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delicatebarness · 4 months ago

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good graces: a cry baby story | chapter one

Summary: Delving into the shadowy world of a notorious biker gang, you begin navigating the tension between their duties and the gang's influence.

Warning: Corruption and Unethical Behavior. Criminal Activity and Violence. Suspense and Intimidation. Implied Threats. Emotional Tension.

Word Count: 1646

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A/N: It's weird not writing as Cry Baby. - Please feel free to leave feedback or let me know where and how you want the story to continue, this is just as much yours as mine. - B

You sat at your new desk, in your new office– the laminate chipped and worn from the years of service. It mirrored the experiences of the precinct itself. Casting a harsh, cold glow, the fluorescent lights made everything seem more stark and unforgiving. You were currently in your first week taking over from Fury, a man whose retirement still left a sour taste in your mouth. He left a murky legacy behind, filled with unspoken truths and shadows that clung to the corners of the station like cobwebs.

The paper was rough under your fingertips as you sifted through a pile of old case files. The scent of ink and aged paper filled your nostrils. One file stood out among the usual fare of petty theft, domestic disputes, and minor assaults. The file was thick, bursting at the seams, as though it had been fed a diet of steady statements, reports, and evidence over the years. The label read: “The Avengers.”

Intrigued, you began to read the bulky file. The Avengers’ dossier is a detailed chronicle, each page a testament to their cunning audacity. Countless reports, dozens of names and dates, each one hinted at crimes far more severe than the paperwork let on. Yet, despite the mountain of documentation against each member, there hadn’t been a single arrest, and not one charge had ever stuck. And, the deeper you dived, the more glaring the gaps became.

It was clear now, that the corruption ran deep. You marveled at the arrogance of it all. The notes from your predecessor, Fury, peppered throughout the files, they were vague and non-committal. They often led investigations into dead ends– he was their shield, their unseen ally.

Pushing away from your desk, you made your way to the station’s bullpen. The usual chatter, ringing phones, and officers exchanging the latest gossip buzzed in the air. You caught the eye of your new partner, Officier Maria Hill, who raised her eyebrow at the file in your hand.

“Rogers?” she asked, her voice low, almost whispered as it carried a mix of curiosity and caution.

“Yeah,” you replied, your voice steady. “Look at this, something's off.” Handing her the file, you watched her eyes widen with each passing page.

“I always knew Fury was dirty, but this…” Hill trailed off, shaking her head. “Rogers’ and his gang have a lot of power and friends in low places… I’d tread carefully if I were you.”

You nodded. “I’ll play this one smart. No tipping my hand until I have something solid.”

One evening, as you poured yourself into the files yet again, you noticed a pattern emerging. A name that keeps appearing, seemingly insignificant at first but, you grew more suspicious with each mention. It was the seemingly younger member of the gang. Unlike the others, her involvement was minimal, almost as if she had been deliberately kept in the background. Your mind formed a hunch, a gut feeling boiled– she might be the key to unraveling their web of deceit.

The next morning, you stake out the art gallery that she works at. The gallery seemed like a stark contrast to the gritty world of the Avengers. It was bright with an airy interior, filled with natural light that danced off the polished floors. Colorful paintings and sketches adorned the white walls. You blended in with a small crowd of art enthusiasts, watching the younger girl move gracefully through the space. She wore a quiet confidence as she interacted with the visitors.

She seemed genuinely passionate about her work as you noted her routine. Observing how she spoke to patrons and carefully arranged the pieces on displays. Her world seemed different from the criminal world her brother and friends inhabited.

Finally, as the gallery began to empty, you saw your chance. Approaching her, your heart pounded with the weight of the task ahead. “These pieces are incredible,” you say, stopping in front of one of her sketches. “Do you have any favorites?”

She smiled, her demeanor warm and welcoming. “Thank you. It’s hard to pick a favorite, but this one,” she gestured to a sketch of a man, he seemed familiar to you but you couldn’t quite place his face. “This one is definitely special to me.”

“It’s beautiful,” you replied, nodding appreciatively. “It seems like you put a lot of yourself into your work.”

Her eyes sparkled with genuine pride as she nodded. “Art is my escape. I express things I can’t always put into words.”

“It’s nice to have an escape,” you paused, taking a deep breath before deciding to ease into the topic. “I’ve heard your brother runs the tattoo studio downtown too, it seems like the art runs in your family.”

Her smile faltered for a fraction of a second, yet she recovered quickly. Her eyes never lost their warmth. “Yeah, Steve is quite the artist himself. He’s very talented.”

“It’s impressive,” you continued, trying to keep your tone casual. “I’ve um, I’ve seen some of his designs… and he’s got quite the reputation.”

Glancing around the gallery, she chuckled softly. “Steve’s work is… intense. He puts as much passion into his tattoos as I do into my sketches, if not more.”

You nodded, feeling the sense of opportunity to learn more. “It must be challenging, balancing such different worlds. Your art here and his studio, not to mention his, um, other activities.”

Her expression tightened slightly, but she maintained her composite. “Our paths are very different, but we have always been close. He does what he thinks is right, and I focus on my art. We support each other.”

The answer was careful and measured. So, you tried another angle. “It must be difficult though, with everything that’s been going on lately. The Avengers have been getting a lot of attention.”

Her eyes narrowed as she glanced at you sharply before she forced a smile. “I try not to get involved in that side of things. I keep my head down and focus on my work and my relationship.”

You felt the resistance and did not want to push too hard. Nodding, you sent her a genuine smile. “That’s probably for the best. You have a lot of talent and a bright future ahead. Your brother must be very proud.”

For a moment, the tension eased and a genuine smile touched her lips. “He is. Ever since we were children, he has told me to follow my dreams, no matter what.”

Sensing the conversation had reached its limit, you couldn’t help but ask one more question. “Out of curiosity, do you get visitors from his world here? People who come to see your work?”

Laughing softly, she shook her head. “Unless you count my boyfriend, the gallery isn’t exactly their scene. They know about my art, and usually come to my opening nights but other than that, they keep their distance.”

Appreciating her openness, you smiled, even if she was guarded. “Well, I’m glad I stopped by. Your art is truly… something special.”

“Thank you,” she replied, another genuine smile gracing her face. “I appreciate you taking the time to look.”

As you left the gallery, you replayed the conversation in your mind. The younger Rogers had been careful, but her responses confirm what you already suspected. She knew more than she let on and was deeply intertwined with her brother’s world. She might have been different from the rest of the Avengers, with her sweet demeanor and unproblematic passion, but she was still a part of their story.

After a few days stuck in your office after visiting the art gallery, you decided to try a more direct approach. The next destination you wanted to try was the bar where the Avengers were regulars.

After entering the bar, you ordered a drink and took a seat, trying to remain as inconspicuous as possible. Long shadows were cast in the dim light, making it easier to observe without drawing attention. Sitting in a corner booth, the Avengers gathered. Steve Rogers’ presence was commanding, and he seemed to exude an air of calculated vigilance.

Sipping your drink, you engaged in idle conversation with the bartender, casually observing Steve and the gang. Then, despite your attempts to stay low-key, you could feel Steve’s eyes on you, sharp and calculating. A steady gaze, as if he was trying to read you and figure out what you’re up to.

As the evening progressed, two more gang members joined the booth, and you recognized one of them as his sister, from the art gallery. It became clear that Steve’s attention on you had caused tension within the group, as they all began watching you. You decided it was time to leave before things escalated. After finishing your drink, you nod a polite goodbye to the bartender and make your way out of the bar.

As you walk back to your car, the cool night air hits you and the city’s distant noises create a backdrop of uneasy tranquility. Mentally, you review the encounter, noting Steve’s wariness and the tension from their booth. You headed back to your office, with a feeling of relief and anticipation.

You looked forward to officially reviewing the evening’s findings and plotting your next steps when you reached the station. But yet, as you unlocked the door to your office, you stopped dead in your tracks.

Casually sitting at your desk, leaning back in the chair was Steve Rogers– dressed in his signature leather jacket, looking every bit the part of the imposing figure you had been watching. His eyes locked onto yours as you entered, and a smirk played at the corners of his mouth.

“So,” he began, calm and steady, but it carried an unmistakable edge, “you’re Fury’s replacement?” The question was straightforward, but he made it clear he’d already made up his mind about you.

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#cry baby series #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes #bucky x reader #bucky x you #bucky x y/n #bucky x female reader #bucky fanfic #james bucky barnes #bucky fic #steve rogers fanfiction #steve rogers x you #steve rogers x reader #steve rogers imagine #steve rogers x y/n #steve rogers x detective!reader #steve rogers fic #steve rogers

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materlux · 3 months ago

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The Priestess and The Swordsman - Chapter 1: A Xianzhou stowaway.

Eden: A planet mostly avoided by travellers, due to their obsession with their aeon and their tendency for human sacrifices. The planet is lush and the soil is fertile, they produce more food than they could ever eat, and it’s all thanks to their ‘benevolent’ god, Yaoshi, the Abundance.

The Garden of Auri: The garden was once well kept and beloved by the nearby residence, then like a sudden switch, the residence abandoned the garden. It has been left to its own devices since then, to this day no one knows what happened.

Honkai Star Rail | Main Masterlist

CW: Angst, break down, hurt/comfort, mentions of: Blood, death, Jing Yuan. 3.8k words

The Xianzhou Luofu, one of six Xianzhou Alliance ships owned by the Hexafleet, traverses the endless universe in search of Denizens of the Abundance. Dedicated to The Hunt, Lan, and shares THEIR hunt for the Abundance, Yaoshi.

The Luofu is led by the Six Charioteers of which only three members are known; Yukong, the Helm Master of the Sky-Faring commission, Fu Xuan, Master Diviner of the Divination commission, and Jing Yuan, General of the Cloud Knights.

Of these three people you don’t know who you’d rather have met first, or at all if you could choose. You’d been hiding out on the Luofu for less than a few days, but people had already taken notice of your strange behaviour, and so for the last couple days you felt like you were being watched. And you were, by the cloud knights, see some store owners must have thought your strange behaviour was a sign, a sign of theft or plans of theft.

Being watched by the cloud knights only made your behaviour worsen, how were you supposed to know that they thought you were just a kid up to trouble, and not that they had figured out that you were from Eden.

You’d been hiding out in an uninhabited house in the back of some garden that most people avoid, the garden in question you’d later learn was called Garden of Auri. It’s not necessarily overgrown, but some bushes could use a trim and some flowers were growing out of their beds. You didn’t mind, if anything the extra plants made for good cover, you felt safer among them, they also offer good test subjects.

Plants no longer grow inexplicably around you, flowers don’t bloom in places or at times in which they’d surely die, you were free. And yet this didn’t feel like the freedom Kaira and Lethe had shown you, or the freedom you had dreamed of and read about.

The mark on your arm, the one that was burned into your bones, has spread further. Long black tendrils like water running along your skin, reach from the palm of your hand, down the back of your forearm and onto the front. It doesn’t burn anymore, but your arm is getting weaker and sore, you still cover it the best you can.

The Alchemy commissions healers offer little help, in their defence it’s not easy helping a patient, who won’t tell or show you the problem. The best they could offer was a recommendation, a specific kind of herbal tea sold in Aurum Alley that is supposed to soothe soreness and help with sleep.

Aurum Alley, the street most tourists are drawn to, with its friendly atmosphere and many options in delicacies native to the Luofu. It’s here you buy most of your supplies, given its more laid back nature and the openness of the area, and of course the lack of on guard cloud knights.

By now you know these streets like the back of your hand, you use the small streets and back roads to stay out of sight. You buy your recommended tea from Du’s Teahouse, Boss Du has by now given up on convincing you to buy some of his other ‘teas’. Maybe your mistake is that you got too comfortable in these streets, that you don’t notice the people following you.

Running through the near empty alleys was not your plan, you had hoped to lie low for at least a couple more days, maybe even a few weeks more, before you became part of the normal society. You aren’t out of shape per se, but you’re very thankful for your knowledge of these streets and your agility.

The cloud knight following you doesn’t have trouble keeping up speed wise, but you keep turning down a new street that at this point they don’t know where in Aurum Alley they are. In the end you lose them in the winding near identical streets, and you make your escape out of Aurum Alley.

On your way to the garden you nearly collapse, it’s odd that’s never happened before. You sit on the ground against a wall in the shade, this road isn’t frequented so there aren’t many people around, you’re on your own.

Your breathing becomes laboured and shallow, your vision is blurring at the edges, and it’s suddenly far too hot despite the usual weather of the Luofu being a comfortable temperature. You close your eyes, but this only makes everything spin slowly, it makes your stomach churn. You hunch over your legs and hold them close as you breathe in deep.

The world around you gets tuned out, you don’t notice the sound of boots and clinking metal, it stopping abruptly then coming closer. You only notice this person when a warm hand is gently placed on your upper back. Your breathing stutters for a moment, you lift your head to look at the person, you squint but can’t make out any distinct features with your blurry vision.

It takes you a second to tune the world back in, so you can hear what they’re saying. “What?” You ask in a quiet voice, so quiet the word is nearly lost in the wind, but they hear you.

They adjust and repeat themself, “are you okay?” They ask, their voice like honey in your ears, it takes a moment before the words and their meaning register.

“Mhm,” you hum and nod once, the action makes your head throb with a dull pain. You breathe deep and carefully, your knees slide away from your body to make the action easier.

“Are you sure?” They ask, there’s concern in their voice, it makes you uneasy. “You’re shaking,” they add.

“I’m sure,” you breathe, but you are shaking, you notice, and you cradle your arm to yourself like it hurts. It does hurt, the feeling hits you like a ton of bricks, the pain spreads from your hand to your shoulder. The burning feeling is back in your bones, it almost makes it numb. You fight back tears, you don’t want to cry in front of this stranger, you can’t trust them yet, you can’t show them weakness that they can use against you.

The hand on your back moves soothingly along your shoulders, you try to focus on it. “Breathe,” they instruct you, their voice is soft. “Let me help you.”

“No, it’s fine.” You try to shake your head, but it hurts too much.

“It’s not fine, you need help.” Their right, you know their right, but you can’t trust them. “C’mon, let’s get you somewhere safer, somewhere you can get help,” they say, but you make no attempt to move. They stay by your side, waiting for something, for you to give in to their offer of help and you do.

“Fine,” you mutter, closing your eyes again to ignore the world spinning faster. They watch you for a while longer before they mutter a quiet apology, it barely registers in your mind before you’re pulled into warm arms. You don’t get to protest as they stand up with ease, and turn to make their way down the road.

Your mind becomes more muddled and you start dozing off, they speak a few more words, most don’t register in your swimming head. You think they introduced themself, something with a title.

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You wake up 3 hours later, in a clean bed, in a sterile room. This must be the Alchemy Commissions infirmary, despite having been here at least twice, you have never seen the inside of the building outside of the consultation rooms.

A woman, foxian, with dark hair and eyes checks on you when you wake. She sets a glass of water down on the small table beside your bed, and offers to fetch you some food, you’re about to decline when there’s a knock on the door.

The woman opens the door, a child walks in followed by an imposing man, he looks down at the child with an apologetic expression as she scolds him. The foxian woman leaves the room, the two new people continue their conversation, like you aren’t even there.

You reach out for the glass, your hand shakes weakly and you feel heavy. You can barely hold onto the glass, the shake in your hand gets worse with the weight. You end up attempting to place the glass back on the table, it almost doesn’t go wrong, almost. Your shaking ends up knocking the glass over, water spills over the table onto the floor, at least the glass didn’t break.

The room is quiet, you note, you look up and the two new people are looking at you. They both look sympathetic, you hate that look it reminds you of the priest, but there’s something more in the man’s eyes. It’s like he knows something about you, it makes you want to shrink in on yourself, and you do a little, sitting against the pillow behind you with your head hung.

The child sighs and walks over, she grabs the empty glass off the table, then excuses herself and leaves the room, presumably to get more water. The man observes you from afar, before moving closer. He stands at the foot of the bed with crossed arms, you study his attire but avoid his face.

“Priestess,” his voice is stern, but you recognize a softness in it, he’s the stranger. With one simple word you are reduced to a meek pile of anxiety, he knows, you repeat those two words to yourself over and over again. Someone from the Xianzhou Alliance, someone dedicated to The Hunt’s mission to kill the Abundance, someone knows who you are, where you’re from, what you did.

“Priestess,” he repeats, you shake your head, tears line your eyes. You shouldn’t have stayed on the Luofu for this long, you only wanted to lose the people hunting you before you moved on. “Priestess?” He sounds closer now, a warm hand grasps your shoulder, it makes you flinch.

“Sorry.” The word comes out in a muddled mix of coherent speech and a sob, tears stream down your face in warm lines.

“Hey, look at me.” His voice has softened and lost its stern edge, he hovers by your side. You shake your head and lean away.

The child comes back with the refilled glass of water, she places it on the small table and takes in the scene before her. Your distressed disposition meets her analysing gaze first, then the man by your side whose hand now hovers over your shoulder.

“General,” she starts in a stern tone. “I told you not to stress out my patient.” She puts her hands on her hips, like a mother scolding her son. The General looks guilty, “Lady Bailu,” he tries. She points to somewhere further in the room, and like a kicked puppy the General of the Luofu steps away from your side.

“Breathe child,” Lady Bailu tells you, she walks around the room and comes back with some tissue papers to dry your eyes. “Here, drink.” She pushes the glass closer to your bedside, you heed her command and pick the glass up gently, you have to focus hard not to spill it again.

Lady Bailu turns away from you and sends the General a glare, she ushers him to a corner of the room, the two engage in a discussion of sorts, Lady Bailu scolds him and he lets her.

You hold the glass in both hands, sipping at the cold water carefully. You sniffle and regain control of your breathing, the glass is cold in your hands and it grounds you. The room is quiet, save for the muttered discussion in the corner, they must be discussing what to do with you.

You feel heavy and weak, you were never this meek when you were a child, but you also weren’t a wanted criminal on a ship full of people dedicated to hunting your aeon. You suppose anyone would become meek in such a situation.

“Child?” Lady Bailu catches your attention, there’s something comical in this woman who looks younger than you calling you child, but based on the horns and tail she must be vidyadhara. You look at her, she stands by your side, the General keeps his distance.

“The General wants to talk to you,” Lady Bailu tells you in an even tone. “Do you want to talk to him? You don’t have to, not now.” She looks deep into your eyes, you mull over your options, is it really okay if you deny the General? You know you’ll have to talk to him eventually, now that you have been found out, it will be near impossible to get off the Luofu.

You decide to rip the bandaid off and get it over with, the General has to be a reasonable man, maybe if you explain everything to him, he will offer you some leniency. “It’s okay, I don’t mind,” you tell Lady Bailu, she nods and shoots the General one last warning glare before leaving the room.

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The chair is settled on the floor with a dull thud, the General takes his seat by your side, you don’t look at him. The room is quiet, the air is dense and you shift in your seat.

“Tell me,” he starts, “are you from Eden?” It’s a stupid question, he already knows the answer, he knows who you are, it’s meant as an ice-breaker.

“Yes.” You don’t offer much in your reply, it’s soft, barely piercing the air.

“Eden is a planet favoured by the Abundance, right?” The planet is untraversed, but not unknown. “It is.” You still won’t look at him.

“You are part of the cult of the Abundance-”, “were,” you correct without thinking, it dawns on you that you just cut off the General of the Luofu. You shrink a little. “You were part of the cult of the Abundance?” He wonders out loud. “Yes, I left.” You didn’t really leave, more so fled the place after your crime.

“Why’d you leave?” He asks, you don’t know what to say, you don’t know if you can tell him the truth about the cult. Not because he can’t know, but you don’t know if you can retell it, to relive it. Repressed memories float around the forefront of your mind, the blade you should have discarded long ago, the blood, the feeling, the pain, the scar aches.

“Why’d you leave?” He tries again, this time softer. He must sense your nerves, your tense shoulders and uneven breathing. “You don’t know?” You ask instead of answering.

“I believe I do, but I want to be certain.” He keeps an even tone, he wants to hear it from you, you know, but you can’t say it. “What do you believe?”

“You’re wanted by the High Council of Eden for the massacre of the cult of the Abundance, including a priest held in high regard.” That’s the story the Council is going with, it’s not wrong factually, but it lacks your motive. “That’s true.” You feel small next to him.

“Why did you do it?” He asks, how could you ever articulate what you saw that day, what words could ever do it justice. You can’t find any, but it seems your silence speaks more than you intended.

“They did something to you, didn’t they?” He asks tentatively, you just nod along, words elude you at this point.

“Did they hurt you?” His tone grows darker, but somehow you get the feeling it’s not because of you. You nod again, and the General takes a deep breath, he thinks over the information and which questions work best. He doesn’t want to stress you out again, but he has questions that need to be answered.

“Is that why you did it?” The it stays unspoken, but you know what he means. Was it revenge? Yes, was it revenge for what they did against you? “No.” Your short answer hangs in the air, the General’s brow furrows.

“Then why?” He asks, you think it over, how can you tell him everything in the simplest way. It has to be simple, because if you make it complicated you might not finish. “For them,” you answer, your voice rises slightly, like you're not just telling him but yourself as well.

“The two underage victims?” ‘Victims’, the word leaves a bitter taste on your tongue, if it wasn’t for you they wouldn’t be victims, if you could’ve just accepted your fate they’d still be alive. “It’s my fault.” It’s your fault, you used them for your own desire to be free. It’s your fault, they stayed longer than they should, you walked out too far. It’s your fault.

“But you didn’t kill them,” he states it like it matters, like that fact alone means you weren’t a part of the problem. “They were there because of me.”

“That doesn’t make it your fault,” he reasons. “But.” You want to argue, tears spring to your eyes, you can’t argue with him.

“It’s not your fault,” he reassures. “They chose to be there, they chose to be with you.” His hand hovers over your own, warmth radiates from his palm. “But.” The word comes out choked as tears begin to fall down your cheeks.

“It’s not your fault.” He holds your hand gently, the warmth and rough texture grounds you to the present. “You didn’t know what would happen, neither did they.” Your breathing stutters, the blanket in your lap soaks up your tears.

“It’s not your fault.” You can’t hold it in anymore, you didn’t intend to break down in front of the Luofu General, but sobs wrack your body. You cry freely, he holds your hand the whole time, his thumb begins to gently stroke over the unmarred skin on the back of your hand.

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After you’ve calmed down the General leaves your side and Lady Bailu comes back, she offers a soft pat on your hand. You feel icky, but a weight has been lifted off your shoulders.

Lady Bailu stands at your bedside opposite of where the General sat, she holds out her hand. “Let me see your arm,” she instructs, you hesitate, but let her inspect the black tendrils. They’ve grown in quantity since you last looked at them, their beginning to resemble a broken spider web.

She hums to herself, deep in thought. “Does it hurt?” She asks, you shake your head no. “Do you know how you got it?” She asks, you think back to the statue. “Yes, the statue in the church was crying. Drops of water from it landed in my palm, it burned.” She nods along as you explain, studying the marks more closely.

“A crying statue,” she mutters more to herself than you. “Did the statue represent a specific god?” She looks around the room, she spots whatever she is looking for on a nearby cabinet. “Yaoshi.” Lady Bailu returns with a wet cloth, she gently dabs it on the markings, you sigh in contentment, you hadn’t realised the marks were so warm. “The Abundance.” She nods to herself.

“Is it possible that the Abundance has cursed you through the statue’s tears?” It’s the best theory, it explains the odd marks and the strange reason for their occurrence. “Yeah, Yaoshi would do that as punishment for what I did.” It makes sense, you disrespect THEIR church during a ceremony, that would anger any god and cause retaliation.

“Then I’m afraid there isn’t much I can do then,” she says, she seems genuinely sorry. “That’s okay,” you assure her, she offers you a smile.

“Is there anything I can do to help?” You think the question over, the incident that led to you being in the infirmary is the first of its kind. “Do you have anything for pain or soreness?” You ask instead, it was just a fluke you assure yourself, it won’t happen again. “Pain and soreness, yes I think I have something for that,” Lady Bailu says before she leaves the room.

Lady Bailu comes back with a small container, she opens it to show you the salve inside, she smears it over your arm and makes sure to cover the marks. She then finds some gauze and wraps it around your arm, she gives you the salve and a few rolls of gauze, along with instructions.

Leaving the infirmary you make your way through the Alchemy Commission’s streets, once you make it back to the road where you collapsed, you’re met with a familiar face. The General smiles at you, he seems much more relaxed now.

He walks along with you in silence for a while, he notes the small container and gauze in your hands. “Did you figure out what the marks are?” He’s making small talk, you look down at your bandaged arm and think back to Lady Bailu’s theory.

“The theory is that Yaoshi cursed me for my crime.” He nods along.

“I would advise that you don’t say THEIR name out loud,” he warns, you hadn’t realised you were doing that, it was like second nature for you to call them by name. But it makes sense that it would be taboo to do so on a Xianzhou Alliance vessel, you’ll have to keep that in mind for later travels.

By the stairs to the garden you turn and begin your ascension, the General looks on in confusion. “Priestess?” He calls after you, the title makes you freeze. “Please don’t call me that,” you ask, looking back at him.

“Then what should I call you?” It’s then that you realise that you never introduced yourself, you laugh to yourself and offer him your name. “Was there something you needed?” You ask him afterwards.

“Why are you going to the Garden of Auri?” He looks at you, seeming perplexed, you’d think the General of the Luofu would know every part of the ship, you muse to yourself. “I live there.”

He observes you for a moment, like he’s thinking what you said over. “General?” You ask with a raised brow. “Please, just call me Jing Yuan,” he replies, he shakes away his thoughts and bids you farewell, you watch him leave before continuing up the stairs.

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#honkai star rail #hsr #hsr x reader #hsr x y/n #hsr x you #hsr jing yuan #hsr x gender neutral reader #jing yuan x reader #jing yuan x y/n #jing yuan x you #Jing Yuan #hsr bailu #honkai star rail bailu #Bailu #found family

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nalyra-dreaming · 3 months ago

Note

Is there any sort of supporting vampire index? I read the first five books back in high school and have been slowly making my way through the entire series (currently mid merrick) this year. But recently it feels like every other day someone brings up an important character from the later books that already appeared, or was implied in the show.

Nonny, you're in luck :)

Anne herself provides us with one in "Prince Lestat" and in "Prince Lestat and the Realms of Atlantis" :) Obviously the short descriptions refer to the book versions. I would take note of Sevraine (who is Gabrielle's implied girlfriend later on!), Seth and especially Fareed, and definitely Rhoshamandes and Amel here. Gregory, too. And Viktor (whose summary does not contain the reveal btw) and Rose. These at the very least :) - let me know if you want to know more details!

I'll paste the character list from PLatRoA here! SPOILERS though - so under the cut!

Characters and Places in the Vampire Chronicles

Akasha—Queen of ancient Egypt six thousand years ago, and the first vampire ever created, through a merger with the spirit Amel. The story is told in The Vampire Lestat and in The Queen of the Damned.

Allesandra—A Merovingian princess, daughter of King Dagobert I, brought into the Blood in the seventh century by Rhoshamandes. First introduced in The Vampire Lestat as a mad nameless vampire living with the Children of Satan under Les Innocents Cemetery in Paris. She also appears in The Vampire Armand in the Renaissance where she is named, and later in Prince Lestat and Prince Lestat and the Realms of Atlantis.

Amel—A spirit who created the first vampire six thousand years ago by merging with the body of the Egyptian Queen Akasha. The story is told in The Vampire Lestat and in The Queen of the Damned. Prince Lestat and Prince Lestat and the Realms of Atlantis continue the story of Amel.

Antoine—A French musician exiled from Paris to Louisiana and brought into the Blood by Lestat around the middle of the nineteenth century. Referred to as “the musician” in Interview with the Vampire. Later appears in Prince Lestat and Prince Lestat and the Realms of Atlantis. A talented violinist and pianist and composer.

Arion—A black vampire of ancient times introduced in Blackwood Farm. At least two thousand years old, perhaps older. Possibly from India.

Arjun—A prince of the Chola dynasty in India, brought into the Blood by Pandora around 1300. Appears in Blood and Gold and also in Pandora.

Armand—One of the pillars of the Vampire Chronicles. Armand is a Russian from Kiev, sold into slavery as a boy, and made a vampire in Renaissance Venice by the Vampire Marius. He is introduced in Interview with the Vampire, and appears in numerous novels in the Vampire Chronicles, telling his own story in The Vampire Armand. The founder of the coven at Trinity Gate in New York. Armand maintains a house in Paris in Saint-Germain-des- Prés, which functions as the Paris Court for Prince Lestat.

Avicus—An Egyptian vampire who first appears in Marius’s memoir, Blood and Gold. Appears again in Prince Lestat.

Benedict—A Christian monk of the seventh century in France, brought into the Blood by Rhoshamandes. Benedict is the vampire from whom the alchemist Magnus stole the Blood, a theft described in The Vampire Lestat. Appears in Prince Lestat and Prince Lestat and the Realms of Atlantis as Rhoshamandes’s companion and lover.

Benji Mahmoud—A twelve-year-old Palestinian Bedouin boy, brought into the Blood by Marius in 1997. Benji originates the vampire radio station heard round the world in Prince Lestat. Resides at Trinity Gate in New York and sometimes at the Court of Prince Lestat in France. First appears in The Vampire Armand when he is living in New York with his companion, Sybelle.

Bianca Solderini—Venetian courtesan brought into the Blood by Marius in Blood and Gold around 1498.

Château de Lioncourt—Lestat’s ancestral castle in the Massif Central in France, splendidly restored and the home of the new dazzling and glamorous Court of the Vampires with its orchestra, theater, and frequent formal balls. The adjacent village, including an inn and a church and several shops, has also been restored to house mortal workers and visitors to the Château.

Children of Satan—A network of medieval vampire covens, populated by vampires who sincerely believed they were children of the Devil, doomed to roam the world in rags, accursed, feeding on the blood of innocent humans to do the Devil’s will. Their most famous covens were in Rome and in Paris. The coven kidnapped many of the fledglings of Rhoshamandes until he finally left France to get away from them. And the Children of Satan in Rome spelled catastrophe for Marius and his great Venetian household in the Renaissance. Armand told of his experiences with the Children of Satan in The Vampire Armand.

Chrysanthe—A merchant’s widow from the Christian city of Hira, brought into the Blood by Nebamun, newly risen and named Gregory in the fourth century. Wife of Gregory. Introduced, along with Gregory, in Prince Lestat.

Cimetière des Innocents—An ancient cemetery in the city of Paris until it was destroyed near the end of the eighteenth century. Underneath this cemetery lived the Coven of the Children of Satan, presided over by Armand, which is described by Lestat in The Vampire Lestat. Referred to in the novels as “Les Innocents.”

Claudia—An orphan of five or six years old, brought into the Blood around 1794 by Lestat and Louis in New Orleans. Long dead. Her story is told in Interview with the Vampire. Later appears as a spirit in Merrick, though the appearance is suspect.

Cyril—An ancient Egyptian vampire, maker of Eudoxia in Blood and Gold, and named for the first time in Prince Lestat. Age unknown.

Daniel Molloy—The nameless “boy” interviewer in Interview with the Vampire. Brought into the Blood by Armand in The Queen of the Damned. Also appears in Blood and Gold living with Marius. Also in Prince Lestat.

David Talbot—Introduced as an elderly member of the Talamasca, an order of psychic detectives, in The Queen of the Damned. Becomes an important character in The Tale of the Body Thief, and also solicits Pandora’s story from her in Pandora. A pillar of the Vampire Chronicles.

Davis—A black dancer from Harlem, a member of the Fang Gang, brought into the Blood by Killer sometime in 1985. Introduced in The Queen of the Damned. Further described in Prince Lestat.

Eleni—A survivor of the Children of Satan who helps found the Théâtre des Vampires in Paris in the eighteenth century; corresponds with the Vampire Lestat after he leaves Paris to travel the world. A fledgling of Rhoshamandes made a vampire in the early Middle Ages.

Enkil—Ancient King of Egypt, husband of the great Queen Akasha, the second vampire to be brought into existence. His story is told in The Vampire Lestat and The Queen of the Damned.

Everard de Landen—A fledgling of Rhoshamandes from the early Middle Ages who first appears in Blood and Gold and is named in Prince Lestat.

Fareed—Anglo Indian by birth, a physician and researcher, brought into the Blood by Seth to be a healer and researcher of the vampires. A major character introduced in Prince Lestat.

Flannery Gilman—An American female medical doctor, biological mother of Viktor, and brought into the blood by Fareed and Seth. Part of their medical and research team working with the Undead.

Flavius—A Greek vampire, a slave purchased by Pandora in the city of Antioch and brought into the Blood by Pandora in the early centuries of the Common Era.

Gabrielle—Lestat’s mother, a noblewoman of breeding and education, brought into the Blood by her own son in 1780 in Paris. A wanderer who dresses in male attire. A familiar figure in the background throughout the Vampire Chronicles.

Gregory Duff Collingsworth—Known as Nebamun in ancient times, a lover of Queen Akasha and made a blood drinker by her to lead her Queens Blood troops against the First Brood. Known today as Gregory, owner of a powerful pharmaceutical empire in the modern world. Husband of Chrysanthe.

Gremt Stryker Knollys—A powerful and mysterious spirit who has created for himself over time a physical body that is a replica of a human body. Connected with the founding of the secret Order of the Talamasca. Introduced in Prince Lestat.

Hesketh—A Germanic cunning woman, brought into the Blood by Teskhamen in the first century. Now a ghost who has managed to produce a physical body for herself. Also connected with the origins of the secret Order of the Talamasca. Introduced in Prince Lestat.

Jesse Reeves—An American woman of the twentieth century, a blood descendant of the ancient Maharet and brought into the Blood by Maharet

herself in 1985 in The Queen of the Damned. Jesse was also a mortal member of the Talamasca and worked with David Talbot in the Order.

Khayman—An ancient Egyptian vampire, made by Queen Akasha, and rebelling against her with the First Brood. His story is told in The Queen of the Damned.

Killer—An American male vampire, founder of the Fang Gang in The Queen of the Damned. Of unknown history or origin.

Lestat de Lioncourt—The hero of the Vampire Chronicles, made a vampire by Magnus near the end of the eighteenth century, the maker of a number of vampires, including Gabrielle, his mother; Nicolas de Lenfent, his friend and lover; Louis, the narrator of Interview with the Vampire; and Claudia, the child vampire. Presently known as Prince Lestat by one and all.

Louis de Pointe du Lac—The vampire who started the Vampire Chronicles by telling his story to Daniel Molloy in Interview with the Vampire, an account of his own origins, which differs in some ways from Lestat’s own account in The Vampire Lestat. A French colonial plantation owner made a vampire by Lestat in 1791. Appears most prominently in the first Chronicle, and in Merrick, and in Prince Lestat and Prince Lestat and the Realms of Atlantis.

Magnus—An elderly medieval alchemist who stole the Blood from a young vampire, Benedict, in France. The vampire who kidnapped and brought Lestat into the Blood in 1780. Now a ghost, sometimes appearing solid, and at other times as an illusion.

Maharet—One of the oldest vampires in the world, twin to Mekare. The twins are known for their red hair and their power as mortal witches. Made at the dawn of Vampire History, they are rebels leading the First Brood against Queen Akasha and her Queens Blood vampires. Maharet is beloved for her wisdom and for following all of her mortal descendants through the ages all over the world, whom she called the Great Family. Maharet tells her story—the story of the twins—in Queen of the Damned. She also figures in Blood and Gold and in Prince Lestat.

Marius—A pillar of the Vampire Chronicles. A Roman patrician who is kidnapped by the Druids and brought into the Blood by Teskhamen in the first century. Marius appears in The Vampire Lestat and numerous other books, including his own memoir, Blood and Gold. A vampire known for reason and gravitas. Much loved and admired by Lestat and others.

Mekare—Maharet’s twin sister, the powerful red-haired witch who communed with the invisible and potentially destructive spirit Amel, who later went into the body of Queen Akasha, creating the first vampire. The story of Mekare and Maharet is first told by Maharet in The Queen of the Damned. Mekare figures in Blood and Gold and in Prince Lestat.

Memnoch—A powerful spirit claiming to be the Judeo-Christian Satan. He tells his story to Lestat in Memnoch the Devil.

New Orleans—Figures prominently in the Vampire Chronicles as the home of Louis, Lestat, and Claudia for many years during the nineteenth century, at

which time they resided in a townhouse in the Rue Royale in the French Quarter. This house still exists and is in the possession of Lestat today, as it has always been. It was in New Orleans that Lestat encountered Louis and Claudia and made them vampires.

Notker the Wise—A monk and a musician and a composer brought into the Blood by Benedict around A.D. 880, maker of many boy-soprano vampires and other vampire musicians yet unnamed. Living in the Alps. Introduced in Prince Lestat.

Raymond Gallant—A faithful mortal scholar of the Talamasca, a friend to the Vampire Marius, presumed dead in the sixteenth century. Appears again in Prince Lestat.

Rhoshamandes—A male from ancient Crete, brought into the Blood at the same time as the female Sevraine, about five thousand years ago. A powerful and reclusive vampire obsessed with operatic music and performances, and the lover of Benedict. Lives in his castle on the island of Saint Rayne in the Outer Hebrides, traveling the world from time to time to see different operas in the great opera houses.

Rose—An American girl, rescued as a small child by Lestat from an earthquake in the Mediterranean around 1995. His ward. Lover and later spouse of Viktor. Introduced in Prince Lestat.

Saint Alcarius, Monastery of—The secret residence of Gremt, Teskhamen, and other supernatural elders of the Talamasca in France, near the Belgian border.

Saint Rayne— The island on which Rhoshamandes lives. Santino—An Italian vampire made during the time of the Black Death.

Longtime Roman coven master of the Children of Satan. Presumed dead.

Seth—The biological son of Queen Akasha, brought into the Blood by her after a youth of roaming the ancient world in search of knowledge in the healing arts. He is introduced in Prince Lestat and is the maker of Fareed and Flannery Gilman.

Sevraine—A remarkably beautiful Nordic female vampire, made by Nebamun (Gregory) against Akasha’s rules. Sevraine maintains her own underground court in the Cappadocian Mountains. A friend to female vampires. Introduced in Prince Lestat.

Sybelle—A young American pianist, beloved friend of Benji Mahmoud, and Armand, brought into the Blood by Marius in 1997. Introduced in The Vampire Armand.

The Talamasca—An ancient order of psychic detectives or researchers, dating back to the Dark Ages—an organization of mortal scholars who observe and record paranormal phenomena. Their origins are shrouded in mystery until they are revealed in Prince Lestat. They have Motherhouses in Amsterdam and outside of London, and retreat houses in many places, including Oak Haven in Louisiana. First introduced in The Queen of the Damned and

figuring in many Chronicles since. Vampires Jesse Reeves and David Talbot were mortal members of the Talamasca.

Teskhamen—Ancient Egyptian vampire, the maker of Marius as told by Marius in The Vampire Lestat. Presumed dead until modern times. Connected with the origins of the Talamasca. First named in Prince Lestat.

Théâtre des Vampires—A boulevard theater of the macabre, created by the refugees from the Children of Satan, funded by Lestat, and managed for decades by Armand, who had once been the coven master of the Children of Satan.

Thorne—A red-haired Viking vampire, made centuries ago in Europe by Maharet. Introduced in Blood and Gold.

Trinity Gate—A coven dwelling made up of three identical townhouses just off Fifth Avenue on the Upper East Side of New York. Armand is the founder of Trinity Gate. And it functions now as the American Court of Prince Lestat.

Viktor—An American boy, biological son of Dr. Flannery Gilman. His story is revealed in Prince Lestat. Lover and later spouse of Rose, Lestat’s ward.

#Anonymous #ask nalyra #amc iwtv #iwtv #amc interview with the vampire #interview with the vampire #the vampire chronicles #vc #vampire chronicles #vampires #vampire index #index #characters #tvc

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local-pickpocket · 7 months ago

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A Dramatic Thief Makes His Grand Appearance! A Gimmick Blog For The Ages!

Hello, hello, to one and all! The is your local-pickpocket speaking, and I’m glad to finally reveal myself to the public here!

Thief as I am, You should know the valuables in your posts and other announcements are never safe while I’m lurking. Keep an eye out, and you might, might, be able to protect it.

Fare thee well, and try to keep your coin purse nice and heavy. Helps make it a challenge.

—————————————————————————

OOC:

Say hi to the mod everyone.

Just something of an RP-ish-kinda blog. He gonna sneaky thief. Maybe edit some photos or screenshots.

No relation to Gimmick Thief.

[Tags:]

#this tag is a calling card - Something was “stolen” from the post

#thieves cant - just talking, or asks

#great heist - actual effort put into the theft.

#shit! - got caught or foiled. :(

#never take me alive - caught on purpose :)

#damnit I want - Shiny thing he can’t steal

#greedemon - He MUST have it.

#lore - self explanatory.

Yeah. New gimmick!

#intro post #gimmick account #gimmick blog

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reniberries · 1 year ago

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BARRACUDA . toji fushiguro

when your search for a job falls short for what feels like the millionth time in a row, you’re just about ready to give up until an odd proposition makes itself known to you.

chapter warnings: underground fighter!toji fushiguro, swearing, hurtful thoughts, lewd comments from men, mentions of drinking alcohol, smoking and drugs, attempted theft

total wc: 3.0k

— CHAPTER ONE . desperate measures

At this point, you wholeheartedly believed that the world was playing some kind of sick and twisted game on you.

It laughed at you, dangling the one thing you truly desired right in front of your face, only to snatch it away at the very last second, like taking a child’s favourite toy from them just as they’ve picked it up.

You were the child, so full of excitement and hope at the idea of starting new, being able to pick yourself off the ground, and the world was the adult who’d come into the room and decided you were undeserving of the toy in front of you. It picked up all that you desired, and placed it on top of a shelf that you were too small to get to.

Try as you might, you simply could not reach it. Well, metaphorically anyway.

In this moment, that’s exactly how you felt, clambering across the couch to reach your phone that had lit up with the notification of an unknown caller. Like every time before, you allowed yourself to feel excited. As though this was the very moment things would start to fall into place, and all the bad memories of the past would fade away as you paved the way for your new life.

And yet, you were let down, again.

The way your face immediately falls alerts your roommate, Sherri, to the conclusion of the phone call, hearing a repeatedly distinctive phrase that she knew you’d come to despise over time.

“I regret to inform you, but…” you’d hung up before the man on the other side had enough time to finish his sentence. The exasperated sigh you released from between your lips held a heartbroken tone, and all you could do was shake your head when Sherri quietly asks if you’re okay.

It hadn’t always been like this. Three months ago you were more than content working a few hours every week as a waitress in a small but well-known restaurant called ‘Alexie’s’, where you’d actually met Sherri, and although the management wasn’t the best at times, and you were sure the chef had a stick shoved further up his ass then you could’ve imagined, it was still something.

The job had given you something to do when you weren’t attending your nursing classes, or writing essays, and it worked like a charm at taking your mind away from your personal life when things went wrong.

Sure, some customers were complete and utter dickheads, expecting five star service and for you to wait on them hand and foot, but the majority of people were nice and the pay was more than worth dealing with some crappy person coming in and demanding you seat them and their eighteen other friends immediately, despite being fully booked.

You were heartbroken when the owner had set up a staff meeting to inform you and everyone else that the restaurant was unable to stay open.

Things had never been this bad before, and honestly, there wasn’t much you weren’t willing to do if it guaranteed you a job. Not when the cost of living had skyrocketed and all but royally fucked you over.

Sherri had been an angel throughout this situation you’d found yourself in, though you were slightly jealous the day she came back from an interview with the local supermarket, telling you how they’d happily hired her on the spot. She had been your rock to stick on while your life turned completely upside down, even going as far as offering to cover next months rent.

But you still needed to feed yourself each week, still needed to pay for the bus fare on your way into college, and even worse, you still needed to pay back the money you owed to your parents.

If moving back into your parents house was an option, you might’ve resorted to it considering how desperate things had become. But that wasn’t an option, and it never would be.

You couldn’t allow that to happen.

Not only was it impossible, seeing as they were living in an entirely different country, but you’d intentionally created that distance in order to get as far away from them as possible. Moving halfway across the world in order to escape them and their overbearing ruling that they held over your head was the first thing you’d done after graduating high school, and you weren’t about to go back on the promise you’d made to them that day.

Telling your mother and father that they would never see you again should’ve been heartbreaking. You should’ve been crying or screaming at them, and maybe, in a perfect world, they would have told you to stay, or that they didn’t want you to leave.

But again, the world was seldom perfect, and after the past few months, you truly were finding that fact out for yourself.

It was Sherri’s sweet voice that snapped you out of your daydream, still clutching your phone to your ear as you kneeled on the couch. “Why don’t we go out tonight? It might make you feel better.”

You let out another sigh, ready to shoot her offer down even though the suggestion was extremely tempting after the dreaded phone call, “Sherri, I can barely afford the bus right now, I can’t—”

She grinned before interrupting you, a sly look that you couldn’t decide if you liked or not.

“You really think I’d suggest that if I didn’t have a plan?” She raised a questioning eyebrow up at your form, “Lukah’s working tonight, do you know what that means?”

With a shrug, you settled back into the couch and pulled a blanket over your knees, staring back at your roommate and waiting for her to continue.

She leaned towards you from the opposite end, “free drinks!” She exclaimed, and moved her hands around as if her point had been obvious from the start.

“Didn’t he just start a new job though? We’ll end up getting him fired if he’s caught giving out free drinks,” Sherri giggled as if you’d said the funniest thing, and then her expression began to shift into something slightly more serious.

She hesitated to reply, and when Sherri got quiet, it could only mean trouble. “Well, the place he started working at, it's not exactly in the most... uh," it was if she was struggling to find the right words to say without scaring you away. "...Desirable of places, so he doesn't think his boss will care much," she finished with.

An eyebrow raised as you stared at her, wordlessly asking the short girl to elaborate. "It's in the Jujutsu District."

Ah, you thought, that would explain why she'd been slightly more reluctant to tell you.

The Jujutsu District was pretty notorious throughout the city, and especially with the younger population seeing as a large majority of clubs and bars could be found spread out around the area. You'd been a couple times, mainly to the small pubs that laid just on the outskirts, as most locals were well aware that it was smarter to stay clear of the place. It was no secret that the kinds of deals that typically went on out there were far from legal, though even the police had deemed the place a 'no-go zone' and were rarely seen patrolling anywhere near it.

But even you couldn't say no to a few free drinks after being so down on luck, and so, within a few seconds of dubiously nodding your head in agreement with Sherri, she was yanking on your arms to pull you away from the couch and into her room.

And within an hour and a half, the two of you had made your way out of the apartment hand-in-hand.

The club was filled to the brim, drenching you in a light sheen of sweat that glistened across your skin. Music blared in through your ears from every direction and created a dull ache that stretched across your forehead. You couldn't put your finger on the name of the song that was currently playing, although it brought an odd sense of déjà vu along with it.

Truthfully, you’d be lying if you said you didn’t like going out with your friends. There was something so exciting about getting ready for the club and dancing the night away, smearing shimmery eyeshadow across your lids and lining them with a distinctive wing of eyeliner. The clothing you’d thrown on hugged every inch of your body, but it was hard to care about your slight discomfort when the edge of a glass was lifted to your mouth, lips lined and covered in a colour so signature to your look.

Lukah was a godsend, sneaking both you and Sherri drinks over the counter every time either of you walked up to the bar, and just like Sherri had said, it didn't seem like his manager couldn't give two shits.

Sherri grabbed your wrist after you placed the shot glass back down on the bar, void of whatever liquor Lukah had offered the two of you. Leading you over to the sea of bodies on the dance floor, you could barely hear your roommate when she said "c'mon, my favourite song just came on!"

It was borderline provocative the way you and Sherri danced together. Her back was pressed to the front of your body, arms lifted and wrapped around your neck, and the way your hips swung against each other to the beat of the music was enough to gain more than a little attention from the boys that littered around the dance floor.

Neither of you bothered to entertain those who tried to approach either of you. Either, they came on way too cocky for their own good, or were sporting some serious baby face, and that was enough for you to shake your head, waiting for them to do the walk of shame back to their friends.

One man had come up to Sherri and asked for her number, only to continue bothering her even after she'd told him no multiple times. After the third decline and narrowly avoiding his grabby hands heading for her hand, Sherri twisted her head around and planted a delicate kiss on the corner of your mouth, exclaiming loudly that she "couldn't wait to get home and get you alone," and that was enough for him to briskly walk away.

It was no surprise honestly, as not only did you look and feel beautiful, but Sherri looked like a supermodel in her little black dress and heels. Plus, you could admit that the male attention did help a little in lightening the mood you'd been in before the two of you left the house.

"Do you wanna get another drink?" Sherri shouted over the music.

You shook your head, "I'm gonna get some air, I'll meet you at the bar." She gave you quizzical look, as to question why. You lifted your hand out in front of you, a white lighter and pack of Marlboro Gold's held within it.

Making your way outside was much more difficult of a task than you had expected, shoving your way through the endless amounts of bodies that had filled the club, probably knocking a drink or vape out from someones grasp as you went on your way.

The cold November air caused a shiver to crawl its way over your barely clothed body after you exited the building, and it felt heavenly as it washed away the sweat that had started accumulating across your skin. A flicker of light shone against your eyes, along with the sound of flint sparking from the lighter held in your right hand and a deep inhale.

Several bodies littered outside of the club, some clearly had the same idea as you, cigarettes clutched between their two fingers as they chatted away to their friends, others were still waiting in line to be let in, ID's held out for the large bouncer to take a look at, and there was even a couple who'd clearly had too much to drink, snogging away in a corner as if they weren't in the company of others.

It was quite a surreal feeling, as you leant against the cold brick wall, bringing your hand up to your face to take another inhale of the stick held in them. Three hours ago, you'd almost been reduced to tears, feeling like the world truly had it out for you, yet now, you couldn't help but enjoy the dizzy feeling crawling up your spine, making you sway slightly.

Your problems hadn’t been solved with the sip of an alcoholic drink, far from it in fact. They would still be there to plague your thoughts tomorrow morning, even as you battled the headache you knew was coming, but at least in this very moment, as you let the tipsy feeling encompass your body, you could relax.

That feeling didn't last for long.

Just as you'd closed your eyes, smoke pillowing out from your parted lips, you felt a violent tug on the bag attached to your shoulder.

The stranger takes another pull on your right arm, causing you to drop the half-smoked cigarette onto the floor and the burgundy handbag falls out of your grasp.

“Hey!” Your voice is slightly slurred, an effect of the alcohol you’d consumed minutes prior, however the anger and small hint of fear is clearly heard in your words. It takes you a few seconds to register the tall man running away from you, clad in dark jeans and a hoodie pulled over his head, and your bag clutched in his hands.

Before you even realise what you’re doing, you start running after him. “Hey, jackass!” You repeat, “give me pack my purse!”

Your voice echoes through the street, yet it seems like everyone around you is too far gone to even notice or care.

Discomfort surrounds the heels of your feet, but it doesn’t stop you from giving up the chase as the man turns left into a dark alleyway. You’d chastise yourself later for the self preservation you seemed to lack in that very moment, completely ignorant to the dangerous connotations of following a strange man into a secluded area such as this, in the middle of the night. But that purse has everything you owned at the minute, your phone, wallet and any small amount of cash you currently had, and you couldn’t just let it slip from your arms.

He twists his head to look at you, as if shocked to see that you were actually following him.

It was at this moment that someone stepped out in front of him, and as soon as the thief got closer to the mysterious stranger, they threw their arms out and shoved him down to the ground.

Your bag went flying from his hands and onto the pavement.

Even from where you were standing, you could hear the thief’s harsh intakes of breath, winded from how hard he had hit the ground, and your saviour stepped over the man’s body.

He picked up your bag from the ground, slowly making his way over to you.

Finally, it dawned on you that while he had saved you from losing quite literally everything you owned, that didn’t make him any less dangerous than the man who’d stolen from you in the beginning, and as he stepped towards you, panic started to make its way up your spine.

“Don’t come any closer!” You screamed at him. His steps faltered, but he didn’t stop moving, “I have a knife!” You didn’t, and it was probably pretty obvious that you’d lied as his eyes raked over your body, searching for anything that remotely resembled a weapon.

You could hear him release a small laugh as he came even closer, holding out your purse for you to take. “I believe this is yours?”

Gingerly, your hands clasped around the strap, pulling it towards your chest and releasing a sigh of relief. “Thank you,” you said, and began to quickly check that everything was still left inside, untouched.

He watched as you did so, a dark, thin eyebrow raised in questioning.

It was here, as the moonlight lit up his face, that you got a good look at your saviour. He was tall, big enough to feel imposing as he stood several feet away from you, with long black hair that cascaded down his back in a way that made you slightly jealous. He looked down at you with some of the most alluring brown eyes you’d ever seen, almost hazel with the way the street lamps highlighted his face from behind you.

A kind smile lulled you into a false sense of security as he opened his mouth to speak. “What kind of idiot runs after a guy like that in the middle of the night?” His tone was teasing, coinciding with the smirk he wore.

“Well,” you snorted sarcastically, “everything I own is in this bag. If I’d let him take it, I wouldn’t have anything left.” Maybe you should’ve been slightly nicer to the man that had just saved your life’s savings, but at the moment you couldn’t take any chances, not when you were so obviously isolated from the main street that was littered with drunks, druggies and the like.

He laughed at your comment, but shrugged and held out his hands, as if to say ‘there you go’.

You let out an awkward cough, trying to fill the silence. “I’m, uh… gonna go now, my friend is waiting for me back at the club,” you held out a thumb to point behind you, as if he’d know exactly where you’d meant despite the several buildings behind you filled with dancing strangers.

He nodded without saying anything else, and you took that as permission to make your leave.

Just as you’d turned your back on him, started to make your way back towards the club, his voice rung out again and stopped you in your tracks.

“Maybe I could help you out.”

authors note: so, the first chapter of barracuda is officially finished! this is the largest piece of writing i’ve done in a very long time and while i’m probably being overly critical, i do think at some point i will go back and edit it once the series is finished! but, let me know how you feel about this and if you liked it! i am very excited to see where this story goes. reni xx

#reniberries ❤︎#barracuda #jujutsu kaisen #jujutsu kaisen au #jujustsu kaisen x reader #jjk #jjk au #jjk x reader #toji fushiguro #toji fushigro x reader #jjk toji #toji fushiguro smut #toji x reader

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stabbyfoxandrew · 5 months ago

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vampdrew?

WIP Wednesday (5/29) | Vampire Andrew AU (Part 134)

After Andrew’s cold shower— thanks to Kevin, who both used all the hot water and who got Andrew worked up in the first place— he dresses in the clothes he’d left on the counter earlier and checks himself in the mirror. He looks fine, if a bit flushed. But he can blame that on the shower itself.

He swipes a hand through his damp hair before going back out to rejoin the others. He finds the others watching Aaron play Grand Theft Auto. Andrew silently approaches, watching as his brother fucks up and drives off a bridge. ‘WASTED’ pops up on the screen and Aaron sighs, huffs, and hands the controller to Nicky.

“That’s why I don’t let you drive my car,” Andrew says, making the other three jolt. Nicky drops the controller on Aaron’s head.

“Shit, you’re scary quiet sometimes.”

“Stop doing that.” Aaron says, rubbing his temple.

“What do you suggest? I bang pots and pans together every time I come in?” Andrew says with a scowl, plopping himself on the couch arm above Kevin.

“Maybe you should wear a bell,” Kevin says, looking up at him.

“Good idea.”

“I am not a cat.” Andrew says, kicking his twin in the shoulder.

‘Kick Kevin, he’s the one who said it.’ Aaron thinks, scooting away.

“Can’t.”

“Can’t what?” Nicky asks.

“Never mind.” Andrew says, shaking his head and flicking his fingers at the TV screen. “Show Aaron how to drive.”

Nicky doesn’t fare much better, restarting the mission and almost immediately crashing into a wall. He curses and hands the remote to Kevin, just as the kitchen timer goes off behind them. Andrew watches his cousin rise from the sofa and grab a potholder before removing a previously-frozen pizza from the oven. He sets it on top of the stove and reaches back into the oven for a second one.

#anarmytilltheend #kandrew both jacking it about each other :)))#andreil #aftg #Vampire Andrew AU #WIP Wednesday #🕊️#answered

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copperbadge · 2 years ago

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I am here in Rome!

Took a little longer than anticipated to get to my lodgings last night -- for one, I almost got off at Rome Airport instead of Rome Termini, but I caught that in time. Once we disembarked at Termini, which is the major train station and a bus hub, I was supposed to go catch my bus, but it took a hot minute because the first thing I saw happen in Rome was someone getting their phone snatched.

It was insanely fast and too far away for me to intervene -- the guy basically walked up to the woman at the next bus island over, said something, and then when she looked up from her phone at him he grabbed it and bolted like an olympic fuckin' sprinter.

There were quite a few police in the bus hub, so she had immediate attention for it, and unfortunately as the nearest human facing that direction so did I. At least one went haring off after the thief, a couple clustered around her, and two stopped and asked me something in Italian. My Italian is not quite as nonexistent as my French so I said sorry, I'm American, English only, and they looked (as everyone has) faintly exasperated, but one of them had enough English and I had enough Italian to confirm that yes I saw it, the man looked like this. During which time a woman who apparently saw the commotion but not the theft rocked up to the guys questioning me and fucking lit into them.

I don't know what all she said but she definitely was at least yelling that there were five of them and they were standing around like idiots while this woman got robbed, so of course now the cop that doesn't speak English is trying to deal with her, and the one who does is trying to clarify some stuff with me, and the woman whose phone was stolen (who clearly isn't Italian but spoke the language) is like, crying on the cops helping her out, and it's midnight.

So finally I could SEE my bus coming, and I said to the officer, look, I'm really sorry about her phone but I can't help you more than I have, I'll be in Rome until Monday morning, can I just give you my cell number? And he took my number down and let me get on the bus and the driver gave me a Deeply Unimpressed Look but I did bop my card for fare so he took me, eventually, to my new home in Rome, which is in the base of a medieval tower and has a door 2/3 the width of a normal door, so that was fun.

Crucially it also has a large, soft bed and a washer-dryer, so I put a load of laundry in at like half past midnight and then passed the fuck out. But now I have clean clothes and at least some sleep under my belt, and I'm known to the Police of Rome, for whatever that means.

I'm off this morning to see some sights while wearing clean warm underwear, and I still have my phone, so my day's starting out pretty OK.

#sam travels #the cheese tour #rome #crime #police #lord that lady was pissed about something

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if-you-fan-a-fire · 2 years ago

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"Sent to Industrial School," Kingston Daily Standard. July 17, 1912. Page 12. --- In juvenile court this morning a 16 year old lad was sent to the Industrial School. He was found guilty of having stolen a fare box from the Street Railway Company. Another boy who was implicated in the theft was remanded. There were five in the crowd, and warrants are out for the other three.

#juvenile court #juvenile justice #theft #fare book #street railways #kingston ontario #public transit #sentenced to prison #mimico industrial school #crime and punishment in canada #history of crime and punishment in canada

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txmehunting · 23 days ago

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"For all your meticulously crafted plans to acquire candy, I expect you've obtained quite the haul, hm?" Diamant approaches the robed man once more, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Did you ever put on that show for those kids? Find someone to play dead and garner sympathy?"

from empty fist to wolf-man's face does sennō's leery gaze trace. oh, it's so easy for him to suggest putting on shows for children. yes, it would be, what with that kind of body. CHILDREN LOVE SWINGING AROUND ON LARGE MEN! IT'S SCIENTIFICALLY PROVEN!

his tentacles, questionably independent, wiggle disapprovingly. " no, i did not put on a show for any children. " he thinks back to those nasty children he'd encountered, those brats that were young and impressionable; they nearly KILLED him with their curiosity! literally! they almost ripped his scalp off! " and i hardly got anything for my troubles, either. "

he checks the candy that he has stashed in a small purse, makes a face, then closes it. " two. " he holds up two gnarled, purple fingers to underline. " two candies, which implies that there was theft. " those two fingers begin to shake. pathetic though he was last night, a brief nap in the closet was all he needed to get sufficient levels of Burnable Rage back. " someone has stolen from me. this is unforgivable.

" and you. i don't imagine you are faring better than i? "

#◈ ic #◈ heriteur #◈ answered #toajuicy2024 #[ senno shaking and frothing: two candies. can you believe it. the magnanimous senno should have gotten FIVE HUNDRED. ]

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oh-no-another-idea · 25 days ago

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OC in fifteen

Tagged back in ancient times by @cherrybombfangirlwrites, @tragicheirs, @ceph-the-ghost-writer, and @sarandipitywrites -- thanks, beloveds! Here's good old Lewis from Invisible Girl <3

Rules: Share 15 or fewer lines of dialogue from an OC, ideally lines that capture the character/personality/vibe of the OC. Bonus points for just using the dialogue without other details about the scene, but you're free to include those as well!

“No fare?” Lewis said, outraged. “That’s theft! That’s taking advantage of the workers on this train, do you think they just pay themselves for the fun of it—”

“Oh,” he said flatly. “It’s you. Dobbson neglected to mention that delightful detail.”

“Why are you so strange, Antonio West?”

“I’m not going to promise things I don’t mean because you gave me a sandwich.”

“You new to the whole alcohol idea?” Lewis guessed.

“The Roberta,” Lewis repeated, raising his brows. “The Runaway Train.”

“Don’t call me that or I’ll dump your body over the side where your stupid tie will get caught in the coupling and drag your corpse till that face of yours is rubbed right off.”

“You couldn’t have alerted us sooner?” Lewis said.

“I’m not a stray, or a child,” Lewis said indignantly. “I work on the West Railways and only got dragged into this whole mess because this idiot here couldn’t keep his nose out of trouble.”

“We have to discuss what to do with the gunman,” Lewis said.

“Next time Antonio’s bleeding out, you can volunteer the clothes on your back, Paris Carlo.”

“Take them,” Lewis said, sighing gustily. “It’s all in the interest of thumbing noses at rich idiots, isn’t it? That’s alright in my book.”

Lewis shrugged. “It depends on what we’re gonna do about the body.”

“That isn’t even innuendo, Fynn,” Lewis said, but gently. “That doesn’t make any sense, so it’s not even funny or meaningful.”

“Give him hell from me,” Lewis said, and made a hat tipping motion before disappearing into the crush on the sidewalks.

SO many of these are said either to Antonio or about Antonio, which makes me 🤭 But I'll pass the tag along to @writeouswriter @dontjudgemeimawriter @sleepy-night-child @reneesbooks @vsnotresponding and anyone else who sees this! <3

#tag games #oc in fifteen #wip: invisible girl #lewis huen

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slimejugular · 20 days ago

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another wip writing thing. except its red blitz x worker reader

warning for harassment/implied sexual harassment

You are a poor gas station worker.

Relative to you, there has been recurring news of fuel thefts from gas stations in Motown, varying from location to location. The culprit was still yet on the large, the fact of the crimes taking place at night not helping. According to witnesses, all of them seem to have the similar inability to discern much of any identification—other than remembering the silhouette of a car speedily taking off, no license plate.

It's something concerning for sure. Yet there are other things in your life that take more priority in your brain…like being able to pay your rent this upcoming week. Oh. But circumstances come right to you, anyway, one night without warning. Just when you are working the late shift. Strange, because it’s supposed to be uneventful.

That night, the first circumstance is that there’s a…strange customer. More levels of strange than the usual oddball you get. This customer, ah, they’re coming on too invasively for your liking. Flirting, making inappropriate remarks, spitting while talking, prolonging their stay in the small store, even sometimes encroaching on your personal space past what’s socially acceptable. All the nine yards, except those yards err on the side of horrid.

You are nervous. Irritated, maybe?

As the only one on site today, with not a soul around to dissuade the situation, you don’t know what to do. And is it even a situation, or are you overthinking it?

You come to the misguided conclusion that you can handle it. You have fared worse.

The older man—the customer, asks for “help” in the form of many tasks. Where’s this product? Can you get me a cigarette pack behind there? You got more drinks from this brand? When does this restock? And similar queries. The last thing he asks you to do (and to do, in your case, is meant begrudgingly) is a plea to help him with refilling his car, his reasoning being that he’s not used to the terminal system at this one station. You go through the usual routine, trying to keep a neutral disposition. At least this is actually familiar to you. However, as you fill the tank, he stares at you. And stares. It’s quiet. You feel discomfort like never before.

You finish, about to hand over his change for paying in cash. But the bills and coins messily fall out of your hand, multiple resounding pings of the little disks tumbling onto the concrete—

—because the stranger has moved so close, that your nose almost brushes against his as you turn.

You stumble back, though not enough, uttering an embarrassing noise. It can’t be helped, with how the nerves are now hitting you hard. What were you thinking? You can’t handle this. You can’t take someone openly threatening you. Pursuing you so unashamedly. His yells are ringing in your ears, yet you can only focus on the ill stench of his wafting breath. Drunk. His voice is turning shrill, violent. He’s stepping closer. He’s about to reach his hands out to touch you. You shut your eyes, frightened out of your mind, preparing to push him away,

but the rev of an engine startles the both of you.

Bewildered, you unstiffen, and look to where the sound came from, the man doing the same in mutual distraction. White flashbangs your vision, covering the two of your figures head-to-toe in light. You instinctively shield your eyes from the intensity. Still, you were curious, and you peek through your hands.

There’s a muscle car, illegal headlights and such, rolling into the gas station.

Another customer, apparently. At least they broke the chain of events leading up to what awful thing might’ve happened to you. With the realization, you discretely shuffle away from the drunk, jog off towards the driver to greet them, all while ignoring the complaining shouts of the former. They must be wanting to get their tank filled. The distraction is welcomed—and your intentions are left as an afterthought, because the car becomes a ROBOT.

Metallic shuffling and slotting fills your ears as you stare unblinkingly at what strange shuffling of red, golden, black morphing metal person of a phenomenon is happening in front of you. You’re going through a whole spectrum of emotions today. The ones right now are a mix of horrified and in awe. The hunk of metal forms together to create a neat visage of what reminds you of that one cartoon you watched when you were younger. Transformers? The thing, whatever it is, also reminds you of an angry, little, well, not little, bug. Golden ridges lining the head of it remind you of antennas. A shrimp? A roach? Not that it makes sense, nothing makes sense, anything to familiarize yourself with what is there. What is THAT? What?

After the unfathomable transformation, it silently looms over you, halting your racing thoughts, and you notice the pinch of its green eyes when you flinch. Green, too? Excessive. They remind you of your cat’s eyes back at home…cute, for her, intimidating on a being that is leagues larger in stature than you.

You fumble the customary greeting, though it's with hopes that you haven’t subjected yourself to something more dangerous. If it can be avoided, there’s no desire in you to be squashed today.

“Oh…Ah. H-hello! Welcome.” You bow repeatedly, hands tightly woven together.

The being, to your surprise, lets out a vibrative snort. It puts its hands on its hips, cocking its head. It then leans down a bit towards you, looking every bit as if inspecting you closely.

Your limbs want to shake. You stand firm. You’re scared, of course; it’s just a different feeling than with what you experienced with the drunk earlier.

A nasally, snarky voice comes out. There’s no mouth on its person, yet it echoes obviously from it. “Heh, what a surprise.” It straightens back up with a faint whirr, seemingly closing its eyes like a typical human would—the green shaping into little curved lines. “You’re the first person that hasn’t run away from me, screaming. You’ve got props.” It opens its eyes to nod in approval.

You’re confused. “Huh?”

To that, it waves a hand (?) impatiently. “Never mind that, I need fuel. I’m a customer!”

This you can do. You’re unsure of the merits and logistics of giving a rogue robot fuel. There’s indulging to be had, for the sake of it. This isn’t an everyday instance for you, and your life could use a little more excitement…so, you agree. A decision you hope you won’t regret in the future.

Tentative, you nod. “Alright–of course, this way, please.” As you walk with your back to the being, it comes to you that in the mess of the moment, you blanked the presence of the unruly customer.

You find the man in question is situated strangely, half-tucked behind one of the plinths supporting the forecourt of the station. He appears to be shaking. And when the rumbling steps of the robot follow behind you, his conduct worsens, mouth gaping and the meat of his brows lifting. You jolt when he screams in fright, proceeds to speed off to nowhere, the perfect portrayal of an absolute goner. You feel grateful…somehow. You’ll be sure to bring up the event with your manager the next time you see her. Get him banned from here, or really anything would be nice. Good thing he left his car behind, the cranker.

Now at the filling station, you happen to glance behind, noting the robot is still standing vigilant to you. Observing it, its posture is, dare you say, worrying? It looks…sluggish. Slack. But when you actually turn around, it stiffens not unlike a stick, lengthening back to its proper height, glaring at you. As if refuting that you ever thought that. You raise a brow, though refrain from commenting on the oddity. You cough a bit to ease the tension. “So, we have different forms of fueling here. What would you prefer, um, ah…” you gesture vaguely. The bot doesn’t fill for the void of a wanted response, awkwardly watching you, almost seeing through you.

You blink. “Okay then. Uh, we offer gas in regular, mid-grade, premium, and diesel. If you would prefer, there’s also an option for EV charging for electric vehicles.” You point to each as you speak. “Which do you want?” you question, expecting a run-of-the-mill answer.

“I want all of it,” the idiot says. Its eyes are rather intense with this.

You are instantly taken aback, shoulders lifting and chin recessing in shock. “..What!? I mean–agh, I can’t just give you all of it!” You wiggle your hands around, freaked out. “We need it for other customers.” Troubled, you shake your head. “I’m sorry for the inconvenience, but I can only give you a certain amount.” Plus, you could only be so tolerant in one day!

The robot, to your dismay, appears to ponder if it should deign to smash you into bits, judging by the fearsome face it takes on, accompanied by the slow, anticipatory steps it starts to stomp harshly towards you. Before it can come alarmingly within reach, you jut your hands in front of you, yelling, “Wait a second!”

The stomps end. You flutter your eyes open, all while timidly lowering your arms. Phew.

Here’s its turn to say, “What?”, although more annoyed in tone than aghast. It has crossed its arms, prudish, the metal armor (?) covering every length of its body looking rather tightened together, at least compared to when you first glanced over its image.

You have an idea in mind, but your work won’t particularly favor it—not that it tremendously matters if you keep well to this all being a secret. Here it goes.

“I know I shouldn’t be doing this. Maybe you shouldn’t be here either.” You look off to the side, avoiding looking at the thing in the face. Your eyes subconsciously end up back on its face anyway, and you’re rubbing your sweaty palms together, fretting. You gulp. “What matters to me is that you helped me out, and I’m not even sure you were aware of it.” You gaze up at it. To your favor, it’s paying attention.

It tilts its head. That gesture is starting to look endearing. Wait, what?

“And?”

You hesitate, rubbing your palms faster. “And, um, while I can’t…can’t give you…all of the fuel. I can give you a good amount. For free. Because you helped me.”

#i cant even characterize him proper with my inability to watch the show as its intended #metal cardbot #reader insert

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danwhobrowses · 25 days ago

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One Piece Chapter 1130 - Initial Thoughts

And we're back once again

Chapter came out at a time between the end of my work hours so I had to wait a bit longer but now I'm ready

we're out of the block land, but what lies on the other side? Let's find out

Spoilers for the chapter, support the official release too

Yamato's cover story involves theft, Yamato, Shinobu and Tama all caught lacking as Yasu's sword is stolen

We start with the post-Alabasta crewmates, who tell Dorry and Brogy to stop searching for Luffy

They have faith in the crew, and they have expended all their search options and their food, so the giants agree to continue to Elbaf

The Alabasta crew (sans Vivi ofc) escape the building to a massive castle snowscape

The castle is quite detached from everything, surrounded by woodland on a pedestal and a long rope bridge

Giants are coming across the bridge, so the crew hide, but it's actually some friendlies

Gerd and Goldberg from Hajrudin's crew have come down about intruders

Seems Road - now Rodo - is a bit of a black sheep among Hajrudin's crew, Gerd calling him a crackpot, seems Hajrudin only has him on the crew because of his navigation skill

Oh, Prince Loki is called the 'Shame of Elbaf'

Gerd's pet owl (How Athenian) is called Piper and it spotted Muginn carrying the Sunny

Oh and Elder Jarul is still alive, from Big Mom's flashback

Luffy spots the giants and sees them as friendly, but Nami stops him because they're looking for intruders

Sanji meanwhile is simping on Gerd, while Usopp is elated to confirm that we're in Elbaf

Nami's stoppage didn't snuff out all noise, but when the giants look they do the classic video game enemy ism of 'must've been the wind'

Giant Rope Bridge though means giant gaps between steps, which some of the crew aren't used to, with giant ravenous wolves below

Usopp assures this is just a trial of courage, as he hugs the edges for dear life

Meanwhile Luffy's just on the ropes looking badass

Zoro senses that Luffy's focused on something, and it seems Luffy has sensed something

Sanji quickly asserts not to go anywhere, also grabbing Zoro as to not run off

Luffy however had no such restraint, and thus dives down anyway

Back with the Post-Alabasta Crew and the news fallout from Egghead is happening

Dorry and Brogy have been pinned for destroying Egghead, and their bounties have gone up to 1.8 Billion each

As we assumed anyway, the 100 million bounty they had back at Little Garden was a product of inflation, confirmed by Robin here

Luffy's also blamed for killing Vegapunk, Franky's annoyed (I mean he is his idol) but Lilith teases him about it

Luffy's pic has the X in it though?

Also true how do they get these photos? Apoo wasn't there, does someone cave like a camera devil fruit like that My Hero Academia filler guy?

Ah Robin is also curious about the X

Detective Robin notes that Luffy's arm is blurry save for the X, like it's separate

OH! Did Vivi embellish it on the photo like a coded message? Wouldn't it be a shame if all the crewmates who'd recognize this symbol were elsewhere???

Dorry and Brogy ask about Luffy's standing, now that he's an emperor like Shanks, and Hajrudin works under him

Oooh Hajrudin lore, he's the son of the King of Elbaf!

Hajrudin wanted to pick up Luffy but Dorry and Brogy have seniority...and he probably would've fared worse

Prince Loki lore now, seems Loki is Hajrudin's brother

He allegedly 'devoted himself to darkness' and was a few years back - so post-Lola - sentenced to crucifixion

It took all the Warriors of Elbaf to capture him

Jinbe was on Big Mom's crew so he'd know it's Loki

Oh but there's more, the royal family passes down a legendary devil fruit, Prince Loki killed his own father - King Harold - in order to acquire it

Right, don't let Loki free gotcha

And here's Luffy, clearly not about to let Prince Loki free XD

Hell of a panel though, got Oars energy here

Prince Loki looks to have a cool design, but he's been chained to the World Tree and his eyes covered, he has the Doflamingo-ism of grinning wide and sticking his tongue out

Also Norse myth connection! Loki was chained to a rock until Ragnarok, the chains were technically the intestines of one of his sons and a venomous snake would drip poison over his head (his wife would shield it with a bowl, but when the bowl was filled there'd be a brief window of pain as she emptied it, which would cause earthquakes). Upon Ragnarok he will break from his chains, his son Fenrir will eat Odin, his son Jormungandr will kill Thor, and he will kill Heimdall, but like the World Serpent at the cost of his life

He asks Luffy's name and Luffy answers the way he does

He mulls about Luffy's declaration to be a king, but answers Luffy in kind about the setting

This is War Land, the kingdom of Elbaf: the Birthplace of War

We have our big Elbaf spread, and the castle they were in for context right near the bottom

It's a giant tree with 2 tiers, the middle tier seems to be the most bustling area; Giant cannons and swords are seen in the middle level, along with waterfalls and another grand castle to the left

Loki introduces himself as the Sun God who will bring about the end of the world

Oh a 2 week break? Oda must be skipping Halloween XD between this and the anime hiatus that's a shame, but 2 weeks is doable

Another strong chapter from Elbaf, which we can now confirm to be in.

Prince Loki's design is another winner, I am slightly concerned he may end up too much like Doflamingo (killed his dad, the happy tongue thing, being chained up a lot) but we'll see, Luffy's very clearly gonna open Pandora's box here it seems. There's also the curiosity of what his DF will be.

If he's Hajrudin's brother it seems we might be getting a little Shakespearean here, Hajrudin is waiting for Luffy so he has to play a role, but does it become a civil war? In a place called War Land that wouldn't be too surprising (I doubt though it's the birthplace of war, more that it's the birthplace of Elbaf, the Giants' God of War). Or maybe Oda goes another direction, is this truly our villain or perhaps Luffy's kindness towards him begets a redemption?

My Vivi theory has latched onto my brain too, but while I like how we divided things I do hope we don't just ignore the Post-Alabasta crew, just delay them a short while - there's still Lilith, Kuma and Bonney stuff to deal with there too.

But we'll just have to stew on it for the new two weeks, the more we get answers the more we get mystery.

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