how much it hurts."

Tav cupped his face and pulled him away from herself to look in his eyes.

"It hurts? Why?" When he didn't answer her questions, just looked away, she stroked his cheeks with her thumbs. "It matters not with whom I'm travelling with. I am yours."

Surprised how easily that went down, he glanced in her eyes with a hint of doubt. But she meant it. He could read her well, and he saw that she truly meant it. What a foolish thing to do - to bind oneself to the Chosen of Bane! A part of him wanted to push her away. A part of him wanted her to be terrified of him, a part of him wanted her to run away and never look back... but another part of him craved this. That part of him wanted to know that he had her, body and mind and soul. That part of him wanted to keep her close and never ever let her go.

She would be his downfall, he knew.

"Say it again", he whispered, even more quiet than earlier, resting his forehead against hers.

"I am yours." Tav half smiled, suspecting that him, as a Banite, would enjoy hearing this. It was part of her plan to soften the harshness of the facts. But, at the same time, she meant it. Every inch of her wanted to be near him; her thoughts always resumed thinking about him. There was very little she could do. "Now", she murmured with a little smile, "can we go to bed?"

"Was that your plan all along? To get in my bed?" Gortash almost snorted as he pulled away from her a little, and his reaction made her laugh.

"In my defense, you have a really comfy bed."

"I didn't know you were this cunning, my dear."

She looked proud at his praise.

"I can feel how needy you are, Your Grace~ you wouldn't be able to focus if your pants are this tight, would you?"

He couldn't help it, he had to indulge her. After all, she was right. He really couldn't focus. Only later, in his private chambers, lying in his bed with her, did dread fill him as he remembered Bane's warning. His god would tolerate him enjoy himself for so long. He had work to do.

And yet… and yet…

"What are you thinking about?"

Tav was curled up on her side just beside him, her arms wrapped loosely around his left, gold clad arm, one of her legs rested across both of his. He was staring at the ceiling, but saw nothing. He didn't even know what he should say.

"My future."

Tav pushed herself up on her right elbow, then shifted closer to him and gently stroked the ebony locks out of his forehead and eyes. Her touches were so gentle, so soft… he'd never felt more wretched in his entire life.

If only, if only, if only…

"Do I really have a place in it?"

Tav's feather light touches on his forehead left him with a lump in his throat. He was thinking about another time, when he had a similar train of thoughts in mind, and then, they had a similar conversation. In his heart, the doubt. The fear.

"I want to be a better man for you."

"I don't want you to change because of me."

"But I want to."

"Are you saying this because you think I want to hear this?"

"No. I say it because I mean it."

"Does that mean that you're thinking about leaving Bane?"

"I can't do that."

Enver turned his head to look her in the eyes. He'd done horrible things, at least, from her point of view; from his, those were necessary steps of his much bigger plan. He couldn't look at a mass of people and not think of them as cattle. But then... she saw individuals. She saw good in them. She saw hope.

And he wasn't an exception. She'd already told him that she saw hope in him, when no one else would. She gave him a chance, when no one else would.

That thought alone was enough to start his destruction.

It got him thinking, often, late into the night. What if...? The question presented itself thousands of times by now during the day, too; he'd caught himself giving out orders to hang a group of people, then wondered how Tav might feel about it. He had to stop wondering, if he wanted to keep his head upon his shoulders. Or... if he couldn't stop wondering... if she truly corrupted his mind, and would, in turn, make him too soft for Bane's liking... he had to prepare. Both himself, and her.

"What's on your mind?" Tav murmured when he didn't reply.

A heartbeat.

"I'm going to die."

Well, this certainly wasn't the answer she was waiting for. Gortash watched in silence as she furrowed her brows, and he could identify each and every emotion on her face. Confusion, doubt, anger. Then, the defiance. He loved that look on her face; especially now that it was him who was at stake. It gave away so, so much about how she truly felt about him, and it made everything that much worse. Her kisses, touches were one thing, those could be faked. But the way she cared? Her emotions, written on her face at the thought what would happen if he was gone? Nobody in his life showed this emotion towards him. And it broke him just a little bit further.

"Not before your time", she declared.

"Way before my time", Gortash corrected her.

"Seriously?" Tav pulled her hand away and sat up. The afternoon sunlight drew a line across his chest as she moved out of its way. "I've got two stones as you wanted, we're just one step away from your plans to come to fruition, and we have a future together- you say this now- seriously?!"

"Tav", he pushed himself up to sit, then cupped her face. "I don't want to upset you, alright? I'm just thinking that if… if it comes to that…"

"Comes to what?!"

She sounded so upset that he felt bad for bringing this up now. Closing his eyes, he rested his forehead against hers.

"Listen to me, alright? Don't say anything, just listen." He waited for a few seconds, and when she remained silent, he continued, "I'm assuming that you're aware that if I stray too far from Bane, there'll be consequences. And when those consequences are crashing down on me… I want you to leave me to my fate."

"How can you even ask such a thing?!" Tav pulled her head away, her eyes full of tears by now. "If you go, I go."

Gortash gave an emotionless laugh. The mere idea hurt so much more than she could possibly imagine.

"You're definitely not coming after me. Not there."

"Where?"

"Bane's domain." He paused for a moment, and looked away. "If I anger him... if I fail... I'll..." Gortash paused, shaking his head. "No, it can't happen. Not to you."

"Why, what would happen to you there?"

"Eternal torment?" He asked back, a little smile on his face as he glanced at her. His eyes looked so, so tired. "For failing?"

"I really do wish you'd picked less of an asshole of a god to follow", she sighed, shaking her head.

"I've tried", he murmured, "nobody else answered."

Tav felt like that perhaps, at least in this regard, he had something in common with Astarion. But to think that Astarion's prayers weren't answered even by Bane...

Knowing the consequences of what she was about to tell him didn't bring her any joy. But the game changed drastically as soon as she learned that they were expecting little ones - not even one, but two. For their safety - and their father's -, she had to make heavy decisions. After a massive amount of adventure behind her, this was the hardest decision so far. Urging Enver to please his god, in order to live, knowing that it would bring the death and torment of many. But, at the end of the day... they were mortals, and mortals did what they had to protect their own.

"Alright, you know, what? Do what you must. Don't fail him. You're already his Chosen, right? Be the really best he ever had."

There it was again. The stirring within. Every word she said made him want to worship her instead. He wished he'd met her sooner; he wished he knew what was it like to be loved so unconditionally, all those decades ago. He'd be a different man, now.

"What if I can't?"

Tav looked confused at first. He knew she didn't understand the inner turmoil she caused, but he didn't want to tell her, because it'd make her feel guilty.

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there", she cupped his face and planted a kiss on his forehead. "We can do this. Together. And we'll figure out the details as we proceed."

A content sigh left him at that. Perhaps that was for the best, at least for now. Not knowing. There were, though, something he knew. And he had to share it with her. She had to know.

"I know you don't like it, but... let me say it", he whispered.

Tav closed her eyes with a sigh. She knew she wouldn't escape this.

"Alright. Say it."

"I love you."

She smiled at how genuine he sounded. Wrapping him in a hug, she kissed the top of his head.

"I love you, too."

[grumpygreenwitch]

The Fairy and the Prince #31 + #32 + #33 + #34

Part 1 - Part 2 - Parts 3 & 4 - Part 5 - Part 6, 7 & 8 - Part 9 & 10 - Part 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 & 16 - Part 17, 18, & 19 - Part 20, 21 & 22 - Part 23, 24, 25 & 26 - Part 27, 28, 29 & 30 - Part 31, 32, 33 & 34 - Part 35, 36 & 37 - Part 38, 39, 40 & 41 - Part 42 & 43 - Part 44 & 45 - Part 46 & 47 - Part 48, 49, 50 & 51 - Part, 52, 53 & 54 - Part 55 & 56 - Part 57, 58, 59 & 60 - Part 61, 62, 63, 64 & 65 - Part 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71 & 72

Originally posted 12/7/2022

Adam jerked awake from a fragile drowse when he heard his friends coming, Needle’s low and rasping voice a pleased and pleasant growl in counterpoint to Linden’s songbird cadence. He smiled in appreciation and climbed hastily down from the tree. “Linden, Needle!”

They rushed over to him. “Adam!” Linden cried out gladly, launching at him to hug him. He clung to them, to their friend, to their scent, sweet and familiar, to their deceptive strength, to their endless love. “Adam, what’s wrong,” Linden whispered, feeling the young prince all but crush them in his hug.

Adam pulled away. “Needlemaw,” he said, his voice gone formal. “Could I have a word with you in private, please?”

Something flickered in the warm morning breeze between them all, and the redcap went very still. Her first instinct had been to rise and snarl in challenge; who was this mortal yearling to command her? Then she’d remembered that Adam claimed no crown, refused it even. That he didn’t know he already wore one, gold and shining around his heart, earned by the strength of his character and the immensity of his honor. He was calling on that power at that moment, and he didn’t even know he was doing it.

The redcap felt suddenly and profoundly uneasy. “It must be alone?” she asked.

Adam laced his fingers through Linden’s, his grip almost painful, and the young sapling felt him trembling like a tree before a storm. “It must.”

“I’ll go see if Boul’s awake,” Linden breathed out. Something terrible was about to happen, the trees were all but weeping. But their faith in Adam was endless. “I’ll try not to be long.” They dashed away, fleet like a deer and nearly as panicky as one.

They faced one another, the deadly fairy maid and the young prince, and Adam swallowed painfully.

“Ye might as well spit out the poison before it burns up yer tongue, Adam.”

“I don’t want to,” he admitted in a desperate plea. “It will hurt you and I don’t want to.”

Needlemaw froze; in all their years together she really had come to believe Adam could surprise her no further, and yet there they were, in that sunny clearing on that early summer morning, and the Prince-That-Wasn’t would rather swallow whatever cruelty he was carrying around his heart rather than wound her with it. Three steps brought her to him and she hugged him tightly, felt him shake as he clung to her. “I’ll not have it,” she told him. “I’ll not have that muchness of ye kill ye, Adam, not ever, not never-everty-ever, not for me, not for anyone. Out with it. Let me deal with me hurts.” She pulled away and smiled her deadly smile. “If'n it should wound, well, I’ve friends here to help me with it, aye?”

He nodded and rubbed angrily at his face. “Gods, look at me, you’d think I’m a baby,” he scoffed at himself, angrily fighting to keep from crying.

With sudden, heartbreaking and proud insight, Needlemaw realized he’d learned courage from her, of all possible sources in his life. “Adam.”

He swallowed with an effort.

And he told her everything.

***

Needlemaw ran wailing from him.

Linden and Boul found him sitting on a root from the old linden tree, his hands tangled over his head, rocking back and forth. He clung to Linden, struggling to breathe, and Boul wrapped himself around them both, crooning the low lullaby of stone and earth, even as Linden brushed their hands through Adam’s hair and assured him that they were together, they were there with him, he was not alone, he was safe. Linden had no idea how to bring their friend back to safety from this ledge, and the awareness of their impotence brought to fire the whites and blues and silvers of their shattered eyes. All they could do was hold Adam close. In the end, it seemed to be enough.

The story tumbled out of the young prince a second time. By the time he was done he was ashen and exhausted, sprawled boneless on the linden root, his head on Linden’s lap.

“So it’s what we thought,” Linden declared somberly. “And a little bit worse in the bargain.”

“Linden, could she protect him?”

“No.”

Adam asked a far deadlier question. “Could you?”

“Ynoes.”

“Linden.”

“It doesn’t matter, you don’t want to be a king, so who cares? You’re fine, you’re safe all on your own. You shouldn’t need me, you shouldn’t need anyone. You’ll be fine.”

For the first time, Adam realized that Linden was saying the words as if speaking them out loud would make them true. “She’ll hate me now.”

“Needle? Never. They’re not the sort that hates, her kind.” Linden leaned down and Adam felt a cool brush against his forehead, and again against his cheek. By the time he realized what had happened Linden was moving away. “Boul, take him to the palace, to the fountain. I’m going to go find the Culli-maid, she’ll know what to do from there.”

“Needle?” the young troll asked worriedly as he scooped up the young prince, who found himself too exhausted to move or protest or fight.

“We can’t help her right now,” Linden admitted. “I wish we could, but we can’t help her if she won’t let us. I think it’s best if we wait on her to sort herself out.”

“Linden -”

Boul rumbled in wordless concern about his small family. Linden leaned up on their tiptoes to bump their forehead against the troll’s. “Thank you, Boul. It’s just hard sometimes, loving a mortal. She’ll be alright.”

“Linden!”

But Boul was moving then, deceptively fast for something with such seemingly stumpy legs, and Adam had been wrung of the last of his strength. Looking up as the sun shone through the green boughs of the woods, he faded away into welcome darkness, never to remember those kisses and those words as more than a dim dream, impossible to grasp.

***

Needlemaw found Adam cleaning stalls in the royal stables three days later. Normally a punishment duty, Adam often traded other princes for the job; he found it soothing to his mind and freeing to his body, hard and mindless work. That day he was so lost in his thoughts as he threw manure into the wheelbarrow that he entirely missed the equine population growing restive and nervous until one warhorse somewhere cried out a challenge.

“Adam.”

“Needle!”

If she’d had any doubt that the Prince-That-Wasn’t had bled to tell her cruel truths, which she hadn’t, the redcap knew she would have lost them all when Adam came flying out of the pen he’d been cleaning, his eyes hopeful and wounded both. She opened her arms and he flew into them, and she realized, with some chagrin, that he was quickly getting to be nearly as tall as she. “Och, ye and the muchness of ye. Ye cannae carry the sorrows of the whole world on yuir shoulders, Adam. They’re broad, they’re not that broad.”

“Maybe,” he admitted, pulling away. “But I’d carry all of yours if I could, Needle.”

“I know,” she said simply. “I wonder sometimes whose blessing ye are, Adam, because by rights ye must be someone’s.” She tipped her head. “Let’s talk outside, before yon beasties panic enough to break all their leggy-leggies at once.”

He followed her dutifully and they sat on the fence around the jousting yard. “I’m sorry,” Adam said at last as the silence grew between them.

“Dinnae be,” the redcap replied. “Dinnae ever be sorry to offer the truth, Adam. More, when ye try so hard to offer it kindly. Each one is precious; together they’re priceless.”

“I hurt you.”

“The truth hurt me. Ye? Never.”

“Feels like the same,” he muttered.

“‘Tis not, and ye ken that. Leave the stubborn to Linden, now.”

“What will you do now?”

Needlemaw blew out a long, very long breath, her tongue touching the tip of her sharp nose. “That, I’m still shaping in me head,” she admitted. “I’ve got the bit at the end, and I’ve got a bit in the middle, but I need to be speaking with Linden about it, too. I wanted to find ye first. I thought ye might be hurting, and I didnae want that.” She touched her fingers to her mouth, and brushed them against Adam’s heart. “In truth, I only know one thing for sure, Adam. As much as yui’ve done for me, I have to ask a biggish favor, and it is a favor. With all the dues that come with it.”

Adam ducked his head. “Can I do it as an apology? Not for telling you, but for hurting you? Because I did. I did hurt you, and for all the world I wish I hadn’t, Needle.”

She dragged in another deep breath. “Someone must have taught ye our rules, Adam, there’s days I think ye know them better than half I could name on my side of the woods. Aye. That is fair and right. A favor for the hurt.” She offered her hand formally.

Adam rubbed his hand clean on his pants and on his shirt, much to her quiet amusement, and shook.

“Ye got a letter from home, earlier this year. Asking ye to visit for a few days.”

“I did.” Adam sounded dubious.

Needlemaw’s smile was a drawn blade. “Go visit.”

The young prince licked his lips, nodded slowly, and trotted away.

Linden didn’t wait for an invitation. When Needlemaw found them, looking for bits of white sparkling rock in a small muddy spring Boul had conjured for them from the ground, they flew at her with a glad cry. “Needlemaw!”

“Ooof!” The fairy maid took the impact and hugged her charge, the first true Danu-sidhe born in over three thousand years. “I think yui’ve forgotten to hate me.”

“I forgot that forever ago,” Linden replied. “Are you sad? Can I fix it?”

“I’m not sad… Well, I am, a little. I’m other things more. And yes, it can be fixed, and 'twill be fixed. But I’ll be needing yuir help and one more to boot.”

“Adam will - ”

“It cannae be Adam,” Needle explained. “I’ve sent him away. What’s to come cannae fall at his feet.”

“Oh,” Linden merely nodded in understanding, then frowned minutely. “For long?”

Needlemaw chuckled. “No, I wouldnae do that to either of ye. No, a week. That’s the tradition, from what I ken.”

“Then who?”

Needle drew and held a deep breath. “I need the Culli-maid’s help.”

***

It didn’t take long for Adam to organize. For this trip, with a standing invitation, he needed only to go to Master Leminy. The Master of Scions had grown into a habit of tightening up every time someone came into his offices, every time expecting the worst of news. His relief when Adam explained what he wanted was both visible and nearly solid.

That didn’t mean the young prince had his way with it. Nearly one entire bag in the sturdy pack pony he was given was homework. Never one to give such labor to someone else, Adam was still used to having Beli as a study partner, but his friend had begged leave to stay muttering something about 'royal stipends’ and 'robbed blind’ and talking about getting a personal ledger as if he were making dire threats. Against who, Adam didn’t even dare guess, but he was perfectly fine taking Dane instead, and likely a great deal safer. As before, Adam’s strapping companion found himself equipped for the trip from the castoffs of too many dead princes; unlike Beli, he actually took all of it to the priests of the Tree-Father and the Night-Mother, and paid them for their blessings. Adam helped him carry a great deal of it, shaking his head to silence Dane when he tried to apologize for the delay.

It still took nearly three days to get ready. For the first time Adam met Dane’s mother, a short and plump maid at the palace with flour on her apron and a white and messy bun on her head. The courtesy with which he greeted her flustered both mother and son. He had given his scarce goodbyes and was about to mount up when he found a familiar, unwelcomed face on the palace steps.

“William.”

“Adam,” the older prince said stiffly, and the silence stretched out unkindly between them. “I’ve not made time to see you after you came back. I’m sorry.”

“Think nothing of it,” Adam replied automatically; William’s absence had never been the problem.

William replied just as instinctively, as if their learned manners were easier than the hidden truths they both carried and shared unspoken. “You did me a courtesy I should have remembered.” He drew a deep breath and stared at the Royal Gardens, the slow-sweeping blades of the water-mill, the distant dark smudge of the royal woods  behind it. “Is everything alright? With… her, I mean?”

“It was when I last spoke to her,” Adam replied truthfully. Everything had been fine between him and Needlemaw. “Why, is something wrong? Er, between you?” He hesitated minutely. “Ugh, it feels like intruding, asking something like that.”

“No, no, it’s fine, really. You’re her friend. It’s just.” William looked at him. “It’s been six days since I saw her. She’s never away that long, unless it’s winter, and I just thought, I wanted, I didn’t know…” His voice trailed off. Adam could only guess that William was coming to terms with how little he actually did know about his fairy maid. “She’s alright, then?”

“William, she’s…” Adam sifted through his mental fingers everything he knew about Needlemaw, trying to finding some truth he could offer without betraying her confidence, because the only other option was to leap at William and punch him until he learned respect, and that just wasn’t feasible. It would have been profoundly satisfying, but William wasn’t his to claim. “She’s been rising in importance among her people,” he admitted at last.

“Oh? I didn’t know that.”

Of course not, Adam thought. You’d probably think it sickening to see her threading knucklebones into her cap. “She has her own obligations, William. I’m sure she’s told you about that.”

“Oh. Oh!” William caught his forehead on a hand. “Oh, I’m a right git, I didn’t even think of that.” He sighed, his concern swiftly turning to vexation. “So she’s alright, then, just caught up on things.”

Adam felt any vestige of concern over the older prince die on the spot. He’d never really been worried about Needle; he’d just been fretting about the absence of his shield. “I’m sure she’ll make time for you soon, William,” he declared. “But I do have to…”

“Oh, right, sorry, of course. Ah, safe trip, and all that.” William stepped back and nodded, awkward once again.

Adam turned his back on him, mounted his horse, and rode away without a single glance back.

William did his best to curb his impatience. It was greatly motivated, he knew, by the fact that he’d crossed what every prince knew was the unspoken line between the safety of childhood and the danger of adulthood, and he’d made no other preparations to protect himself beyond courting the fairy maid. He figured divine providence had brought her to him, those few years ago; why tempt fate for two birds when there’s one already in your hand?

He went about his life, trying not to feel threadbare and betrayed, and wondering how he might make her apologize to him for abandoning him so. Even a whirl around the jousting yard didn’t improve his mood, but finding the letter waiting for him on his writing desk after he came out of his bath certainly did.

It was faintly perfumed, though he couldn’t recognize the smell. Something lemony, like tea, or candies. The writing was elegant and lady-like, and his brows climbed up at the sight of it, having never seen his lady-love write, always scoffing at the thought of it as a skill. The apologies were many and elegant, and he allowed himself to be mollified somewhat. And she asked, ever so prettily, to see him. Just for a little while, if that was all they could manage, just for a breath, so she’d know he was safe. She would be waiting, the letter told him, in the wild garden that stood in the ruins of an old gamekeeper’s cottage, a building of stone and moss-eaten timbers that was a favored haunt of theirs whenever the weather forced them to seek a roof. One of the cottage walls had caved in and the shutters were long gone, but the garden walls stood strong, and the slate roof still persisted. Mostly.

He dressed with care and practiced his most somber and severe and disappointed looks in his mirror. But William never allowed himself to go so far as to forget he needed the fairy maid. She was his safety, his shield, the only chance he’d left himself to win an impossible crown. His family had no wealth, they scarce had their title, and their blood tie to the Dowager was slim and suspect. For William, the choices were to go back home and languish in hollow honors until he could wed a bride well below his station but with a fat purse, or to survive the trial of the Folk in the Woods.

And that deep streak of cowardice Needlemaw had so clearly seen in him told the prince, without an ounce of compassion, that he would never live through it.

He picked up a small ribbon, a simple thing with a silver clasp, and made haste to the meeting. The bottom of the sun was touching the horizon when he reached the cottage, the early summer air full of golden motes and the deep, rich scents of a hundred wildflowers. He eschewed the iron gate, long gone to rust and impossible to move, and climbed over the wall where a tangle of ivy provided a very useful ladder. Landing inside he roused a cloud of ladybugs and a few errant butterflies, chivvying them aside with gentleness he’d only ever exercised because of the fairy maid. “Needle!”

He moved cautiously through paths they had trod together before, where the stepping stones were barely visible anymore. The warmth was invigorating, the scent in the breeze familiar and yet not, and he felt deeply happy just to smell it, just to be alive on that beautiful summer day, with every flower around him in bloom like a blessing given. “Needle?”

“Over here, William,” she called out.

He turned and made his way to where the well had once stood. The brush opened up into a clearing here, where the stones had been put down with more care, set into sand and clay. “Needle?”

She rose and came around the well, and William lost his breath.

She was beautiful.

The fairy maid was tall, as tall as William if not more, but he’d long accepted that as something that couldn’t be changed. But instead of boy’s trousers or a peasant’s woolen skirt, instead of a plain linen blouse saggy and threadbare, she wore an exquisite gown of lavender satin with plum-colored embroidery and cream lace. It tightened around a waist that William could have held with both his hands with perhaps a knuckle to spare, dainty and delicate.

The ugly, smelly russet cap was gone, and the wild mess of her crimson curls had been tamed back under a beautiful set of green enameled combs and a broad gold hair clasp set with black and red gemstones. Her eyes were rich and gold on her narrow, sharp face, but the most subtle touch of make-up softened the thin, angular lines to something sweet and demure. There was a faint touch of pink on her lips that made them a plush invitation. There was a delicate choker around her neck, like the branches of a tree, inset with white and delicate flowers made of some jewel William couldn’t recognize.

A wiser man would have run then.

William merely stepped forward, drunk in the summer-rich air. He’d had his blessings from the Tree-Father’s priest. He believed, in his heart of hearts, that Needle could not enthrall him. Needlemaw fully accepted that. She was using not a whit of her power.

The garden was Linden’s. The wall was Boul’s. And the exquisite beauty the redcap had become was entirely Culli’s work.

“Needle, oh, look at you. Is this for me?” he breathed out in wonder.

“All for you,” she admitted, letting him come to her, speaking very carefully, soft and meek like a mouse. It had taken her hours, and she’d never be able to repay the patience the Culli-maid had shown her in teaching her. “Did you think I was not listening, all those times you asked to see me thus?”

“I didn’t think you cared.” William reached her at last. He reached out to run his fingertips over the exquisitely bright crimson of her hair. “I didn’t think you loved me enough,” he said. For just a moment, a single heartbeat, he thought he smelled charnel, spilled blood, torn flesh.

Needlemaw tipped her head slightly. “Ah, William.” The rich golden light of the setting summer sun caught on the jewels in her hair clasp.

The prince forgot everything else. She wasn’t just powerful, she was beautiful, she was wealthy, she was everything he needed to become king. He slid his hand down to cradle that delicate, fine-boned cheek in the cup of his hand. “Look at you. You do love me.”

Needlemaw’s eyes closed under that warm, mortal touch. They were a drug, mortals were, but she was lucky: she’d had years to learn what true love was, from her mortal younger brother, from her wild and free and more-fey-than-most ward, from her littlest troll brother. She’d had ample time to see what honor looked like, what loyalty felt like, what goodness tasted like. She set her hand lightly over William’s. Her eyes opened and she stared very calmly at this stupid mortal thing that thought she was to be used and unraveled like an undyed cap. “My William,” she said. “My loving you isn’t the problem; you not loving me is.”

She gripped his hand, whipped around, and bit two of his fingers off.

William howled and staggered back, and she let him go. While he’d been busy looking at her the walls around them had risen to impossible heights. While he’d been enjoying the sight of what he thought he’d earned, the garden had shifted all around them, and other than knowing where the well was because he could still see it, he could tell nothing of direction or escape.

Needle rolled the fingers thoughtfully in her mouth and spat something into her dainty hand, holding it up to the light. It was William’s signet ring, still holding part of one finger in its hoop.

The prince lunged for his dagger, belatedly remembering that he didn’t carry it, he carried no weapons - steel and iron weren’t nearly as valuable to him as the protection of his fairy-maid. “You bitch,” he sobbed, and lunged at her anyways with his bare fists.

Needlemaw backhanded him with her free hand and he nearly flew half the length of the not inconsiderable garden, crashing down in a breathless, bloody, bruised heap, still scrabbling to turn around; he was terrified to face her but even more of losing sight of her. He needn’t have bothered. The redcap prowled after him; she sank black talons into the bodice of the dress and ripped it off, revealing beneath it the threadbare shirt and man’s breeches, the leather girdle full of the buttons she’d claimed from her kills. She ripped off the comb  and her hair turned into a wild mass, falling over her face, but not fast enough to hide the immense, gashing wound of her maw, filled with needle-like teeth, or the cadmium-yellow of her alien, inhuman, predatory eyes, full of rage and hunger. She spat on the comb; Boul’s magic on it broke and it turned in her hand into the russet cap with the threaded knucklebones, and she shoved it in place with a jaunty little pat.

William tried to flee. She leapt and caught him by the back of the neck, lifting him up until his kicking feet were a good arm’s length off the ground. She shook him roughly, and he clawed at her with his good hand and the crippled one, smearing his blood all over her.

Her long black tongue came out and licked at the smears, and her smile curled and curled and curled. “I’m told,” she told him casually, “that yui’re never to be parted from this wee trinket.” She held up the signet ring; her tongue lashed out and took the last bit of William’s finger from it, and it disappeared with a sickening crunch inside her mouth. “So I’ll let yuir family have it because, more the fool me, I really did love ye, William, sweet, stupid William. Just so they’ll know what’s become of ye.”

“Please,” he pleaded, weeping and breathless. “Please!”

“Ah, there it is,” she purred. “Now if'n only yui’d been a coward when it would’ve been helpful to the both of us.”

“Please, I love you.”

“Oh, do ye now. Cross yuir heart?”

“Yes!”

She brought him down until he could make out the yellow of her eyes through the crimson of her curls, until he could smell his blood on her breath. “Let’s find out for surety-sure, then,” she said cheerfully, and sank her free hand into his chest.

The signet ring was found, along with a single knucklebone, carefully placed dead center of the jousting ring when the first class of the day came by that morning. Needlemaw didn’t mind parting with it. She had plenty other knucklebones to stitch into her cap, and William had not been a particularly fearsome kill to merit the honor.

[xtruss]

Murder in the US: Everything to Know About Tyre Nichols Case Before Release of Body Cam Footage

Associated Press Photo

On Thursday, five former Memphis police officers were charged with murder and other crimes related to the beating death of 29-year-old Tyre Nichols. On Friday, body cam footage of the beating and Nichols’ arrest will be released to the public.

Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr., and Justin Smith have all been charged with the same crimes, including second-degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct, and official oppression. The five former officers, like Nichols, are Black. All five have also been fired from the Memphis Police Department.

What Led to This?

On January 7, police pulled Nichols over for alleged reckless driving. Police say Nichols fled the scene, causing the officers to chase him which then led to another “confrontation." At that time, police say Nichols complained about shortness of breath and was brought to a hospital in critical condition. He died on January 10.

Nichols’ family says he died of a heart attack and kidney failure that they argue was brought on by the confrontation with police officers. Authorities have not issued a cause of death, saying only that Nichols had a “medical emergency.”

An independent autopsy, the preliminary results of which were released by the family’s lawyers on Thursday, found that Nichols “suffered extensive bleeding caused by a severe beating.”

Body camera footage of the confrontation has been shown to city officials and Nichols’ family and attorneys. The footage will not be released to the public until Friday evening. According to one of the family’s attorneys, Nichols was beaten, shocked with a Taser, pepper sprayed, and restrained during his arrest. The attorney noted that Nichols could be heard crying out for his mother in the video.

City officials are not denying that the video is brutal and say it does not represent the city or its police department. Police Chief Cerelyn Davis said in a video statement that the beating by officers was “Heinous, Reckless and Inhumane.”

Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy said all five officers played a role in Nichols’ death.

“The actions of all of them resulted in the death of Tyre Nichols,” Mulroy told reporters. “They are all responsible.”

An internal investigation found the officers used excessive force and failed to intervene or provide help, breaking department policy. They were fired from the department last week.

Two members of the Memphis Fire Department have also been relieved of duty while an internal investigation takes place. A spokesperson for the department said the two individuals were involved in the initial patient care of Nichols but declined to provide further details.

Family and Community Response

Nichols’ mother, RowVaugh Wells, said she could not watch the video of Nichols’ beating. “When I walked in that room and sat there and heard his voice, that just did something to me and I had to get out. I’ve already seen what they did to him. I don’t need to see how they did it,” she said.

Nichols’ stepfather, Rodney Wells, previously told reporters that the family would not accept anything less than a first-degree murder charge. The family has backed off that since, with one of their lawyers, Ben Crump, saying the charges the officers received were encouraging. “That these five officers are being held criminally accountable for their deadly and brutal actions gives us hope as we continue to push for justice for Tyre,” Crump said at a press conference.

Another lawyer for the family, Antonio Romanucci, said Nichols was treated like a “human piñata for those police officers.” The comment caused Nichols’ mother to break into tears during a news conference.

“The brutality of it all, that’s the most jarring part,” Rodney Wells said at a news conference Monday afternoon after seeing the body camera footage. “It was just so brutal. He didn’t deserve that.”

Memphis City Council Member Martavius Jones said police training in the city needs to be reevaluated. “This Black man died at the hands of other Black men that were wearing blue,” Jones said in an interview with CBS News. “Blue is the only color that matters here.”

Protests are expected when the body camera footage is released. Police Chief Davis is asking those who protest to remain peaceful. “I expect our citizens to exercise their First Amendment right to protest, to demand action and results,” she said at the same press conference where she condemned the former officers’ actions. “But we need to ensure our community is safe in this process. None of this is a calling card for inciting violence or destruction on our community or our citizens.”

Nichols’ family is also asking the community to remain peaceful after the footage is released.

Meanwhile, NAACP President Derrick Johnson released a statement, demanding Congress address continued police violence.

“If anyone needs to see this video, it's every single leader in Congress. Sit in your comfy leather chair, watch the video when it is released, and tell us what else you need to vote ‘yes’ on police reform. By failing to write a piece of legislation, you're writing another obituary. By failing to pass the legislation, you're passing on your sworn duty to protect the people,” the statement reads. “We know just how much all of you will be thinking and praying upon the release of the video, you don't need to mention it. Instead, tell us what you're going to do about it.”

Who Was Tyre Nichols?

Twenty-nine years old and a father to a four-year-old son, Tyre Nichols worked the afternoon to evening shift at FedEx with his stepfather. His family says he and his stepfather would often return to his mother’s home during their lunch break around 7 p.m. An avid photographer and skateboarder, Nichols would often go to nearby Shelby Farms to pursue his passions.

His mother says that he suffered from Crohn's disease and was under 145 pounds. She added that he had her name tattooed on his arm. “That made me proud,” she said. “Most kids don’t put their mom’s name. My son was a beautiful soul.”

According to the family’s lawyers, Nichols can be heard in the video of his confrontation with police crying out for his mother, who lived just 100 yards from where police beat him. They believe those were his last words.

“You should not be killed because of a simple traffic stop,” said Crump.

— By Ian DeMartino | Sputnik International | January 26, 2023

[nobodyssoldier]

i. a web weaving

i am a stargirl. not in the sense that i am bright. somewhat in the sense that i am beautiful. you see, stars are distant memories of times better forgotten. their light means death and in that way, we understand one-another. i too am a memorial walking; part girl, part grave.

ii. digging deeper

name: victoire weasley

age: 29

former house: gryffindor

blood status: 1/8 veela

face claim: yumi nu (ask for alternatives)

allegiance: the erinyes

gender & pronouns: utp

you emerged from the waves a fully-formed thought — your mother's hopes and dreams made real. victory, as in final and complete supremacy in a battle long fought and even harder won. victory, as in the birth of a daughter. you were their first prize, cherished to the point of overindulgence. salt in your hair and sand in your eyelashes. summer days spent building castles and imagining that one day, like a princess in a fairytale, you might live there.

but it's a hard and terrible thing to move through girlhood with a pretty face. you came into your power early. you wilted under the weight of their stares; hungry eyes and animal smiles. it was august, and you began to curl inward. you made yourself small until one day, your mother fixed you with a knowing look. she did not speak. she took you by the hand and walked with you. together, you sat in a field with your shoulders laid bare. you laughed, covering your mouth with the side of your palm, and the flowers turned to bask in your light.

your face is a deadly, unpredictable sort of a magic. some days you admire it. you trace the lines of your cheeks and nose and greet your reflection with a wicked grin. you are the wolf now, and they should be afraid. other days, when you feel listless, you hang sheets over the mirrors and hide beneath the bedsheets. you long for childhood. the more people look, the more taken in they are by your dark eyes and your soft voice, the more your resentment grows. doubt has turned you callous. you see me, but do you really? are you even listening? you've reached an impasse within yourself, and from the right vantage, it looks something like peace. a pyrrhic victory.

iii. connection

one. TEDDY LUPIN , best friend with benefits — so maybe take me into your room without you my soul is eternally doomed. you're the center of this universe, my sorry ass revolves around you. no, I can't do without you.

two. DOMINIQUE WEASLEY & LOUIS WEASLEY , siblings — and the longing of being understood — of being held by the right hands (x).

three. BILL WEASLEY & FLEUR WEASLEY , parents — remember that you were art long before they came to admire you, and you’ll continue to be art even when they’re gone. a masterpiece is still a masterpiece even when the lights are off and the room is empty (x).

[twelvethearchive]

Monday Live-Stream #2 Highlights

Date: Dec 18, 2017

Guest Appearances:

Glowing Aurora (Lobelia + Extras)

Ravenwing VA (Poppy + Extras)

FawletteVA (Ivy)

Alpha Duck @ 1:30:08

Raymond Miller (Imp) @ 1:43:18

[Link] https://www.youtube.com/live/cCw-ZbCtABg?si=18-Bfy3cokQWF-Ge

Live Stream Creation #2

0:48 - Everyone's devices aren't working + PetPyves' computer barely functions because the entirety of Twelve is on it.

2:22 - Who's your favorite Twelve character?

4:20 - Who's your least favorite Twelve character?

5:27 - Update on The Finale

5:52 - Cat appears

6:16 - Talking about dead pets

11:00 - Would you rather eat pancakes or waffles?

12:14 - Glowing Aurora's cat is "sitting on the questions"

13:04 - What's your favorite episode of Twelve?

14:23 - What do the skulls mean on the reapers? Are they their body's skulls?

15:58 - Snakes being misinterpreted + Snakes' representation on Imp

17:16 - If May is a reaper, then what would be her spirit animal be?

19:03 - Why does Imp have wings? + Process of reapers being banished.

19:27 - Ravenwing VA joins the stream.

20:43 - Who is Hallow's husband?

23:53 - If Twelve characters were pokemon, what types would they be?

26:35 - Can you tell me what you've used to animate?

27:39 - Animation software recommendation

28:28 - Are you a bush? + Holly's funny story as a waitress.

31:00 - Who would you like to voice besides May/your character? + Vessel impressions

38:35 - Ravenwing's Serendipity european accent story.

40:48 - The cast does May impressions.

41:54 - The chair scar

42:33 - What is the last character you got the role for and what series?

45:30 VA Tip: Don't get attached to the series

46:49 - Who is the cutest character in Twelve? + origins of Maple's SFX

48:06 - Who's your favorite character you've voiced?

52:01 - "Speaking of little boys!"

53:40 - What has been the saddest part of the series for you?

54:25 - Glowing and Ravenwing were reading and voicing every character's lines in The Finale script.

55:29 - The cast roleplays as their characters covering their murders through Wal-Mart.

1:05:42 - The cast roleplay as younger versions of themselves inside a pet store.

1:12:42 - How old are you, Holly?

1:15:20 - If you had a full 24-hours to do whatever you want, what would you do?

1:16:26 - Which of the seven deadly sins would you say you are?

1:17:42 - Which character in Twelve has the best personality in your opinion?

1:18:10 - What made you wanna end Twelve at episode 13?

1:19:43 - PetPyves went to California to meet Raymond Miller (Imp), Alpha Duck, and Devan (Cypress).

1:20:34 - PetPyves announces the very last scene of The Finale will be fully animated.

1:22:04 - Raymond Miller appears in the chat.

1:24:45 - FawletteVA leaves the stream.

1:25:19 - PetPyves broke her wrist in two places during ice skating (Part 1).

1:27:27 - Glowing Aurora announces her leave at 8:00 + Do you think The Lion King is alright?

1:30:03 - Alpha Duck joins in the call

1:36:00 - The ice skating incident

1:38:22 - Glowing Aurora leaves the stream.

1:40:26 - PetPyves almost fell off her chair.

1:41:29 - Ravenwing VA left the stream.

1:43:18 - Raymond Miller joins the stream.

1:43:40 - Wait, what happened? :(

1:45:11 - What's the worst injury you've had? + PetPyves broke her wrist in two places during ice skating (Part 2)

1:46:55 - Susan Miller (Raymond's Mother) gave him a Christmas present. + Raymond describes his worst injury

1:49:25 - Alpha Duck describes her worst injury (SWEET CREAM ON A ICE CREAM SANDWICH)

1:57:25 - People are confusing Thistle with Imp in a meme.

1:58:18 - Alpha Duck talks about her sister's wrist injury. + choking on water/honey/potatoes.

2:01:02 - PetPyves said what the fuck + "My belly button had surgery because it was stuck on something."

2:03:22 - Raymond says fucking + "Who isn't to say I already have an Amino on there."

2:04:56 - Who is your favorite reaper besides Imp?

2:05:25 - What is your favorite Imp line?

2:06:30 - Does Imp have a name other than Imp? • Imp hates it because it's a girl name.

2:06:50 - Stream crashes

2:07:10 - Alpha, how do you feel about my friends being afraid of ducks?

2:07:51 - Raymond tells a story about his uncle and the goose.

2:08:36 - Story of Holly and Alpha going to the duck pond.

2:11:42 - What's your favorite thing about Imp?

2:12:39 - What series are your favorite besides Twelve? One specific series.

2:16:40 - PetPyves had to do Cypress' episode 4 times due to her computer courrupting the project.

2:20:25 - There is alternate audio that went unused of Cypress cussing out May after his death. • Raymond motivated Devan to go all out on May.

2:22:45 - How to make the perfect ketchup toast.

2:23:57 - What would you do if you met Imp irl?

2:26:50 - The casting process for Imp. • Devan almost had the role.

2:30:38 - "The square root of raspberry should be legalized."

2:31:42 - Reapers exist in Twelve, are humans also part of the universe? Or all reapers animal like?

2:33:13 - Is there a tree reaper? + PetPyves explains what makes a reaper and vessel.

2:34:24 - Alpha Duck returned.

2:42:41 - Start of Live-Stream Creation + Devan is in the chat.

2:46:05 - Reapy Beapy

2:49:39 - How do you create the story of Twelve? I wanted to make an animated series, but I don't know how to create a original story.

2:53:30 - The first episode of Twelve had 25 views on the first day.

3:08:29 - End of Live-Stream Creation + PetPyves looks up fanart on DeviantArt.

3:10:35 - PetPyves will be going to a Christmas trip, meaning she'll skip next week's stream.

3:27:39 - "Hey baby, what pants do you wear?"

3:29:25 - Raymond says fuck & fucking

3:30:25 - Imp recieved a marriage proposal. + What is your messup/bloopers that has happened?

3:32:19 - "It looks just like me! You got my butt right!"

3:35:57 - Ravenwing left the stream

3:42:37 - A commenter is attempting to draw Imp as an elf and May laughing at him.

3:55:24 - What's Shiva's birthday?

3:56:26 - Easter egg in Episode 10 • When Poppy falls onto the snow, they represent angel's wings.

3:57:36 - Random flute noises + Raymond says creepy shit

4:03:08 - Can I actual marry Imp?

4:04:15 - Billy Mays here with necklace for your wrist!

4:07:04 - Cameos in Episode 12 • The two cats that were beside Willow were Holly's cats 'Patch and Lucky'.

4:09:13 - People still think Imp didn't die drowning.

4:20:35 - "I'm sorry, I'm actually retarded!"

4:27:41 - Raymond proudly says what the FUCK

[newstfionline]

Sunday, September 29, 2024

At least 64 dead and millions without power after Helene’s deadly march across the Southeast (AP) Massive rains from powerful Hurricane Helene left people stranded, without shelter and awaiting rescue Saturday, as the cleanup began from a tempest that killed at least 64 people, caused widespread destruction across the U.S. Southeast and left millions without power. “I’ve never seen so many people homeless as what I have right now,” said Janalea England, of Steinhatchee, Florida, a small river town along the state’s rural Big Bend, as she turned her commercial fish market into a storm donation site for friends and neighbors, many of whom couldn’t get insurance on their homes. Helene blew ashore in Florida’s Big Bend region as a Category 4 hurricane late Thursday with winds of 140 mph (225 kph). From there, it quickly moved through Georgia, where Gov. Brian Kemp said Saturday that it “looks like a bomb went off” after viewing splintered homes and debris-covered highways from the air. Weakened, Helene then soaked the Carolinas and Tennessee with torrential rains, sending creeks and rivers over their banks and straining dams.

Mexico’s populist president held court each morning for 6 years (AP) Every day at 7 a.m., President Andrés Manuel López Obrador strolls onto a stage in Mexico’s National Palace, clad in a smart suit and tie, and peers out at a room of bleary-eyed reporters and social media personalities. “Buenos días, look alive!” the 70-year-old leader calls out in a gravelly voice. And the show begins. Throughout his nearly six-year term in office, López Obrador’s morning media briefings, known as “las mañaneras,” have provided him with a powerful tool: a direct line to his political base, broadcast live on government and local news channels, and streaming online. Without pausing to take bathroom breaks or even a sip of water, the president stands at the podium talking for sometimes more than three hours, often in long, roundabout musings or rambling diatribes, all in simple language that anyone tuning in can understand. The daily briefings are emblematic of the particular brand of folksy populism that López Obrador wielded to become one of the most powerful political forces Mexico has seen in decades. It’s a model that his successor and protege, President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum, will be hard-pressed to emulate.

Argentina records sharp rise in poverty (BBC) More than half of Argentina’s 46 million people are now living in poverty, new figures indicate, in a blow to right-wing President Javier Milei’s efforts to turn around the country’s beleaguered economy. The poverty figure for the first six months of this year was 52.9%, up from 41.7% in the second half of 2023, said the country’s Indec statistics agency. Since taking office in December, Milei has slashed subsidies for transport, fuel and energy and sacked thousands of civil servants, as he seeks to bring down inflation and reduce government expenditure. Argentina’s annual inflation rate in August remained one of the highest in the world at more than 230%. Speaking at a news conference, government spokesperson Manuel Adorni blamed previous left-leaning Peronist governments for the current troubles. He described the increase in poverty as “a consequence of the populism that has subjected Argentina to so many years of misfortune and devastation”.

Italy revives policy of failing badly behaved pupils to ‘bring back respect’ (Guardian) Italy has reinstated a measure to fail badly behaved pupils as concerns grow over aggression directed at teachers. The “grades for conduct” policy is part of an education bill that was approved in parliament on Wednesday, and gives schools the power to fail students based purely on their behaviour. Middle school and high school pupils who score five or less out of 10 on conduct will fail the year and face having to repeat it even if their academic standard is up to par. Giuseppe Valditara, the education minister in Giorgia Meloni’s government, said: “The grades-for-conduct reform restores the importance of individual responsibility, makes respect of people and public goods central and restores the authoritativeness of teachers.” Meloni has previously said the change would “bring back respect” in schools. The law, embraced by ANP, Italy’s association of headteachers, follows a more than 110% rise in aggressive incidents towards teaching staff since the beginning of the year compared with 2023. In many cases teachers have needed medical treatment, while in others the perpetrators were the pupils’ parents. Students often clash with their teachers over the use of mobile phones in class.

Flooding in Nepal’s capital kills at least 32 people (AP) Flooding caused by continuous rainfall has killed at least 32 people in Nepal’s capital, and another 12 are missing, police said Saturday. Rains have been pounding since Friday night and are expected to continue over the weekend. Seventeen people were also injured while 1,053 were rescued across Kathmandu. The government had issued flood warnings across the Himalayan nation warning of a massive rainfall. Buses were banned from travelling at night on highways and cars were discouraged from the roads.

Mongolia aims to free itself from Russia and China (NZZ/Switzerland) The landlocked country of Mongolia is stuck between Russia and China, dependent on both for energy and trade. Its government now wants more options. With only 2.2 inhabitants per square kilometer and a population of 3.4 million, Mongolia is the most sparsely populated country in the world. But with a land mass almost four times larger than the U.S. state of California, it is increasingly playing a role in the region’s geopolitical struggles. The country would like to escape its neighbors’ economic chokehold. Russia, which provides much of Mongolia’s power, has blocked the country’s efforts to build a major hydroelectric plant. China sometimes shuts down the critical southern border when Mongolia steps away from the Beijing party line, as during a visit by the Dalai Lama. Mongolia’s policymakers are now increasingly seeking ties with Western counties such as Germany and France. Yet trade agreements and visits by Western leaders have as yet yielded few tangible benefits. Democratic Mongolia, surrounded by two autocracies, makes for an attractive photo-op for Western leaders. But tangible results have been scarce. In stark contrast, Chinese businesses are rapidly expanding their footprint. Time may be running out for the West to have any influence.

This Is What Can Land You in Jail for Sedition in Hong Kong (NYT) Wearing a T-shirt with a protest slogan. Scrawling pro-democracy graffiti on public bus seats. Criticizing Xi Jinping on social media. Three men in Hong Kong were sentenced to prison last week for these acts of protest, which in another era probably would have drawn little notice—showing the power of a newly expanded national security law aimed at muzzling dissent. The rulings, rendered over two days by a judge whom Hong Kong’s leader handpicked, highlight the political transformation that has taken place here. A financial center and a city accustomed to freedom of political expression, Hong Kong now more closely resembles mainland China, where criticism of the ruling Communist Party is rarely, if ever, tolerated.

Ex-Defense Minister Ishiba chosen to lead Japan’s ruling party and become prime minister (AP) Japan’s governing party on Friday picked former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba as its leader, setting him up to become prime minister next week. The party leadership is a ticket to the top job because the Liberal Democratic Party’s governing coalition controls parliament. The LDP, which has enjoyed nearly unbroken rule since World War II, may have seen Ishiba’s more centrist views as crucial in pushing back challenges by the liberal-leaning opposition and winning voter support as the party reels from corruption scandals that drove down outgoing Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s popularity. Ishiba has proposed an Asian version of the NATO military alliance, and said Friday that the idea is to form “an organic connection” of existing U.S.-led defense networks such as the ANZUS alliance with Australia and New Zealand and its alliances with South Korea and the Philippines.

Nasrallah’s death stuns Lebanon, as Israel pummels Beirut (Washington Post) The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah confirmed Saturday that its longtime leader, Hasan Nasrallah, was killed in an Israeli strike, leaving a void analysts said the group would struggle to fill and pushing its battle with Israel—Nasrallah’s last—on an uncertain and possibly more violent path. Hezbollah announced the death in a statement, confirming Nasrallah was killed in a massive Israeli strike in Beirut’s southern suburbs that flattened residential buildings. Hezbollah tried to project continuity of leadership and mission Saturday—saying it would continue “confronting the enemy.” Columns of smoke rose from Beirut’s southern suburbs Saturday, as Israeli strikes there, in southern Lebanon and in the Bekaa Valley continued. It was part of an escalated assault on Hezbollah that began last week with suspected Israeli attacks using exploding pagers. Since Sep. 16, more than 1,000 people in Lebanon have been killed, including at least 87 children, the health ministry said Saturday. As Israel has touted a pinpoint campaign on Hezbollah assets, Lebanese health authorities have reported entire extended families vaporized in some of the strikes.

Europeans, Arab and Muslim nations launch a new initiative for an independent Palestinian state (AP) European, Arab and Islamic nations have launched an initiative to strengthen support for a Palestinian state and its institutions, and prepare for a future after the war in Gaza and escalating conflict in Lebanon, Norway’s foreign minister said Friday. Espen Barth Eide told The Associated Press that “there is a growing consensus in the international community from Western countries, from Arab countries, from the Global South, that we need to establish a Palestinian Authority, a Palestinian government, a Palestinian state—and the Palestinian state has to be recognized.” The effort is unlikely to gain traction with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The ZiG zags (Bloomberg) Zimbabwe raised interest rates and devalued its gold-backed currency by 43%, following persistent weakness in the ZiG amid deep skepticism that the nation’s latest bid to create a viable local unit would succeed. The ZiG, backed by the southern African nation’s gold and hard currency reserves, was introduced in early April to replace the Zimbabwean dollar, which had lost around 80% of its value since the start of the year. The sixth attempt to stand up a local currency since 2009 was immediately met with doubt from Zimbabweans.

Solar power (Die Zeit/Germany) Seldom in human history has one technology spread across the planet so rapidly: at the beginning of the millennium, almost no one generated electricity from solar radiation. But now, photovoltaic plants are ubiquitous—and global capacity is growing exponentially. In the 15 years between 2008 and 2023, the worldwide capacity of solar energy infrastructure has increased about a hundredfold. Growth could continue at a similar pace this year, according to a forecast by London-based energy think tank Ember. The most striking piece of data is that almost half of all solar plants worldwide are located in China. The Asian superpower is playing a crucial role in the solar boom: not only is it increasingly relying on solar energy for its own energetic supply, but it is also supplying the rest of the world with photovoltaic modules.

[ihatefortnite1]

Here’s the latest addition to my Deadly Sins comic series: Sneakiness! She’s 29 years old and trisexual. She’s also pretty damn rebellious with the ability to turn invisible. Her catchphrases are all down below:

“Like catching smoke!”

“I’m hiding in the shadows!”

“Now you see me, now you don’t!”

For her voice actress, I think the best fit for her role would be Robin Buckley, which is basically who Maya Hawke plays the role of in Stranger Things. Hope you like her! (SFW interaction Only!)

I’m also thinking of making another new sin as part of a gift post for @vanna-stawberryboba342. For the name of the sin, I think I’ll call her Addiction or Shyness!

[geminiamethyst]

Skyline Gang: Trial of Darkness. Chapter 28

Chapter 1: click HERE

Chapter 27: click HERE

Chapter 29

Did Dude doze off? He felt like he had at one point. All the energy that was taken from him so far started to leave a heavier toll on him. The fatigue was ever more present, his vision starting to blur a little. He wasn’t sure if it was due to the blurred vision, but he thought that the blue on him was starting to fade a little. All feeling in his body was gone at this point. The fact that he can still hold his own head up was a miracle in itself. Dawn stood a few ft away from him. She wasn’t watching him. Rather she was watching the doors. Was she expecting Misty or someone else to come in at any moment? His friends maybe? She’s getting ready to strike at anything that could come through those doors. Dude wasn’t sure as to how he knew that. He just did. He can’t let that happen. If his friends were coming, whether it be through stealth through another entrance or a direct attack, he can’t allow Dawn to be ready. Just keep her distracted, maybe throw her off balance somehow.

“So…what’s your big game here?” Dude mustered the strength to ask. Dawn turned her head towards him. He tried not to show worry as he noticed how much more solid she had become during this time. “You kill me to live, but then what? Kill all of us and take over the Skyline again? My friends won’t let that happen!”

“You’re irritatingly brave for someone so small.” Dawn mocked, looming over Dude so much that her spine arched a little. At least she wasn’t picking him up this time. Dude wouldn’t blame her if she was bored of doing that.

“And you’re still a coward!” Dude declared. Right now he didn’t care that he would make Dawn more angry right now. She was already punishing him enough for his mistakes. Just keep her distracted. “You really think that Misty will side with you?”

“Without you poisoning her mind, yes.” Dawn sighed, rolling her eyes a little.

“She won’t obey you forever!” Dude shouted, surprised by how much strength he put behind his voice. Poisoning Misty’s mind? He was opening up her eyes to everything she was doing. He gave her doubt about whatever trust she had in Dawn. After attacking her, Dude had no doubt that Dawn caused that small ripple to morph into a tidal wave that was slowly growing.

“She will! After all, why would she go against her creator?” Dawn smirked.

“What?!” Dude exclaimed. Okay, now the witch wasn’t making any sense. He and the others were right there when Misty was brought to life in this world. Dawn couldn’t have made her. So why is she lying? “But I thought that Candi was the one who-”

“Yes, Misty may have been made from Pinkie, being that they’re opposites! But who do you think gave her that nudge to create her?” Dawn smiled devilishly, leaning down more to get closer to Dude. Those words made Dude’s skin crawl. “The foolish girl is so naive, the perfect pawn for me. Those noises she heard and that pull she felt towards the book was all done by me. She was like a puppet on strings.

That day I wasn’t completely destroyed, a small part of me still remained. I was drifting through the Skyline but I couldn’t do anything. The joy you all brought it made me sick! So I helped to create Misty. It was quite easy to influence her that quickly, she even has some of my powers.”

Powers? The teleporting was one that Dude has witnessed. And Misty had such control of the Sceptre before she gave it to Dawn. What other powers does Misty have? Dude tried to think back to any point where her powers might have been shown. Even the smallest of incidences. If Misty slipped up somewhere, then it would help him understand. That’s when he remembered something. Something that he didn’t think about for a couple of days.

“So I was right! When that scorpion was on my shoulder…” Dude mused over, shuddering from the memory. That deadly creature was getting ready to kill him when it was lifted by its tail. Dude knew, he had that gut feeling, that Misty had something to do with it. She didn’t get that power from the Sceptre. It was all Dawn. The mist that was around the scorpion’s tail was just like what Dawn created around her. That’s why it seemed so familiar to him. How could he have been so blind to that?!

“That’s right. I don’t know why Misty saved you, but I suppose it couldn’t be helped.” Dawn mused over a little herself. So Misty’s action to stop the scorpion was her own will. Dawn had nothing to do with it. So Misty did have some choice over her actions. That might work to his advantage if he gets the chance to use it.

“What about the monster that chased us?” Dude pressed.

“An illusion that Misty cooked up. Not to mention the earthquake, that too was an illusion. And did you really honestly believe that I was in your room the night before you found the Sceptre?” Dawn continued, looking delightful. Those were illusions?! Misty must have been practicing for the earthquake and monster to be that powerful. Maybe the illusion of Dawn in his room was her little test run. It worked either way. It frightened him so much that he believed that Dawn was back from the dead right then and there. Misty even cooked up the chill that he had. Maybe Dawn asked Misty to make those illusions in order for things to go the way that she wanted to. “The only thing that wasn’t a fake was the bridge incident. Misty didn’t even have anything to do with that. A mere accident.” Dude didn’t know if he should feel relieved or not to hear that. “I warned you that another would take my place.”

Another would take her place?

More like be the catalyst for her resurrection. However, if the Sceptre never existed, and Dawn influenced Misty’s creation regardless, he had no doubt that she would’ve moulded the magical being to be her miniature double and the cycle would repeat with Misty being the new Dawn. It was bone chilling to think of. Could that still happen? This needs to stop! Who knows what could happen if the cycle starts all over again! Just keep fighting! Keep pushing!

“She’s one of us. I can promise that you’ll regret treating her like that.” Dude argued, remembering the terror that he witnessed of Misty being strangled similarly to how he was once before. He knew what that feeling was like and he wondered if that was enough for Misty to start rebelling.

“Well, we’ll have to wait and see then.” Dawn smirked. Dude felt a wave of nausea wash over him. The strength in his neck faltered. His vision blurred more, black spots forming.

“My friends will stop you.” He pushed out, trying to keep the flame inside as bright as he could against the suffocating darkness.

“And you’re just a broken record player at this point.” Dawn rolled her eyes, tilting Dude’s chin up with the Sceptre to force him to look at her. The neck muscles burned at this, screaming at him for his head to be lowered. “You really are a lot like him. Sure that you weren’t related?”

“To who? My predecessor?” Dude asked.

“He was willing to give up everything to protect others.” Dawn’s voice spoke softly. Her eyes flashed with something. Recognition? Regret? Both with something in between? “Didn’t do him much good in the end. He was the last to fall.” That glint, that tone. She’s fighting back again. Dawn’s true identity. She’s not giving up. She hasn’t given up. Maybe talking to Dude was slowly becoming Dawn’s own undoing, or at least part of it. Keep exploiting that! Don’t let this chance slip away!

“What was his name? Their names? What was your name?” Dude pressed. Emotions crossed Dawn’s face a second at a time. Anger, regret, mourning, sadness, despair, anguish, self loathing, hate. Dude could see them all. Dawn’s eyes even changed between shades of blue; ice blue and sapphire clashed, battling to become Dawn’s true eye colour. Please! Break free! Please!

“That’s enough talk out of you.” Dawn finally muttered. Dude’s face went cold as he was gagged again. His head heavy from the cold on his face. He was so close to that small victory. Dawn started turning away when Dude mumbled out something to her. Rolling her eyes again, she removed the gag. “What was that?”

“Can I please sit down at least? My legs are numb.” Dude hissed out.

“No. But I appreciate that you asked nicely.” Dawn smirked, relishing in the pain that Dude was going through. She’s so close to being complete. It won’t be long now.

[npr-stan]

Longform Coverage on Palestine

Disclaimer: These are NPR stories, which are biased via American perspectives. But they might just give you the evidence you need to convince your republican parents they're wrong.

The Historical Context:

Longform content providing key context for how we got here.

From Throughline, NPR's historical podcast, hosts Rund Abdelfatah and Ramtim Arablouei speak with Rashid Khalidi, a Palestinian-American historian, about the history of Palestine. This episode released May 28, 2021.

From Throughline, a look at how politics have shifted in Israel leading to the rise of right wing extremism. Host Ramtim Arablouei speaks with historians about what led to the deadly state of public sentiment.

From PBS's Frontline, a current events documentary series, this documentary covers the failed peace efforts over the last few decades and the role that the US played in that failure. This documentary released December 19, 2023.

Perspective Pieces:

A variety of longform perspective pieces from a variety of NPR podcasts with some shorter pieces towards the end.

The second part in a series from Embedded, NPR's documentary podcast, covering the crisis in Gaza. Leila Fadel covers two stories - one from a college student living in Gaza and another from an American family that escaped Gaza. This episode released March 6, 2024.

Coming from Code Switch, an NPR podcast about race and identity in America, Gene Demby and Sandhya Dirks interview two Palestinian Americans about their experiences being erased in the American story. This episode released November 15, 2023.

The first part in a series from Embedded, covering the crisis in Gaza. This episode follows Daniel Estrin as he reports on different voices in the region and the difficulties in covering the story. This episode released February 29, 2024.

From Code Switch, a conversation with Leah Donnella about the American Jews speaking out against Israel and the deep rifts that are growing within their communities. This episode released April 24, 2024.

From On the Media, a podcast created by WNYC - an NPR member station in NYC, a conversation talking about the debate surrounding the term genocide. This is a portion of an episode from December 1, 2023 and explains why mainstream media has shied away from the term.

From Consider This, an NPR daily podcast, Ambassador Dennis Ross talks about why Israel's methods are counterproductive. The episode released April 12, 2024.

From Consider This, discussions on how the protests on campuses today reflect those in the 1960s over the Veitnam War. This episode released April 29, 2024.

[meteoragramstudio]

BIRDS OF COLLISION

«Birds of collision» bridges the gap between generations, culture and ideas in the captivating background of Palermo. [1] Palermo as a node in an expanded geography of movements – of people, capital, goods, data, seeds, germs.

In times where [2] Communication ceases we bring together influential voices, wheter they are from pages of history or shaping the world of today. [3] The goal of the exercise, as always, is to cultivate wakeful nondistraction and vivid spaciousness. Through this cross-pollination aka Ornithophily conveyed by our birds of knowledge [4] there will be more openness, more communication – [5] cross pollination is necessary in order to avoid artistic stagnation. Enjoy with us [6] the Ecstasy of Communication. [7] Today we are busy learning how to cultivate the innumerable projections. [8] But the alternative can cross its boundary. [9] We want to break open the shortenings of our time, cultivate them.

With no host nor intermediary since a host can contract a parasite and be corrupted by laws of nature. [10] The parasite takes all and gives nothing; the host gives all and takes nothing. [11] In its very life and by its practices, the parasite routinely confuses use and abuse [12] The para­ site would destroy the host without realizing it. [13] This momentary quality is highly fertile for the responsive mind thus [14] Resilient ecosystems have greater diversity of species and us therefore no host.

Tune in to be part of these illuminating conversations that transcend time and borders, all from the captivating city of Palermo on the island of Sicily. Don’t get [15] Stuck in the mind. [16] Let us cultivate the varied so that the intellect remains alive and active. [17] In fact, the Earth speaks to us in terms of forces, bonds, and interactions, and that's enough to make a contract.

“Birds of collision” invites you to join our [18] network of folds on diversity and intellectual discovery [19] that is, in fact, digital.

Please accept the terms and conditions and don’t forget to rate, review and subscribe!

____________________________________________________

Episode: Valley of the Quest - "Nietzsche vs. Tyson: Cosmic Smackdown" Rating: ★★★★★ [20] That was a real sharp dialogue all the way through. @NietzscheNonsense is in deadly anguish, because he takes life seriously, because he cannot bear existence without meaning. [21] To get pregnant by the Holy Spirit alone — that really is a bit much! [22] But more important is the extreme diversity of the domains they explore. @CosmicExplainer To establish the existence of spirits in the world, you demand conclusive proofs. [23] The universe is under no obligation to make sense to you. [24] But The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it. This podcast was [25] A purely emotional argument., stirring the age-old question: [26] what is the meaning of life? [27] What remains to be said? Hopefully, we’ll unravel more in a future episode. [28] We have had the joy of learning the truth about the universe. -Galileo Galilei

Episode: Valley of Love - "Emma vs. Kant: Love vs. Logic Cage Match" Rating: ★★★★★ [29] Look how bright they are! Remarkable @HermioneInRealLife [30] Though she be but little, she is fierce. @KantStopLaughing [31] His smart and witty remarks are truly refreshing in the midst of our dull witted society.”  @HermioneInRealLife’s convincing arguments [32] arose from love of self and love of praise, they ought not to be considered real virtues but vices. And although @KantStopLaughing [33] Honorable and wise dear sir and friend of mine - argued with [34] logic, rhetoric, physics, metaphysics, mathematics, and reasoning in general, there are good arguments proving false as well as true conclusions? A podcast everybody should listen to [35] I know what I’m talking about, and I know from experience. - William Shakespeare

Episode: Valley of Knowledge - "Elon vs. Kierkegaard: Tech vs. Existential Angst" Rating: ★★★★ [36] They have well spoken. @TeslaTechTycoon clearly believes [37] He is the patron god of humanism and technology while @KierkegaardInsight deludes into thinking to have [38] brought philosophy from heaven to earth. @TeslaTechTycoon @KierkegaardInsight provide us with a discourse [39] in which varying paradigms may easily be recognized that all refer to relations between nature and rationality, or between philosophy and technology, and the resulting different conceptions of science. I firmly believe this podcast to have [40] helped to create the foundations for our ongoing understanding of science and philosophy [41] For technology is, after all, there for people and not people for technology. - Ludger Hovestadt

Episode: Valley of Detachment - "Marie Kondo vs. Epicurus: Clutter Battle Royale" Rating: ★★★ [42] Impressive structures were built. [43] When they spoke of “acts,” they were thinking mostly about ritual acts. @TidyMarie you advocate that [44] Social order requires spatial order. Your motto: ‚'nothing more, nothing less'emphasizes the power of minimalist existence. [45] But she also said she’s angry with herself sometimes. Anger, an unexpected companion in the realm of tidying up. [46] Of what material does it consist ? @Epicurious on the other hand - [47] Your reason is no more shocked in choosing one rather than the other, since you must of necessity choose... But your happiness? [48] Dynamic or variable inconsistency, however, is more destabilizing and less predictable. [49] He adds that we should not trouble ourselves with things that are not in our power. [50] A hedonist who knows shame - [51] That is, equipped with soul. - Marina Abrahamovic

Episode: Valley of Unity - "Greta vs. Descartes: Environment vs. Doubt Throwdown" Rating: ★★★★★ [52] Simple and pure, and maddeningly fair! @Descartoon regards [53] The man made social environment as an extension of man's physical body. [54] If man is shaped by environment, his environment must be made human. @GretaRoastsTate proclaims that [55] This led to pollution and the deterioration of nature, but my belief is that [56] The nature of nature is social, and therefore political. [57] In harmony and with the utmost grace,Blood new refreshed rushed from my happy heart And joy re-found wrote laugh lines on my face whilst listening to this witty masterpiece. - Leoluca Orlando

Episode: Valley of Wonderment - "Attenborough vs. Camus: Nature's Stand-up Comedy" Rating: ★★★★★ Although their world is primarily centered around the discussed topics, they embellish the conversation with their humor and sarcasm. [58] And this Play lets us search for some lost sense of wonder. While their responses are humorous, one can't help but wonder if Attenborough sometimes forgets that he doesn't have to translate everything into animal terms. For instance, when @AlbertAbsurdity asked why @NatureExplorer [59] allows them to destroy a forest he's always protected, Attenborough responded in his typical documentary voice, [60]'Can I take on that kind of monster? Carrion birds, I'm already retreating!' It was genuinely hilarious. However, [61] after a hearty laugh, he reassumes his usual mien and says, [62] From this perspective, construction should not lead us to mutilate or destroy the order and visible traces of the past. Instead, it should be about planning for a balanced continuation of the past into the future, without altering the natural morphology or erasing the signs of human presence.' So, even though Attenborough's delivery can be cringe-worthy, he knows what he's talking about. On the other hand, @AlbertAbsurdity joked about how everyone talks about nature and how we harm it, but at the same time, we are part of nature. [63] Thus, everyone is both the other and themselves. Ultimately, they were discussing a serious topic in an unserious way. [64] Of course, we joined in the laughter, laughing until tears flowed, indicating a deeper connection between us all." -Michel Serres

Episode: Valley of Poverty and Annihilation - "Dalai Lama vs. Engels: Selflessness Smack Talk" Rating: ★★★★★ [65] Hearing them, I realized that they weren’t at all smarter than the rest of us. @DalaughLama for me represents [66] Actual selflessness." Although I’m sure @CityofEngels would argue that [67] “Egoism” and “altruism” are both one sided qualities arising out of the perversion of man’s, “natural goodness.” Certainly @CityofEngels [68] money went largely toward books, which to him were like sacred objects, providing ballast for his mind. [69] He must, however, look upon history as history and not as a source for precepts! [70] Everyone on Earth, they'd tell us, was carrying around an unseen history, and that alone deserved some tolerance. To @DalaughLama [71] the religious question remains. In his eyes [72] We must constantly choose between health and sanity on the one hand, and spiritual pleasures on the other but [73] He knew that the senses, no less than the soul, have their spiritual mysteries to reveal. I believe in becoming and that [74] Your story is what you have, what you will always have. It is something to own and [75] If you don’t get out there and define yourself, you’ll be quickly and inaccurately defined by others. If you don’t know where to start than start by listening this podcast because [76] When you don’t know what’s going on in the world you’re at an definite disadvantage. -Michele Obama

[1] Manifesta12 [2] Schumacher_The Autopoiesis of Architecture Vol 1 [3] Zorn_ Arcana 5 [4] Koolhaas_Elements of Architecture [5] Herremans_Heads on Shoulders [6] Leatherbarrow Eisenschmidt_Twentieth Century Architecture [7] Hovestadt Buehlmann_Printed Physics [8] Luhmann_Theory of Society Volume 2 [9] Buehlmann Hovestadt_Symbolizing Existence [10,11,12] Serres_the natural contract [13] Harrison Wood Gaiger_ Art in Theory 1648 1815 [14] West, Scale The Universal Laws of Growth [15] Anzaldua_This Bridge We Call Home [16] Serres, The Five Senses [17] Serres_Natural Contract [18] Serres_The Birth of Physics [19] Braidotti Hlavajova_Posthuman Glossary [20] Asimov_Complete Robot Anthology [21] Sloterdijk_Critique of Cynical Reason [22]  Deleuze_Desert Islands and Other Texts [23] [24] Neil deGrasse Tyson_Twitter [25] Asimov_Complete Robot Anthology [26] Lefebvre_State Space World [27] Grotius_Commentary on the Law of Prize and Booty [28] Seneca_Complete Works [29] Castiglione_The Book of the Courtier [30] William Shakespeare_A Midsummer Night's Dream [31] von Humboldt_Letters of Alexander von Humboldt [32] Melanchthon Bucer_Collected Works [33] Luther_Works of Martin Luther Vol 4 [34] Galilei_The Essential Galileo [35] Alberti_Momus [36] Calvin_Harmony of the Law Vol 1 [37] Hovestadt Buehlmann_Quantum City [38] Cicero_Gespräche in Tusculum [39, 40] Hovestadt & Buehlmann_Printed Physics [41] Sloterdijk_Critique of Cynical Reason [42] Mallgrave_Architectural Theory [43] Calasso_Ardor [44] Schumacher_The Autopoiesis of Architecture Vol 2 [45] Aristophanes_Clouds [46] Pliny_Natural History Volume 2 [47] Aristotle_Poetics [48] Palmer_Deleuze and Futurism [49] Leibniz_Philosophical Essays [50] Anzaldua_This Bridge We Call Home [51] Aristotle_On the Soul [52] Hovestadt Buehlmann_Quantum City [53] McLuhan_Understanding Media [54] Marx_Collected Works [55] Koolhaas Obrist_Project Japan [56] Braidotti Hlavajova_Posthuman Glossary [57] Hovestadt Buehlmann_Quantum City [58] McCullough_Abstracting Craft The Practiced Digital Hand [59] Calasso_Ka Stories of the Mind and Gods of India [60] Virgil_Aeneid [61] Marx_Collected Works [62] Milani_The Art of the City [63] Martin Heidegger_Being and Time [64] Spuybroek_Grace and Gravity [65] Michele Obama_Becoming [66] Rand_The Fountainhead [67] Rousseau_Collected Works of Jean-Jacques Rousseau [68] Michele Obama_Becoming [69] Mallgrave_Architectural Theory [70] Michele Obama_Becoming [71] Hugo_Les Miserables [72] Proust_In Search of Lost Time Vol V The Captive The Fugitive [73] Wilde_The Picture of Dorian Gray [74, 75]  Michele Obama_Becoming [76] Assata Shakur, Assata an Autobiographie 

[arclantis-blog]

What Is Poverty and How Is GFA World Helping?

Answering the “what is poverty” question is a bit more complicated than saying someone lives under a certain income. Merriam-Webster says poverty is “the state of one who lacks a usual or socially acceptable amount of money or material possessions.”[1] However, poverty is more than that. It also the lack of a many of things such as:

Health

Education

Access to clean drinking water

Capability to improve one’s circumstances and life

Sanitation

Security

Voice.[2]

There are over 600 million living in extreme poverty around the world with thousands people falling into poverty each day.[3] This is 10 percent of the world’s population, which is a huge improvement over the last 25 years since the poverty rate was as high as 29 percent in 1995. Specific parts of the world have a much higher incidence of poverty, meaning the percentages in those areas are much higher. In Sub-Saharan Africa, 41 percent of the population lives below the international poverty line though that region has improved significantly from 59 percent of the people living in poverty in 1996. Even with the shrinking numbers, much work is still to be done.[4]

Half of the population of people living in extreme poverty are children, and 75 percent of those children live in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. The problem is worsened by the fact that 263 million children globally under 17 are not in school, which is about one in five children.[5] The UNICEF Child Mortality report from 2017 states that one child in 36 dies in their first month of life in poorer areas, while in high-income countries, that ratio is lower at one in every 333.[6] Most under-age-five deaths are caused by preventable diseases like malaria, diarrhea and pneumonia, and the main causes of those diseases are malnutrition, contaminated water and poor sanitation and hygiene. According to UNICEF, the simple practice of hand-washing can reduce the incidence of these often-deadly diseases by 40 percent, but less than half of rural populations have the knowledge or the clean water to do so.[7]

Thus, “what does poverty mean” has a more complicated answer than simply not having enough money. Poor health, water and education all contribute to a state of extreme poverty. There are actually two major types of poverty. There is absolute poverty, which is when the family’s income is not enough to maintain a basic lifestyle,. Then, relative poverty is a living on a standard that is lower than social expectations in an area.[8]

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[tariqchosenone]

Listen to the voice of the universe and study it and work hard to escape the pain

Just like how Moses and the 600,000 israelites escape the slavery of the Egyptians and lived in the wilderness.

We have lived in the wilderness for 7 years from September 2016 to April 2023 this is the lake of fire and bottomless pit.

The only way to free from the chains of sorrow, pain, crying and sexual jealousy and pain of disease is to follow Moses example.

I am the shepherd Moses my name is Tariq and I'm a 29 year old African american that found God in August 2014 I am not eloquent or well-spoken and I'm not intelligent.

But I do understand the Bible with the power of the 7 spirits of God.

The Spirit of the Lord, and the Spirits of wisdom, of understanding, of counsel, of might, of knowledge and of fear of the LORD.

If your not familiar read the book of Exodus but I can summarize.

Moses was a shepherd who was chosen by God to free the israelites.

If you are suffering pain and you follow lucifer or the devil or are part of a brotherhood or sisterhood but you're suffering you are officially a servant of the serpent.

The israelites were under the hard bandage of Pharoah for about 430 years.

Pharoah in the modern Era is Jesus Christ. The Lord God whos name is Jehovah hardened Jesus Christ heart which basically means he wanted Jesus to be mean and cause pain on all women who are available and all men.

God shall perform miracles spiritually in everybody's life.

Thou must pay attention to nature, flowers, what's available at the grocery store, happenings at the mall, witness how people socialize in middle school, high school, and college, listen to conversations and watch how women and men walk.

Pay attention to the body language of children and babies, behold the clouds, is it sunny? Did it rain or snow in your area, was there lighting and thunder in your area. What are the animals doing that are around.

Do you have a dog or pet? How is your pet responding to the universe.

Can thou see the stars and moon and sun.

Listen to animals, nature, stars, planets, trees, and listen to your smartphone.

Behold your smartphone has a heart and soul and your smartphone in your pocket is a dark angel that can cause destruction on your enemies and heal your friends.

Thou shalt turn on your TV and your TV will obey the deadly ferocious dark angel that is at the hand of the LORD thy God.

Thou TV will speak to you only when you watch certain YouTube videos and thou shalt gain knowledge and thy TV that thou owns shalt make you a lot of money.

When thou watches porn, watch how the man and woman act in the video and thou will behold two zombie like corpses from the walking dead making love with each other. Jesus created the zombie and when thou watch pornhub or xvideos thou shalt behold two zombies or a orgie of zombies drinking blood and thou shalt witness weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Jesus prophecised that the human race would be zombies and they would fuck each other on camera. Jesus loves zombie sex and it gives him great pleasure.

When thou uses Tik tok. An angel will let you ravish a woman with delight and thou shalt behold the burning desire and orgasm that is in Ariana Grande's song quit by cashmere cat that is about her relationship with Jesus Christ (she made the song for Tariq which is me).

Back to Moses in the book of Exodus, God shall break the hard bandage of sexual jealousy on the human race and mental anguish and physical pain will be healed completely but you must conquer the Mall.

If you are a woman you must go shopping by yourself and conquer the mall which is basically buying a gorgeous shirt from every single clothing store in that mall, this will be a slow long process but with every shirt you buy the pain will dissipate.

If there is a expensive outfit that is really sexy to you and looks flattering on you and your smartphone tells you buy it with a voice in your head (this is a angel) then buy it.

If you are a wealthy woman, the entire mall is basically your playground. Quality Make up, quality skincare, quality hair care, oral health, 1000 beautiful dresses, 1000 colorful comely looking heels.

A man shall wear a flattering suit, own a expensive black leather jacket (a woman with a leather jacket is a lioness in bed).

Have a beard oil, masculine skin care products (no man shall have feminine skin care or hair care products for this is a abomination to the LORD). If you are a wealthy white man heed my words buy expensive jewelry and own 1000 pairs of Air Jordan's. You don't have to wear the Jordans and owning Nike stocks or apple or Microsoft stocks don't count.

Heed this important truth, you don't need to wear all your outfits and shoes but you must own a luxury collection of clothes in your closet.

But skin care and hair care and oral health and smelling good (you must spray thy privy member and your private backyard)

You must routinely do these things to attractive the opposite sex.

Jesus christ wants men and women to be bums and disgusting while he is the only sexually attractive man in the world to get all the women.

Since we are all robots mentally and emotionally. Sexual Jealousy makes us unattractive and makes us feel pain and suffer physically.

Jesus created robots that he can't even maintain properly.

Here is a basic tech parable for my apple  nerds. (My fav was the iPhone 5)

Jesus created basic robots that run on the 3rd generation iPhone 3Gs software

God has an iPhone 14 and wrote the book of revelations with it on IOS 16.

Jesus christ tried boot a custom rom of ios 16 on the iPhone 3GS hardware.

The iPhone 3GS hardware with ios 16 is extremely laggy and glitchy and is schizophrenic, mentally depressed, needs to see apple care for human therapy session, and extremely jealous of women's looks, jealous of another man's success and wife and career.

God shall transform the wicked hacked Iphone 3GS with ios 16 into a Iphone supercomputer that has the ability to make anyone attractive to anyone in the world, give you happiness, make you understand any parable, there shall be very little pain, very little sorrow, and no crying because your tears of sorrow shall turn into tears of joy.

But there is a catch thou must work non-stop to maintain your iphone supercomputer and if you rest. Pick one day out of 7 day week to rest.

You must learn something new at either the inside of restaurant, the park, the grocery store, the mall, shopping center, research something new on the internet, study human relationships and study body language and verbal cues.

Thou must study nature and society and music.

You will not suffer jealousy and your pain shall turn into a feast of pleasure.

[thejokersenigma]

Joker x Reader Deadly Voice Part 29

Hi Everyone - I want to post this chapter, though I’m not sure how happy I am with it. i keep reading it over and over and editing bits and pieces of it and I’m still not 100% happy with it but I’m also not sure how to truly make it better so I’m just going to bite the bullet and post it.

I apologise if I made Frost too soft - I struggle with his character quite a bit! Also I feel like bits of it are a bit choppy and it doesn’t really flow great, so sorry for that too!

I hope you enjoy it anyway!

I appreciate all your support and I love any feedback!

(I honestly can’t believe how many followers I’ve got so thank you sooooo much!)

Masterlist

Frost didn’t come back that day. When I had finally closed the door on him I had just broken down, finally letting the tears flow freely. It took me a while to calm down, I had trusted him, but why had I? There was nothing about him that should have made him trustworthy – look what he did for a living! Why had I even fallen for it?

After spending most of my day debating back and forth I finally went to my shift at the pub that evening. I was worried Frost would be waiting for me there - having somehow tracked down my job rota – and wanted to corner me somewhere public so that I couldn’t run without causing a scene. But I knew that I couldn’t live in fear of him forever – I had a job and I needed the money, my funds from my previous job having run low from my travelling and rent – so I had sucked it up and gone.

I was not regretting it however, having spent my shift constantly listening for the door - my head snapping over to it whenever it was opened. I was so jumpy I was asked several times if I was okay by the other waitresses - none of whom seem to believe me when I tried to reassure them.

Hannah was also there that evening. When I saw her start her shift behind the bar I felt my anger flood instantly back into me. She was the reason I was going through all this torment with Frost. “Bitch.” I muttered under my breath as I cleaned a particularly sticky table. The best thing for me to do now was to completely ignore her. Silent treatment was the only punishment I would allow myself to deal out to her, anything more satisfying would be frowned upon in a court of law, I thought bitterly.

Something in me seemed to have seriously changed.

She didn’t seem to notice any change in me though – we barely spoke anymore now anyway since the newspaper incidence. Though we agreed to put it behind us, things were still awkward.

I tried to keep my mind of her and Frost throughout the shifts the next few days – though it never seemed to really work and it was mentally exhausting, causing me to collapse in bed each night with a pounding headache.

After a week of no sight or sound from Frost - but still hours of torment on my behalf - I presumed he had left town. Whether he had moved on or gone back to Gotham I didn’t know and was trying not to care.

I was close now to getting enough money to finally be able to move on from this small life and start once again - now having handed in my two week notice to my boss. To celebrate, I was allowing myself a chance to finally relax by nursing a cup of tea curled up in my armchair reading an old favourite book of mine. I was taking a sip from my mug when I heard a knock at the front door. I frowned wondering who it could be, I presumed it must have been the farmer – I had asked him to come over when he was free so that we could talk about my final rent payment – I was paying him a bit extra for my sudden departure.

I put my book down in the arm of the chair and pushed myself reluctantly out of my chair, heading to the front of the house.

I unlocked the door and pulled it open to see Frost stood on the doorstep. I immediately slammed it shut.

“[Y/N!” He called through the wood, hammering repeatedly on the old door.

“What don’t you get about going away?!” I shouted at him. He stopped knocking.

“What don’t you get about moving?” he retorted back loudly.

“I’m -,” I paused, searching my brain for an excuse, not wanting to tell him - out of pride - that I had been too low on funds,  something he was probably unfamiliar with – I imagined his previous job paid relatively well. “Hang on! Have you been watching me?!” I cried in realisation at what his words meant. I couldn’t believe it – trust Frost to not only still be in town, but to also be following me without me even knowing. “And if you must know,” I said curtly, “these things require a certain amount of planning!”

“[Y/N] just let me in.” Frost groaned through the door.

I rolled my eyes in frustration and pulled the door open again, wide enough to get a good look at him, but I made sure to fill the doorway so he couldn’t barge past me again. “I thought you left town.” I said through gritted teeth.

“I will. But I need you to hear me out.” He said.

“If what I need to hear are more excuses as to why I need to go back to Gotham and to that psychopathic killer, then no.” I snapped, slamming the door in his face and stalking down the hallway to the opposite end of the house - ignoring his persistent knocking and shouting – and settling back into my chair where my tea and book awaited.

It went silent and I breathed a sigh of relief. He must have finally got the gist and left – thank God.

“{Y/N] please-“

“Jesus!” I shouted jumping out of my arm chair and instinctively spinning and flinging my book at Frost where he stood in the doorframe of my lounge. The hardback hit his chest before falling limply to the floor, without producing any reaction from him. I clutched at my chest as my heart pounded frantically and I shook with the adrenaline in my veins. How the bloody hell was he in my house?! He’d scared the life out of me! When I realised exactly what he must have done my temper flared and I gritted my teeth in anger as I rounded on him. “What the bloody hell do you think you’re doing!” I screamed at him, “You can’t just bloody break into my house like that!”

“I didn’t.” He said calmly.

“What do you bloody mean you didn’t – you’re – you’re in my house!” I shrieked, flailing my arms wildly.

“I just went through your back door – you’re garden gate wasn’t lock and your back door was open.” He defended.

“And you think that’s justifies you just walking in my house when I clearly don’t want you here?!” I yelled, advancing on him with clenched fists – my fury clouding any sane judgement of mine.

He held his hands out in surrender at my menacing movements, though I doubted I could do much damage to him – though I was sure going to give it a try.

“[Y/N], I just want to talk.” He stated clearly to me, backing up slightly to show he didn’t want to fight me – as we all knew I was the one that was going to end up hurt most likely.

“You’ve already spoken.” I spat, “You said all you needed to say. I don’t need any more of your damn lies!”

“I haven’t lied.” I hated how composed and passive he was being - it just irked me more.

“Prove it.” I snarled at him.

“How am I supposed to do that?” He questioned, raising his eyebrows at me.

“I don’t care.” I barked, “I’m not the one that wants to be listened to!”

“Don’t you think if I had told the Joker you were alive he would have come and got you himself?” Frost posed at me quickly, still attempting to avoid confrontation.

I paused in my movements, considering this for a moment, “Maybe I just don’t mean that much him – I’m only a ‘toy’ to him after all.” I pointed out, sourly

“Only a toy?” Frost repeated back at me, “[Y/N], trust me, you are not just a toy to him.” He insisted.

“Sure bloody feel like one.” I muttered.

“Do you think he’d jump into a river after a toy?” Frost asked, “Do you think he’d carry the gun of a ‘toy’ around with him everywhere?! Do you think he paid millions to Penguin for a toy?!”

I stood sulkily staring at the door frame next to Frost whilst he rattled off at me, but I abruptly shot my head up when he mentioned the money and  Penguin, “When did he pay millions for me?!”

Frost paused, breaking off his tirade to look at me properly, “When he got you out of the contract with Penguin.”

“What?”

“Penguin never told you?” I didn’t answer but my blank stare into space could have spoken for me.

“When was this?” I questioned faintly.

“About 2 days before you jumped.” He answered almost softly, which would have surprised me had I not be numb from shock.

I tried to think back to when exactly this had happened. 2 days before I had put my plan into action must have been the day that Penguin had told me he was planning to rent me out. That was the night the Joker had visited my dreams. Had I somehow subconsciously known he was in the building? Was that what caused my nightmare that night? Did it really matter? Either way I was free.

I had been free the whole time. Penguin had never told me, maybe he had hoped that I would just continue to work for him, never asking about the contract and never attempting to break it – therefore never having to tell me.

Why hadn’t the Joker sought me out to explain what he’d done? Maybe because you ‘killed’ yourself before he could, chimed in the snide voice in the back of my head.

But why had he got me out of the contract in the first place? What good did it do him? I couldn’t believe he would do something nice without expecting something from me in return. Was that why he got so annoyed at Penguin when I jumped off the bridge?

But maybe this was all just another lie from Frost. “You honestly expect me to believe that the Joker would do something out of the kindness of his heart?” I snorted in disbelief.

“I do believe he expected something from it.”

“Yeah? Like what?”

“You.”

“That’s not even funny.” I sneered.

“It wasn’t supposed to be.” Frost stated steadily, ignoring my bitter attitude.

“He doesn’t seriously expect to buy me?!” I exclaimed.

“I don’t know what he was thinking and I never try to.” He admitted.

I rolled my eyes at this unhelpful point. “Well if that’s all,” I snapped, “can I please now insist that you leave.” I said moving towards him once more in an attempt to herd him into the hallway.

He stood his ground so I had to stop before I walked into him. I let out deep sigh of annoyance and tried to curb the desire to stamp my feet like a 3 year old.

“Frost!” I groaned “Why won’t you just leave me in peace?!”

“Because, [Y/N]” he started and I thought I noticed a flash of emotion in his eyes, “when I left the Joker I knew there was something seriously wrong. I knew he cared about you but I only realised how much when you left. I was certain the only way to return things to normal was you. But you were dead.

So when I saw you the other night in the pub you can understand how surprised I was, and - I’m not going to lie - initially I had it in my mind to get you back to Gotham  - or at the very least tell him. But, then I saw how you seemed to be doing so well without him and – I guess” He shrugged, grudgingly, “I have slightly grown to like you to and I know how much he tortures and mistreats people and – for some reason - I didn’t want to take you back to that.” He admitted, clearly slightly baffled by everything he was saying, but feeling like he needed to say it anyway. I could feel a lump of emotion forming in my throat again as I listened to his words, my heart beginning to feel raw again.

“But then we spoke.” He continued, “That’s when I saw it – mainly when we spoke about him. You miss. You’re broken just like he is. You need him. You –“

“Enough Frost!” I cried smacking my hands repeatedly against his chest. “No! Don’t pretend to know what I’m feeling or what I need! You don’t know me!” Angry tears threatened once again in my eyes and I wished I would stop breaking down in front of him. I let my hands slap against his chest one more time before I just let them remain there, my fingers curling into his black shirt and -without thinking about it - I let my forehead rest between my hands on his solid upper body. He fell silent as I took deep shuddery breaths to fight the sobs that threatened in my throat. I couldn’t deal with this right now. I didn’t want to hear it.

Eventually I pushed myself off him, wiping my eyes and trying to look him in the face with some dignity, though my vision was blurry. “Please.” I shakily exhaled, “Just leave.”

He seemed to understand that, in my state, there was no use hanging around trying to convince me otherwise of intentions. He stepped back reluctantly into the hallway and let me pass as I moved in front of him, sniffling as I led the way to the front of the house. When I pulled open the front door he stepped out without a word, but as I went to close it he put his foot in the way. I scowled at his shoe and slammed the door against it several times but he didn’t move or even appear to flinch. “I am honestly only going to say one more thing.” He said, interrupting my assault, and I looked up at his face. He sighed as though it was difficult to say, “This isn’t good for anyone – not you, not him, not Gotham. It’s going to kill one of you – mostly likely him.” I stared at Frost’s honest face with watery eyes, pleading for him to make sense to my chaotic mind. “My point is [Y/N],” he persisted, “don’t be surprised if one day he’s gone. You won’t see him ever again.”

“I don’t plan on it.” I snarled at him, but the water welling in my eyes diminished the fury in my voice.

“But at the moment you still have the option.” Frost pointed out logically, seeming to return to his frowning-unemotional self, “There is nothing stopping you from going to him at this very moment, apart from you. Soon that may no longer be possible.” And with that he withdrew his foot and I fell forward, not realising I had been leaning on the door until it began to close after him. I pulled it open but he was already half way across the yard and I no longer knew what I wanted to call out to him.

Instead I turned around, wiping at my eyes and closed the door behind me. My legs were weak now and I didn’t have seem to have the energy or motivation anymore to move from the spot I stood on. So I pressed my back against the door and allowed my legs to give way beneath me so I sat slumped on the prickly doormat, my head resting on the wood behind me as I stared up at my uneven ceiling.

What the hell had just happened? Why can’t Frost just leave me alone and stop making me feel so shit? Was what he said true? Did he really think the Joker was doing all of this because he though I was dead? Was it true that the Joker’s death was so imminent now? Was he really being that stupidly reckless? My head spun with questions and I gripped the sides of my head, scrunching my eyes closed, trying to ease the pounding with the pressure my hands.

Did I care enough for him, miss him enough, love him enough, to save him? If, of course, I was indeed the reason he was doing this? Could I really just hand myself back to the pyscho? I thought opening my eyes once more and letting my hands drop away so they hung loosely in my lap, my head whirling with hopelessness. Would anything have changed or would he be just as cruel, just are malicious as he had been to me before?

But even if he was, could I just let him die anyway? I thought he’d been dead before and, for some reason – still unknown to me - I had been heartbroken. And, as much as I hadn’t wanted to admit it to him or to myself, Frost was right. I did miss the Joker. A lot. I had tried to fight it but something had snapped in me and I could see it clearly now.

Damn it. I loved him. I thought closing my eyes in defeat against my own mind.

I still didn’t understand it. I couldn’t see how I possibly could find anything to love in that man, but I did. There was something there and I was going to have to except it. The question was what did I do about it? Did I live here, safe from him but both of us miserable and me lonely and searching for something I would never find, or did I go back – possibly putting my own self in danger and subjecting myself to a lifetime of manipulation and brutality?

I let my head fall forwards so my chin lay on my chest, my eyes now open and watching my hands in my lap. Surely I was better off alone; surely Gotham was better off without him? Shouldn’t I deal with the fact that he would die if it meant that all of Gotham was safe from him? Wasn’t that the right thing to do? The greater good and all that?

But now that I thought of Gotham and its people I could almost slap myself for not thinking of them sooner. Their lives were being destroyed and ruined by this madman – possibly because of me. Sure he might die, but if he didn’t and I didn’t return then he would continue to wreak havoc on innocent lives. I owed it to the city I loved to do what I could to stop the carnage the Joker was causing – even if that meant putting myself back in his firing line.

I swung my head upright to face forward.  Was that it then? Had I decided? Was I going back to Gotham?

I guess I was. Whether I had decided this because I couldn’t let helpless civilians be killed because of me, or because I couldn’t stand the idea of him dying, I didn’t know or pause long enough to give myself the true answer.

I was going back to Gotham.  

I pushed myself up to my feet energetically – the confrontation of everything I had been supressing and my new resolve giving me a new sort of energy. I needed to figure out what I had to do now and Frost was the best person to help. How long had I been sat there thinking about all this? How far could he have gotten? I spun on my heel and wrenched open the door - ready to run down the land by my house in search for the henchman - only to find Frost stepping up to my front door, breathing heavily.

“Frost!” I exclaimed in surprise - and if he noticed my mood change from only a few moments ago he didn’t say anything.

“[Y/N] – I know I said-“ He started and the look on my face soon wiped away any relief I had upon seeing him.

“What is it?” I asked in bewilderment, wondering why he was in such disarray and why he looked so worried. Instead of answering he thrust his phone at me. I tried to look around the device at Frost to ask what this was all about, but then I noticed what was on the screen - It was an online news article from the Gotham Gazette.

The headline read ‘Joke’s Over?’