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beautifulbuckys · 2 years ago

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Rumor Has It (40′s!Bucky Barnes x Reader)

FIC PINTEREST BOARD

Summary: As a local bartender, you’d heard a thing or two about James Barnes.

Warnings: Nazi mention, war mentions, a little bit of language

A/N: AHHHH tiktok gave me some of this dialogue and I nEEDED to write with it!

You’d heard about James Barnes.

He was a legend in your line of work. Rumor had it that he’d been to every lounge in Brooklyn. Many bartenders had spoken of serving him and the lady he’d selected for the evening. A lounge was his go-to date spot. We played music, served drinks, and had a pleasant atmosphere. The lounges in the area were always dark and easy to hide in. He’s courted a lot of different women. God forbid a past girl catches him with his newest woman. It hasn’t happened yet, so you’ve heard.

However, you have never met him. He has yet to stop by your lounge. He has yet to bring a date. You can’t blame him, your location was on the edge of town and kind of hard to get to. The narrow, unlit roads were daunting to those looking for a good time. A dark alleyway didn’t exactly scream ‘come visit!’.

The fact that he had been in the army didn’t exactly help. His long stint of courting a randomized girl every night got interrupted when America involved itself in the war. He was quickly shipped off, practically disappearing. His existence was ghost-like. Many mentioned him, both men and women alike. The gentlemen he’d done laboring with during long, grueling New York summers were speaking of him like an old friend. His name seemed like a memory on some of the female bar-goer’s lips. It seemed like he had never left. Even though you had never met him, all the stories you’d heard made it seem like you did. Many customers you met had known him. Simply, it became obvious he befriended a lot of people in the area. Nobody you’d met had something negative to say about the man. Since he left for war, many who stayed behind gained more respect for him.

Rumor has it he’s back.

Tuesday afternoon you were working a shift for a sick bartender when someone uttered interesting words.

“Bucky and Steve are back, they’re going on some victory tour or something. I heard Rogers got handsome while overseas, apparently, all the women in Europe have been swooning. My husband wrote me all about it!” A young woman sitting across the bar whisper-yelled. She couldn’t disguise her excitement for the news. However, it was hard to tell what she was more excited about, whether James and Steve are home or her husband had sent a letter.

You’d seen pictures of James. You could admit, he was an attractive man. You totally understood why he had women at his feet left and right. Usually, though, that meant they had an ego. You already dealt with that during your shifts at the lounge. You didn’t have time to entertain a cocky man that found himself to be king of the world. It just wasn’t in the cards.

As the afternoon melted into the evening, the lounge became a bit busier. Typically, Friday through Sunday was the busy days. Every now and again, it would pick up a little during the weekdays. However, this wasn’t a “picking up on a Tuesday” kind of busy. Something was going on, you thought. And then it all made sense.

James Barnes had waltzed into the creaky wooden door. He was wearing his brown Army uniform. A tan cap covered his brown hair, which has gotten a little longer since the most recent picture you’d seen. He also looked tired, the bottom of his eyes had sunken in and his eyelids were now permanently half-lidded. He didn’t look an ounce less handsome, though.

The moment he walked through the door, the volume of the lounge increased dramatically. Every single customer that could stand on their own two feet was loudly welcoming the solider home. James received many pats on the back from men playing billiards; who seemed to respect him for her service. He also had been on the receiving end of many hugs from women old to young. His grateful smile never faltered. He spoke to everyone that gave him the time of day. Never once did he seem annoyed or appalled at the sudden attention. All eyes were on him. Yet, he never shied away. He seemed like the same man you’d heard stories about.

Once he could get away from the welcome wagon, he dragged his feet towards the bar. The farther he got away from the crowd, the more his smile fell. If he was an actor, that would’ve been an award-winning performance.

“Sergeant Barnes, you’re shorter than I anticipated,” You said once he reached the bartop. Now that he was closer, you noticed the small cuts and scabs littered his face. The bridge of his nose housed a nasty gash, which was obvious from a puffy scar that now replaced it.

His tired eyes locked with yours, smiling at you. “That’s no way to welcome home a soldier,” His Brooklynn accent came poking through. It was thick, something that you’d mock to your friends the next time you see them.

“I’m afraid we’ve never met,”

“I’d remember if we did. I’d never forget a face like that,”

“Is that what you say to all the girls?” His mouth opened, then closed, then opened again. You’d rendered the quippy James Barnes speechless. Not many can say that based on the tales you’d heard. From the stories, you could tell he was part of the talkative bunch. He had a reputation to talk anyone’s ear off if he was given the chance. “What can I get you, James?”

He chuckled, sitting at a barstool. “Please, call my Bucky,”

“That’s not what I asked you,”

“Bourbon,”

You smile, “You like your gums feeling tingly?” You proceeded to carefully pour him some of the house bourbon, choosing to pour it into a short glass. It was wider than a shot glass, but a similar height. It was perfect for his larger hands to hold. He wouldn’t be able to drop it unless he did so purposefully.

Bucky took the glass as you slid it across the counter and instantly took a sip. After swallowing, he exhaled loudly. “You know, you’re the first person to not kiss my ass since getting home,”

“That’s not very gentleman-like language, Barnes,”

“Well I am a soldier, never claimed to have the mouth of an angel,”

You decided to leave him alone for a moment, choosing to tend to the other customers at the bar. You’d poured a few refills of water or whiskey, and made a few martinis. Every now and again, you’d steal a glance at James. He sat on his barstool in his lonesome. In fact, it’s the first time you’ve ever heard nor seen the man alone in a place like this. He always brought a date. His elbows laid on the stained bartop, leaning into his arms. He seemed slightly tired, more reserved than the James you’d always heard of. Besides his arrival, you hadn’t seen him speak to anyone. A few people tried to spark some conversation. Their attempts always consisted of questions about the war or his friend Steve Rogers.

You’d heard rumors about Steve Rogers too.

Steve and James were a package plan. You couldn’t get one without also getting the other. Since they were young, they’d been attached at the hip. Steve had a dream of joining the army when the war began. His father was a soldier, and he wanted nothing more than to follow in those footsteps. However, he was skinny and sick. He got denied time and time again. When Bucky left, it was difficult for him. Not soon after, Steve was getting escorted by military officials around the city of New York. Many figured he finally got caught lying on his enlistment forms. Then one day, he’s in the paper 150 pounds heavier and with more muscle than you had seen in your entire life.

And now the man is a war hero. He’s a symbol of an American victory.

And James Barnes is still just James Barnes. Suddenly the outgoing, all eyes on him, ladies man was cowering behind the shadow of his best friend. Since they got home, he’d been avoiding all questions about Steve. Avoiding any Captain America-related questions.

“Pretty damn quiet over here, Barnes,” You mutter, leaning onto the bartop. He flashes a small smile your way, sitting up at your presence.

“Not much people want to talk about besides killing nazis. I’m kind of tired of acting like some hero, though. I’m not this high and mighty guy everyone acts like I am. The only difference between me and them is the uniform. I’m no hero, I’m just a man in a tan uniform acting like something I’m not,” Bucky spoke quietly, staring at his hands that were folded in front of him. His small smile had turned into a sad one, reflecting his tone of voice.

“Incredibly untrue, Sargent. See Tommy over there? The one with the red billiards stick. His Momma forced him to enlist. He lied on his forms and said he had asthma and a past with pneumonia so he wouldn't get through. Then he went back and told his Momma they rejected him so he couldn’t fight. He really just wanted to stay behind and keep smokin’ those damn cigars with his pals,” The story you told was true. It was again, just a rumor you’d heard, but once you served his sister a few too many imported wine glasses and she got to talking. By 10 p.m you knew all the family’s deepest darkest secrets. You’d never tell them, though. Unless, of course, it was to cheer up a handsome pouty soldier on a Tuesday night.

“Is that true?”

“Truer than the sky being blue,” You held out your pinky to the man, suggesting a pinky promise. He held out his finger with a smile, wrapping his around yours enthusiastically. “There is a difference between you and him. He didn’t want to fight because he was selfish. You fought and saved a hell of a lot of people in the process. You have a good heart, James. Don’t undervalue yourself,”

His sad smile was long gone, a simple memory. His laugh replaced his once somber, hushed voice.

“You feel like an old friend,”

“A lot of people say that when I give them booze,” You manage to laugh. He laughs right along with you. When he laughs, his eyebrows raise up and cause some wrinkles on his forehead. His hairline seems to raise up along with his brows which is entertaining to watch.

He smiles, “Not like that. I feel like I’ve known you. I know I’ve never met you as I said, I’d never forget a face like that. You just seem so familiar. Like I’ve known you for a lifetime and then some,”

“Are you calling me old, Barnes?”

“I’d never dare to talk about a beautiful dames age!” James chuckled at your insinuation. He knew you were joking, it was obvious that it was just how you were. He could tell you had thick skin by the banter you kept up.

“With all this talk about my looks, I’m starting to think I’m the next on the ‘girl’s I’d like to take dancing’ list,” You joked. Without him even asking, you decided to pour him more of his drink. Usually, you’d have to charge for a refill. Hell, you forgot to even charge him for the first drink. Yet, he’s a soldier returning home. If your manager gave you hell for it, you’d explain the special circumstance.

All the rumors you’d heard of this man seemed to be drifting away. You’d been told gossip; not truths. This man wasn’t just some womanizer with no regard for feelings. James Barnes was far from a man that didn’t believe love existed, only beauty. James Barnes wanted to be loved. He didn’t want to be held on a pedestal for all to worship and speak about. He wanted his flaws to be just as cherished as his perfections.

“I can add you to the list if you’d like. You would be the only occupant and I’m willing to take you dancing as soon as possible,”

“See you tomorrow at 6?” You took the bait. The more you two talked, the more interested in him you became. He bantered back and forth with you and didn’t get offended at your silly comments. He never once made an offensive comment towards you, which was something you were used to as a bartender. And it would be a crime not to take note of his beautiful eyes and charming smile.

He smiled.

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world,”

And to think, a few rumors was the start of this all.

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buck-yyyy · 2 years ago

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okay, but why can’t people ever ship a queer ship in peace?

why do we have to write these pages and pages of detailed analysis and spend hours digging through every ounce of footage to pick out tiny details, only to still not be taken seriously because “there’s already a gay character in the show, it doesn’t need any more”, or “mikes not gay because he kissed a girl he met the week prior when he was 12”?

why do queer ships need all of this stuff to be “valid”, when straight ships are often just people mashing together a guy and a girl who happened to be in the general vicinity of each other?

why do we have to be so desperate for queer representation in television that we need to spend hours proving ourselves just so we don’t get laughed out of the room for daring to suggest that a character isn’t straight?

i mean, for fucks sake, we have a nearly 300 page slideshow of evidence for why byler should be canon. the milkvans have a canon relationship, sure, but it’s falling apart in front of all of us and yet it’s STILL seen as more realistic than two guys falling in love.

please don’t get me wrong, i love all the analysis. i love the theories, and the essays, and the slideshows, all of it. it’s the best part of fandoms, and ships, and it’s my favorite part of how i personally consume media. but it is still so beyond unfair that we need to put all this work in just for the chance to be taken seriously.

we get attacked for minding our own business solely because our ship is not straight. not because people don’t like them together, not because the dynamic is off, not because of any real reason. we get attacked because god forbid two boys in 1985 be gay. it’s thinly veiled homophobia.

queer ships deserve to be respected just the same as straight ships. i’m fucking tired of people acting like they don’t.

oh, and don’t even THINK about giving me any of that, “you can make a straight character gay, why can’t i make a queer character straight” bullshit. you can make a queer character straight when real life queer people around the world aren’t in physical, life threatening danger for being queer. last time i checked, straight people weren’t in dire need of representation. you can fuck right off with that, i don’t want to hear it.

#if you’re going to be homophobic at least have the decency to be up front about it- it’s a whole lot easier to avoid you.#stranger things #byler #will byers is gay #mike wheeler is not straight

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theangryjikooker · 3 years ago

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get the basics out of the way

Who are you? A Jikooker who's angry. I come off abrasive and not everyone’s cup of tea. Maybe not anyone, I’m practically unpleasant. I’m not here to be liked, but if you want to be mildly entertained or looking to have your brain jiggled around by truth bombs about human behavior because nothing makes sense and you’re almost-angry and don’t want to rock the boat of your fellow brethren, I am but your mouthpiece. Hear me roar.

Why? Because a lot of Jikookers are getting annoying as fuck with their wild overanalytical tendencies and the shamelessness in presuming Jikook are ACTUALLY dating. It's not even a joke to them, it's like a religious belief, and it's fucking weird.

Do YOU think Jikook are dating? I think they’re close. I think their brand of closeness can sometimes be unusual or interesting from an observer’s standpoint, but I’m in no position to affirm or claim they’re dating. That is breaching asshole levels of arrogance.

Not all of us are obsessed and insane. Cool, then nothing I say should offend you. If you’re removed enough to separate reality from fiction, you would be virtually incapable of getting offended.

What is your goal? To vent and let my sarcastic rainbow stardust fly free. God forbid I share my opinions on Twitter and let the Jikooker hive mind ~*cancel*~ me because I don't agree with their bullshit all the time. Staying silent in the presence of zealots is intensely crippling, per Psychology 101.

You must be homophobic. If this is your knee-jerk response to critiques that don't align with your nonsense, you don’t deserve an ounce of respect. But if you persist, then it's clear you just want to fight. I aim to please.

Are you secretly a Taekooker? For the love of all things miserably holy, shut up. Just because I don't agree with every insane analysis that people shit out, it doesn't mean I'm a Taekook mole. Who even has that kind of energy and time?! I like them enough, but Jikook has the dynamic that warms the cockles of my dead heart. Ya happy?

(Some) Taekookers are just as toxic, why don’t you vent about them? Only if I have a reason to? I’m not as entrenched in their community as I am with Jikook, so I’m not going to be exposed as much to their content unless I unwillingly come across them. If I have to bitch about something a Taekooker said, I guarantee you that I didn’t seek them out on purpose, and I’m probably going to draw parallels to an equally absurd thing a Jikooker said. Both sides have toxic shippers from hell, but I’m not about to invite myself into the opposing wolves’ den for shits and giggles. I’m pissed off, not dumb.

Why do you have it out for (toxic) Jikookers? BECAUSE WE ARE BETTER THAN THIS. Or should be. Evidently, I have high expectations for humanity, but this has unfortunately been my undoing.

You’re very negative/your blog is negative. Toxic shippers are my villain origin story.

You’re a coward, let us know who you are. Wah wah wah, okay jikookluvr4ever (if this is an actual username, I’m sorry). As if the Internet isn’t a vortex of anonymity. Watch me roll my eyes straight out of my head if you missed the obvious sign of how much I do not care.

Are there any Jikookers you DO like? Yeah, but I won’t drag them into my bitch-a-thon without their consent. Even if I have nice things to say about them, my posts are inherently not going to be because I’m sick of being nice about Jikookers who are permanently armed with torches and pitchforks. Happy, positive blogs should stay happy.

What are your credentials? I have a friend of a friend who’s a native Korean and can testify on my behalf that everything I say has merit because they’re Korean and represent the entire Korean population with their interpretations of their language, cultural nuances, and politics, and they agree with me. It’s so convenient, I know, but trust me because they’re gay too. If that doesn’t satisfy you, I’ve also been married for over a decade and know SO MUCH about relationships because I’ve been married for over a decade and can vouch for every other couple’s relationship in the world because I’m MARRIED and have all the experience in the world, and wouldn’t you know it, my partner and I relate so much to Jikook in the early stages of our relationship, so I can tell you, FACTUALLY, that they are super duper mega real. For fuck’s sake.

#jikook #kookmin #jikookers #kookminers #jungkook/jimin #jimin/jungkook #jeon jungkook #park jimin #anti-jikooker jikook club

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lochnessies · 3 years ago

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I've been tossing around a fic idea that's basically "Edelgard and Rhea vs TWSTD" for a while. I've always thought that if Edelgard confided in Rhea about TWSTD and the influence they have over Fodlan (as well as Edelgard's- and other experimentations's- lives) then Rhea would come down on TWSTD like a ton of bricks. *cough* I also want Edelgard to ride The Immaculate One in full emperor drip because that would be really cool*cough* The only problem is that I don't know /how/ Edelgard would get to that point where she decides to trust Rhea with that information. It would require her to view Rhea as a more reliable option over TWSTD, among other things. What do you think would lead her to this? And how would you expect her journey to this decision- and what happens after- unfold? I thought you'd be a good person to ask because you're one of the few people I follow who seems to appreciate both Edel and Rhea's characters without totally villainizing the other. Omg this ask turned out very long lmao you can tell this is something I've been stewing over for a while. Thank you for reading my ramblings!

oh my god i love the idea of edel riding the immaculate one into battle to fuck twsitd up! that’s what the warriors game should have been not whatever it is we’re getting 😭

The only problem is that I don't know /how/ Edelgard would get to that point where she decides to trust Rhea with that information. It would require her to view Rhea as a more reliable option over TWSTD, among other things. What do you think would lead her to this? And how would you expect her journey to this decision- and what happens after- unfold?

well for one, edelgard has to acknowledge the inherent humanity of the nabateans and see them, and rhea by extension, as people and not beasts in order to even begin to think about allying with them.

and to view the nabateans as equal to humans she needs to get to the root of her prejudices. she has to be shown that she is wrong with no ifs, ands, or buts about it. the entire foundation for her world views (the imperial propaganda of her childhood and her father’s faulty info) have to be addressed. did her father knowingly lie to her? it seems likely since we do know he lied about anselma to her and his info about the church is also bogus. regardless of her father’s intent, she has to overcome those beliefs.

an idea i’ve thought about is edelgard getting visions of a sort. god forbid i give this man an ounce of respect, but if you’ve been keeping up with captainflash’s fic you’ll have seen that whenever byleth uses divine pulse edelgard is affected due to her also carrying the crest of flames. something like that. maybe she gets visions of zanado, before/during/after the attacks, wilhelm meeting seiros for the first time, the humans attacking the nabateans first. give edelgard the undeniable proof of experiencing the past for herself.

I thought you'd be a good person to ask because you're one of the few people I follow who seems to appreciate both Edel and Rhea's characters without totally villainizing the other.

i’m glad you think so! i do try to be fair ^^’

Omg this ask turned out very long lmao you can tell this is something I've been stewing over for a while. Thank you for reading my ramblings!

long asks are great don’t worry! esp fix-it ones where we psychoanalysis edel lol

#asks

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johndonneswife · 3 years ago

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wish i could articulate how being around my family makes me feel. i genuinely had no idea life could be good until i left home. i had no idea people could exist without screaming and fighting and going out of their way to make each other feel miserable. i’ve spent all day feeling sick to my stomach and on the verge of tears because i have to be around these inconsiderate, awful people, and i don’t have a choice. i grew up thinking everyone felt like this all the time, and that my palpable fucking sadness and loneliness were things other people also felt all of the time.

today my mom was talking to my cousin, and she said, ‘when i was growing up, i thought our family was the only family that existed and we were the only people in the world!’ and they had a laugh about it and were getting all fucking wistful about it, like it was better when they weren’t aware of the rest of the world. this whole family feels like a fucking cult and the worst part is - the fucking worst part of it all - was how stupid i was when i thought this was totally normal. that being treated like an afterthought - if that - was what every other human being on the planet went through, too. that friday-sunday, all fathers drink until they get angry or until pass out, and all mothers humiliate and berate you. that everyone is a narcissist once they grow up. that it’s normal to have no friends besides the people in your own family. to forgive your cousins who have pulled knives on you and given you bloody teeth just for being Different and Weird and Smart and Quiet, because those are the worst possible things you can be.

i’m annoyed and i’m frustrated and it’s three in the morning and i just want to be home again. i want somewhere quiet. somewhere i don’t have to beg to be treated with decency and kindness. somewhere where i have control of everything - so my useless fucking aunts don’t invite random drug addicts i don’t know to my own fucking engagement party and get pissy when i want to - god forbid - listen to the kind of music i like. where people don’t make racist comments about my friends and the people i love. at my own fucking engagement party! i have been home three times since the pandemic and literally not once has someone spared me an ounce of respect or kindness; they’re all too busy making everything about themselves.

#there’s just so many things i want to complain about but i’m so tired #growing up surrounded by addicts and racists and generally shitty people #i never ever want to come back here and i never want ayesha to have to come back here #i’ve been trying to post this for 14 hours but i’ve been so busy being forced to mingle with people who don’t even pretend to care about me #i feel like i’m the dumbest bitch on the planet because i chose to forget about all the ways i was abused growing up #but i had to do that in order to survive here #and now that i’ve moved away and started healing i don’t think i can pretend anymore #i’m in the uber to laguardia and it’s the first time since wednesday that i can breathe #the whole ‘your family is allowed to abuse you and degrade you and violate you and you just have to deal with it’ thing is not okay #i am embarrassed of them and angry at them and i feel so much fucking hate in my heart for them #even with my own parents…i’m so tired of parenting them #and being trapped in that house has made me want to claw my own skin off #the screaming the mess my mom’s hoarding the nagging the passive aggressiveness #the house is screaming and burning and being there makes me feel so trapped and depressed #i cannot believe i grew up there and survived and also can’t believe i used to think everyone experienced anxiety and had panic attacks #and that everyone else was afraid of people raising their voices even slightly and loud noises #the sound of my mom’s car as she parallel parks across from the house…it’s so triggering. it seriously makes me cry and freak the fuck out #if it wasn’t for our friends and my grandmother i would literally never EVER come back here #i need to gtfo and get on that fucking plane and go home and feel normal again #this was the first time since i was probably like 17 that i went to a family party and didn’t drink myself sick - didn’t vomit and black out #because of course this wasn’t exactly an engagement party - despite how hard my sister worked - of course this was just FoR ~tHe FaMiLy~#because i can’t have one fucking day to celebrate without it coming back to them #and my dad can’t skip his stupid fucking hockey game one fucking night to be here with his daughter who he never sees anymore lol #loving people who are so fucking inconsiderate - it’s awful #but the drinking…i’m so glad i didn’t drink #even though it’s not a party until you have ten beers and vodka shots and get into a huge fight #i fucking resent everything these people took from me and i resent my parents for not protecting me when i was young #i chose to forgive them but maybe i chose wrong

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jornthur · 4 years ago

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“Unshaken” Chapter 8

Originally posted: April 11, 2020

Arthur Morgan x Reader, Slow-Burn Romance

Summary: You save a mysterious man who is dying on a mountain. Finding out he has Tuberculosis, you use your knowledge and skills with herbs and natural remedies to save him from death and help nurse him back to health. As he slowly starts to recover, you can’t help but wonder: Who is this man? Why had you found him the way that you did, beaten and ill? Only time, patience … and perhaps love … will tell.

•••••

The food was absolutely delicious.

Fried Muskie, with diced potatoes that you had grown in your garden and thick creamy butter that you’d made from the goats’ milk. You cut another piece out of the fish and placed the meat on your tongue, nearly moaning at the taste. “This is so tasty, Austin!” You said cheerfully as you looked across the table at him.

He smiled at your compliment. “Y’all are the ones that caught the fish, I only cooked them. Not to mention you’re the one who spiced them with those herbs of yours,” he said with a teasing grin, lifting one of his brows in amusement.

It was true, you thought with a smile. Some of the herbs you grew in your garden were not just for medicinal means, but also for adding different tastes. Sage was definitely one of your favorites.

The air was silent as the three of you sat at the kitchen table, the sound of utensils on plates creating the only noise in the cabin for several minutes. You couldn’t help but occasionally look over at Arthur to observe him, studying how he ate. For such an intimidating and large man, he seemed to have delicate manners when it came to eating, wiping his mouth with the napkin whenever he made the smallest of messes. You weren’t sure, but you thought you could see him giving your brother a hairy look from time to time. There was no doubt in your mind what it was for.

Arthur’s passive aggressive glaring at your brother for his earlier interruption was kind of adorable, you thought honestly. You knew he’d been about to kiss you again back in the stables, but Austin had called out to you from the cabin just before his lips had touched yours.

You blushed as you thought about the fact that you actually would have let him kiss you again … that you’d really wanted him to kiss you again. This man you were just getting to know, a man with a mysterious nature and past. A man who was … in all honesty … truly beautiful.

As he was distracted with dinner, you decided to allow yourself to study his features, to take every detail in that you possibly could. His skin was weathered, tanned, scarred in some of the areas that you could see, especially two thick scars that were plainly visible on his chin, preventing any stubble from growing there.

That chestnut-brown hair that swept over his temples looked so soft, as if the strands would feel as silky as flower petals if you ran your fingers through them. His brows were thick, slightly darker than his hair. His short brown beard on his square jaw was scruffy, and you remembered how rough it had felt for that brief moment against your skin. And dammit, those eyes of his … they truly looked like two unique gems, as if emeralds and sapphires had decided to merge and become two multicolored green-and-blue diamonds.

How could any man possess so many gorgeous features at once?

Then finally … those lips, looking so pink and lush like the pink carnation flower. Truly, they looked as soft as one, too. But they had been rough, the feeling of their texture and warmth coming back into your mind. You found yourself suddenly wondering what they would feel like in other places as well …

You shook your head mentally — hard. Why on Earth were you thinking this way about a man you were trying to help recover from a disease that had nearly claimed his life not more than a month ago? You felt ashamed, embarrassed that you would dare have any sort of intimate thoughts about your own patient. Well, not a patient, really, but he might as well be one since you were treating his health. Of course, he’d been the one to kiss you, and … and you had wanted it, but — it wasn’t right. Arthur’s health needed to come first, not your desires.

“So, Arthur,” Austin’s voice interrupted your thoughts, bringing you back into reality. You looked over to see that both Arthur and Austin had actually finished their meals, while you were still only halfway done. How long had you been daydreaming?

Arthur turned his gaze to look at Austin, his deep drawl a soft rumble, “Yeah, feller?”

Austin set his utensils down on the table, reaching out for the napkin to wipe it across his own mouth and chin. He set it down and took a deep breath, as if he were bracing himself for what he was about to say next. After a few moments he finally met Arthur’s gaze, “I know I mentioned this earlier, but I was wonderin’ … if you could take me hunting tomorrow mornin’? Show me how to track and kill game properly? I thought the sooner we could start, the better.” He looked back down at his empty plate, as if he were nervous about Arthur’s answer. He was scratching his cheek again, that gesture he made every single time he was nervous.

You knew what was going through Austin’s mind. For the past month your brother had been nothing but a dumbass, in all honesty. Showing no manners or respect for the man in any form whatsoever. You knew he had his own reasons, but to you they were more like excuses. Arthur hadn’t deserved to be treated by Austin the way he had. Not in the least bit. Even though Arthur had offered the favor earlier, Austin still seemed hesitant to be asking him about it.

Then abruptly you absorbed his words and their meaning. “Absolutely not, Austin!” You said firmly before Arthur could say anything, placing your utensils down hard. You couldn’t help it, but you felt a little bit of anger sweep through you. Arthur was still sick, his body still fighting off the remaining bacteria that was left in his body. There was absolutely no way you were going to let him go out there in the wilderness where there were unknown dangers. Out there, he was at so much risk of getting hurt. What if he got attacked by a wild creature? What if he slipped and fell off a cliff? What if he drowned? What if he got himself cut on a branch? What if —

You paused, realizing that some of your worries were actually getting rather ridiculous. But … still … you found yourself deeply concerned for his safety. Since his body was still medicated, it wouldn’t be able to handle much adrenaline. God forbid, what if they ran into something like a grizzly bear on their hunting trip? Any wounds a wild creature could inflict on Arthur could possibly hurt his chances of recovering fully. He needed every ounce of strength, every drop of blood he possessed if he was going to heal fully.

Austin looked over at you, a stunned expression on his face from your sharp reaction. Even Arthur turned his head to meet your furious eyes.

“Arthur needs rest, alright? That’s all I want him to worry about, you’re just goin’ to have to make do with what you know for the next few months, alright?” You shook your head, lowering your eyes to your half-finished plate. “I mean, you’ve been huntin’ on your own for three years, what’s a few more months?” You took several more bites to keep from saying something you might regret.

“Y/N, it’s nearing the end of September now … it’ll be winter before he’s even fully recovered. I thought that maybe the sooner I can get better at huntin’, the sooner and quicker I can be with catchin’ what we need to stock up for the winter season.”

Shaking your head again, you lifted your gaze to look him straight in the eyes, letting him know exactly how upset you were. “Austin, if he goes out there and gets hurt, it’s going to effect how his body will heal.”

“Y/N,” Your brother’s voice lowered in tone, as if he were trying to push some sort of reason onto you, “I just want him to teach me how to track. I swear we won’t do anything more than that.”

Arthur intervened before you could answer. “Guess I’m up for that,” he said as he lifted his shoulders in a single shrug, scratching at his jaw with the back of his thumb, “would be a welcome change to get out of this cabin for awhile, get a lay of the land.”

Your eyes widened at his response and you jerked your head in his direction, shooting him a glare. “Arthur! I need you to stay here and rest!” You weren’t yelling at him yet, but dammit, you were about to if they both kept acting like idiots with this stupid idea. Didn’t they realize how risky this was?

“Dammit, woman, I’ll be fine,” Arthur groaned with a sigh of exasperation, his face already looking exhausted as if he didn’t want to argue, “I’ve been cooped up here for too damn long, anyway. It’s ’bout time I head out there and see some of the world again.” He reached an arm up and ran his fingers through his hair, pushing some of it back from his face. “I’ll tell you what, darlin’, if we promise to keep to just trackin’, will you let me leave then?” His blue eyes lifted to yours at his question, waiting for your answer.

After he shot a glare at Arthur for calling you that endearment again, Austin turned to look at you with hope in his eyes, no doubt waiting for a yes as well.

You lowered your head, using your fork to play with the food left on your plate. Arguing with your brother was one thing, but even Arthur wanted to get out of here, you thought worriedly. But truly, could you actually blame him? He’d been stuck here for weeks, barely seeing what was outside the walls of this cabin. It would probably be good for him to get out there for a while.

‘Get a lay of the land,’ as he put it.

The only problem that kept you from wanting to accept his wish, however, was the fact that you knew his body wouldn’t be able to handle any danger they might come across. Adrenaline was a terrible thing on a weak body, and stress could negatively effect any sort of healing process an animal body was going through, so why would a human body be any different? If anything terrible happened, if he ended up having to defend himself from a wild attack, his body and muscles could actually have major problems. What medicine and herbs were running through his system would get his heart and blood pumping too fast, risking any number of things.

But even with all your concerns, you knew that no matter what you said, Arthur would still probably not listen, so why not just give him the freedom he wanted? It was better than denying it from him, especially if he was going to take it anyway. You knew that he was just that kind of man, that no one could truly keep him from doing what he wanted to do, no matter who they were.

You were extremely worried though, so you were going to try and strike a deal with them. You let out a deep breath, raising your gaze back up to meet both men. “I’ll make a deal with you.”

They both looked at you expectantly.

“As long as you don’t travel too far. No more than two miles, you hear me? And keep close to the trails. If I somehow find out that you travelled off of them, I will poison you with my herbs myself, Austin. Do you hear me?” Your tone was completely stoic, demanding absolutely no nonsense. Of course you would never actually kill you older brother, but Arthur’s safety was your top priority. And if anything ended up happening to him under your brother’s watch? You would definitely make sure that Austin would live to regret it. “And there will be absolutely no hunting. I’ll let you take your gun with you for defense, but don’t you dare think about huntin’ any large game, you hear me? Tracking only.”

Austin’s face positively glowed, completely unfazed by your threatening tone. “Thank you so much, sis. I swear to you we will do everything you ask.”

“Which is … ?” You wanted to clarify that your brother memorized and knew everything you’d asked of him to do.

“No more than two miles, stick to the trails, no huntin’ allowed, trackin’ only.” He listed them off with his fingers, lifting them up one by one with each demand. Arthur smiled in amusement, as if he were entertained by the minor quarrel the two of you were having.

You nodded then stood up, clearing the dishes off of the table and sticking everything in the sink. “Arthur,” you said as you turned the faucet on to begin washing the plates. “After I’m done here, I need you ready for another check-up, alright?”

Arthur sighed roughly as he leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, “You sure I need another so soon?” He asked, looking over at you with a playful but annoyed look in his eyes as he lifted a single dark brow, his voice carrying slight indignation in his tone. “I feel fine, woman. Also I’m gettin’ pretty sick of those things.”

“Yes, and you will get sick — even more so — if you don’t let me do them.” You kept your response firm, authoritative. He needed to know that you weren’t going to take any more crap from either of them, especially tonight. You had just agreed to let Austin take Arthur out of the cabin and far out into the wilderness, where possible dangers lurked. No amount of words or promises was ever going to comfort you for the rest of the night, not until they returned home safe and sound from their trip tomorrow. “So, if you’d be so kind,” you said sweetly, rather with some venom to go with that sugar, “I would greatly appreciate it if you would go into the sitting room and get yourself comfortable.” You pointed toward the door to the sitting room with the large knife you were holding, shooting sharp darts at him with your gaze.

He grinned at your response, obviously entertained by the big-boss-lady you had turned into. He held his hands up in surrender. “Alright, alright. Dammit, darlin’,” he said, standing up from his chair.

Austin glared up at him, “I thought I told you to stop callin’ my sister that, cowpoke.”

Arthur looked down at him, his large stature giving off nothing but threatening intimidation. “Now you need to shut that damn mouth of yours unless you want to lose them teeth, son.” He growled, and Austin’s eyes widened, a hint of fear showing in them. But Arthur just grinned and patted Austin’s shoulder hard with an open palm. “I’m just needlin’ ya, boah. I know you’re just protectin’ your sister.” He tucked a hand on his belt as he made his way into the sitting room, mindfully closing the door behind him.

Austin looked back at you, giving you a weird smile. “You know, Y/N, in all honesty, that man looks more and more dangerous with each passin’ day.”

“And yet you’re goin’ on a huntin’ trip with him tomorrow,” you teased, unable to let out a small laugh as you finished up washing the last utensil and placed it on the drying rack. “A little one-on-one time with the big, dangerous man. Lucky you.” You turned to face him, propping your hip against the counter of the sink as you crossed you arms, narrowing your eyes at your brother. “Now don’t you dare think that I’m in the least bit happy about this.”

His smile lowered, turning into a frown, “I know you’re not, Y/N. But we need to start thinking about this. Autumn is nearly here, and then it’s going to be winter. It will be much harder to hunt during that time. We both know it, we’ve been through it before, and now that there’s three of us, well — ” He reached around his head and rubbed at the back of his neck. “I need to start stocking up what I can find. Plus, if Arthur starts showin’ me how to track early on, it might give me a better chance of huntin’ in the winter time.” He lowered his eyes for a second, then raised them back up at you after a few moments, “Arthur’s probably not going to stay with us forever, you know.”

Those last words slammed into your heart like a bag of bricks, slashing through your chest like a hundred daggers. Even though you knew your brother was right, you didn’t like to think about that inevitable fact.

You didn’t want to think about Arthur leaving, and truly that thought surprised you … this man you barely knew, who’d been living with you for less than a month … and you already couldn’t bear the thought of him being gone.

But eventually, once Arthur was fully recovered, you were certain he was going to leave. As far as you knew, he had never mentioned anything about permanently staying after he was better. The thought of him no longer being here actually scared you, and you shook your head hard. “I know what you’re saying, Austin, I just want him to be safe.”

Your brother nodded, and he stood up slowly, making his way around the table to walk over to you and pull you into a hug. “I understand what you’re feeling, Y/N. I promise you, we’ll stick to the trails, and we won’t do anything stupid, alright?”

You nodded against his chest, accepting his warm embrace as you wrapped your arms around him to return the hug. “Thank you, Austin. I’m sorry, I’m just very worried for him.”

“I know.”

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Arthur sat on the large couch, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, watching the flames in the fireplace as they licked greedily at the firewood, all the while waiting for Y/N to come in and start another check-up on him. He looked down at his inner arm, noting all the tiny holes that had healed where she kept sticking those damn needles in. Dammit, his Tuberculosis was going to leave scars on him in more ways than one. There was no doubt about that, he thought with a sigh.

But of course, he’d rather have scars than be dead, he thought. Though, if he were completely sincere with himself, he would somewhat actually prefer death over some of them … such as his memories. He couldn’t bear to think about all he’d lost, the pain of emptiness like an aching black hole in his heart.

Arthur knew that he eventually had to decide what he was going to do with his life once he was fully recovered, now that there was no longer anything or anyone to go back to.

He’d thought several times about staying here with Y/N and Austin, at least for a little while. He knew he needed to repay them for all they’d done for him in what ever way he could, but there was no way he would allow himself to stay permanently. He refused to become a burden on them. He wasn’t going to let himself take advantage of their hospitality after his body was completely healed. Hell, he felt like a useless idiot even now.

Arthur closed his eyes in a sigh, thinking back to that mountain again, doing his best to remember every single thing that had happened. He recalled sending John away before facing off with Micah and Dutch. He remembered Dutch turning his back on him despite the years of service and loyalty that Arthur had given him. After that, all he could remember was trying to crawl, dragging his body across the hard and cold ground until it had completely given out, his muscles shutting down as he’d felt his heart start to slow, his breath becoming more and more shallow as he’d collapsed … turning his face to watch the sun just as it had begun to peak over the horizon.

All he could remember after that was a peculiar taste on his tongue, and the feeling of being lifted into the air. The next time he’d opened his eyes, he could barely make out the face of a woman sitting by his side, and they’d engaged in some kind of conversation before he had passed out again.

This was all so strange, he thought. He was supposed to be dead, and he damn well knew it.

Yet it was absolutely undeniable; this woman had saved his life, and he was still here. Arthur ran a hand across his face, rubbing at his forehead. What the hell was he ever going to do now, he still wondered.

Suddenly he thought of John again, and about the dreams he’d been having of late. Was there some sort of meaning to them that he wasn’t able to pick up on? Why were the dreams always of a deer? What the hell was going on in his mind that he somehow wasn’t aware of?

His thoughts were suddenly interrupted when the kitchen door opened, Austin and Y/N walking through. The man nodded at him as he walked by, heading down the hallway to his bedroom and shutting the door behind him. Arthur looked over at Y/N, reading her somber expression as she walked over to gather supplies from her desk. What the hell had gone down between them, he asked himself. She looked sad for some reason, and he wanted to find out why.

She came over to him and placed the tray of supplies on the nightstand, sitting on the couch next to him. “Alright, Arthur, it’s time,” she said, her voice sounding soft and patient, not matching her sad expression in the least bit.

Arthur turned his upper body to face her as she put on the stethoscope and started running the disk over his chest. “You okay?” He asked, curious as to what might’ve transpired to put her in the mood she was in now. Of course he’d left the room when she’d been slightly upset. But this seemed different, as if she’d been told some sort of terrible news. What, though? He turned to gaze down the hall. Had her brother done or said something to hurt her? Just the possibility alone started to boil his blood. “Austin didn’t do somethin’ to hurt you, did he?”

She snapped her head up to meet his gaze, surprise in her eyes and in her voice, “Of course not, Arthur. Why would you think that?”

He lowered his eyes to watch her move the disk around his chest. “I don’t know, you just seem — ” He shrugged, “Ah, never mind.”

She lifted her lips in a small smile, “Well, thank you for your concern, but I’m fine. Austin didn’t do anything, so don’t you worry, alright? Now take some deep breaths for me, you know how it goes.”

Arthur felt his lips stretch into an amused grin as he did as she asked, taking in as much air as he could into his lungs before letting it back out. He wasn’t sure he entirely believed her, but he would leave it alone for now, unless she decided to speak about it any further at some point.

“So,” she said as she pulled the disk away, taking off the stethoscope and placing it back on the tray. “Arthur, your heart and lungs are sounding really good. I’m very proud of how well your body has responded to the treatments.” She looked back at him as she held up an empty hypodermic needle for him to see. “Now we’re going to try something a little different tonight — I need to take some of your blood.”

Arthur’s heart skipped at those words. This was definitely new. What the hell did she need to draw his blood for?

As if Y/N had read his mind, she added, “Once I get some of your blood, I can analyze it with my microscope to see how much Tuberculosis bacteria is still left in your body. This procedure is what I use in order to tell how an animal is doing during its healing process … it should be about the same for a human.” She looked away when she said that last part.

Was that a hint of nervousness he’d detected in her tone?

“Well … ,” Arthur studied her features for a bit before he finally decided to give in, resting his arm on his thigh palm-up. “Have at it, then, honey.”

He trusted her. She’d never given him any reason not to.

She smiled at him gratefully, before she leaned over and disinfected the area on his skin with pure alcohol, wiping it clean with a fresh cloth.

Bringing the tip of the needle over his skin, she prodded around with her finger until she found his thick vein, and then pushed the point in. Arthur flinched, grimacing and releasing a deep grunt as she pulled back the plunger, slowly drawing his blood into the tiny glass barrel.

After several seconds passed, she finally pulled the needle out and pushed the cloth against the small fresh wound she’d left behind to keep any more blood from escaping. “Could you hold that in place for me, please?” She asked him.

Arthur obliged her, pushing the thing down hard with his other hand. She gave a nod of appreciation and stood up, bringing the vial that was now filled with his blood over to the large metal microscope on her desk. She dispensed the blood into some kind of glass tray before placing it underneath the lens, looking through the scope. He watched as she played around with his blood using a small metal tool, stirring it around.

He found himself extremely curious with her actions. “Just what are you doin’ there?” Arthur asked.

She didn’t answer, appearing to be lost in some kind of deep thought. Her expressions changed as moments passed by, as if she were thinking really hard about whatever she was seeing. Once she was finished, she stepped back and took everything over to the sink to to clean and disinfect them. Completing that task, she washed her hands and walked back over to him. “Well, Arthur,” she said as she sat back down next to him, she turned her gaze to his as she spoke the next words. “I do still see a little bit of bacteria left in your blood, but I expected that, so it’s no surprise. What’s still there appears to be dying off, they looked very weak, but it’ll be at least another couple of months before everything is all cleared up … I would really rather you stay here tomorrow, but I’ll leave that up to you.” She raised a hand to rub at her shoulder, as if she were trying to hold herself back from adding anymore onto that last statement.

Arthur looked at her, baffled. “You could see it in my blood?” He couldn’t help the gravel in his voice from the surprise he felt.

Y/N nodded, “Of course, microscopes are incredibly helpful when it comes to seeing what our naked eyes can’t.”

Arthur found himself unable to say anything so he just nodded, feeling like a complete dumbass sitting next to a woman that kept managing to surprise him. Truly, she was too damn smart for her own good, he thought, unable to even begin to understand her way of thinking and how she saw the world.

After a long silent moment passed between them, Y/N reached back over to the tray and held that familiar pot out to him again, but this time she didn’t meet his gaze as he took it from her hand.

“More honey, huh?” Arthur couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle, lifting the lid and grabbing the spoon from the jar. She didn’t say anything as he began taking the sweet substance into his mouth. Apparently honey was truly one of nature’s strongest natural remedies for treating Tuberculosis, who the hell knew?

As he focused on the taste, he found himself thinking about something else that was just as sweet, something else he would like to taste. Someone else. A certain kind of other honey. Arthur lowered his eyes to stare down at Y/N’s lips as he swallowed, studying how luscious they looked, thinking again about how soft they’d felt against his own.

Dammit, what the hell was wrong with him? He squeezed his eyes shut, his brows tightening. He barely knew this woman, so why did he find himself so drawn to her? Because she’d saved his life? Because she was helping to cure him of a deadly disease? Because she was possibly the smartest person he’d ever met? … Because she was absolutely beautiful … ? … Because she’d shown him more tenderness and care than anyone else ever had in a long time … ? He lifted his lids to look at her again, and she blushed. She must’ve read his expression, and he wondered what his face looked like to bring out that reaction in her.

Suddenly she cleared her throat, standing up from the couch. “Um — I have something for you.” She left the sitting room and disappeared down the hallway, leaving him alone to feel like a complete idiot. Of course he’d scared her off, he thought, completely unsurprised and wanting to punch himself in the face for doing so.

A minute later she came back with some kind of large dark red cloth in her hands. “I meant to give this to you sooner, but I wasn’t sure you wanted them since you already had the other pair.” She came over and held it out to him. Arthur took it and spread out the soft cloth to see that it was a dark red union suit. He lifted his gaze up to hers, giving her a questioning look, “You’re givin’ this to me?”

She lifted a finger to her hair to twirl around in her strands, as if she were nervous, “Well, I placed an order in the catalog for my brother before we moved up here, but when it came in it was too big for him. He didn’t mind though, said he really appreciated the thought but he wasn’t really of fan of red, anyways. Of course I ordered him another one after that, that one ended up suiting him perfectly and it was his favorite color: dark blue.” She let out a small giggle and gestured at the union suit. “This should fit you just fine. Neither of us have any use for it, so I want you to have it.”

She looked nervous, like she was waiting for him to turn it down. But he wasn’t going to do that. “Well, thanks for the gift, Y/N,” he said as he gave her a grateful smile, folding the cloth up and placing it on his lap. “I think red’s a great color,” He patted the cloth, “looks good on just about anythin’, if you ask me.”

She let out a small laugh, which lifted his spirits. Her laugh was truly one of a kind, a sweet little jingle that heated his blood. “I’ll go ahead and take your clothes for you after you’ve put it on, I’m planning on doin’ laundry tonight anyways.”

Arthur squinted at her, “Need any help with that, honey?”

She blushed slightly, turning her eyes away. Arthur knew he was never going to get tired of calling her that, if only to see that same adorable reaction every time. “No, thank you. It’s not a hassle, really. It allows me some time to think. Just leave your clothes sitting outside and I’ll see to them.” She fiddled with the collar of her blouse, then said sweetly, “Well, anyway, you have a good night, Arthur.” She looked at him then, and her eyes glowed as those lips lifted into another beautiful smile.

Damn, he wanted so badly to kiss her again, he thought, he wanted to taste those lips of hers once more. But before he could think to make any sort of move, she turned away and made her way back towards the kitchen.

Arthur watched as she shut the door softly behind her, leaving him alone on the large couch.

He looked down at the soft red fabric she’d just gifted him with. Running his hand across it, he noted how silky and smooth the texture felt underneath his fingers. There was no doubt in his mind that this cloth had definitely cost a pretty penny. So she had ordered this before she’d moved up here?

Arthur remembered her talking about having grown up on a plantation, and he found himself wondering where exactly she was truly from. Who was she really, he thought. Did she actually come from a family of wealth? If so, what exactly happened that made her want to leave? He recalled her saying something about ‘not wanting to stay cooped up’ there. But that couldn’t be all there was to it, so what was the true reason? He couldn’t fathom why anyone would want to give up a life of luxury to live out in the damn woods …

If anything, Arthur thought, she was just as mysterious to him as he no doubt was to her.

Later that night

Arthur found himself standing in the middle of a heavy fog, unable to see anything past the thick haze surrounding him. He looked around, but there was absolutely nothing. No sound, no voices, just complete silence. Where the hell was he now?

Suddenly the sound of a stick snapping resonated in the distance, and Arthur jerked his head in the direction he’d heard it from. But nothing seemed to give itself away, and he started to feel his agitation grow. “Who’s out there?” He shouted, swiping violently at the thick mist with his arms, trying to take a few steps forward as he did so.

A wet drop landed on his cheek, and Arthur looked up. It was starting to snow, the frozen drops beginning to fall slowly from the sky around him, and the ground beneath him quickly began to get covered in a thick blanket. What in the damn hell was going on? He squinted, trying his best to see anything, anything at all, but he could see nothing but the color white. White fog, white ground, white snow, white sky. Why was there so much damn white?

Feeling nearly helpless, though he hated to think of himself in that term, Arthur began to walk forward, taking one slow step at a time. He wasn’t sure what he would walk into, or hell, there was probably a large cliff up ahead for all he knew, but he couldn’t stay here. He continued swiping at the fog in an effort to clear up a small path in front of him, but the effort did nothing to help clear his vision what so damn ever.

Time seemed to pause, and Arthur kept moving, feeling the snow land on his shoulders and hair as he continued through the fog.

Arthur stopped, spotting a dark shadow in the distance. From what he could barely make out, it looked like a creature of some kind … the deer again? He moved closer, crouching low to the ground in hopes of not spooking it as he slowly began to approach. As the distance grew shorter, the fog began clearing up, and Arthur suddenly found himself mesmerized.

Not a deer.

It was a wolf.

The dark creature had long, greasy black fur, and Arthur couldn’t see its face as it wandered over the peak of a tall hill off in the distance, sniffing at the cold ground as if it were searching for something. The wolf didn’t seem to notice him, but Arthur could sense some sort of strange feeling coming from the creature, as if it was lost or afraid, or maybe both. It even looked like it was ready to attack anyone that came near it to defend itself.

He took another step towards it, somehow feeling drawn to its presence. Despite not making a sound, the wolf’s head jerked up and looked in his direction, and Arthur stilled, his heart feeling like it had suddenly stopped beating in his chest.

Two large scars ran across the right side of the wolf’s face … its eyes — they were completely white, as if it was blind?

Could it see anything?

The wolf growled, baring its sharp teeth in his direction. Arthur raised his hands up, an attempt to try and tell the creature that he meant no harm — even though he had no clue why doing so was his first thought.

The dark creature crept backwards, withdrawing slowly as if it were afraid of him, but shouldn’t it be the other way around?

Arthur somehow felt compelled to approach, and he tried to move forward in an effort to get closer.

The wolf sprinted, turning its tail away as it fled from him.

“Wait!” Arthur called out, and suddenly he was able to run, drifting quickly through the heavy snow and fog so he didn’t lose sight of the black wolf. He had no idea why he was chasing after it, but hell, there was nothing else here! And those scars …

As he ran through the fog, tall trees began to appear. One to his left, two to his right, until he was running through a dense snow-covered forest.

Arthur stopped in his tracks, trying to catch his breath. There was a sudden sharp pain in his lungs, and he felt like he could barely breathe. He looked around as he panted, and he saw the wolf standing not too far off.

It had stopped. Its ears were perked up, and it appeared as though it had spotted something.

Arthur squinted in the direction it was looking … and there he saw the deer.

The large animal was grazing at a small patch of green grass, the only color in this world of black and white, as if it was the only source of life here. Arthur looked back over at the wolf, and he noticed that it suddenly looked hungry.

His eyes widened and he tried to move forward, somehow compelled to stop the impending attack.

But that’s not what happened.

No.

The deer lifted its head from the grass and looked over at the wolf, as if it had known all along that the feral beast was nearby.

Arthur noticed it instantly — the deer had his own eyes again. That familiar reflection of blue adding color to the land devoid of any other next to the green grass. It was almost as if it represented something, but for what? The deer? The wolf?

The wolf and deer seemed to take each other in.

Long moments passed, and Arthur couldn’t move, his body caught in some kind of invisible hold.

The black wolf began to creep forward, and the deer actually took a step in the predator’s direction. Both of the animals seemed to hesitate at first, but as they drew closer to each other, some kind of bond began to form.

The deer leaned forward as the wolf reached out, each of their noses nearly touching as they stared at one another, cloudy eyes meeting blue.

Silence.

Both of the creatures seemed at peace, as if they understood each other in some kind of mysterious way. The deer lifted its head away and began walking in no particular direction, merely meandering as the wolf decided to follow.

Arthur felt his body suddenly start to become air, as if he were being lifted into some kind of haze as he watched the unlikely pair saunter side by side through the trees.

What happened next, Arthur couldn’t explain.

A sharp gunshot sounded out, followed by a loud thunderous noise that echoed through the sky like a storm. Both of the animals jerked their heads, as if they had no clue where the ominous sounds had come from. The deer nudged the wolf’s neck and began to run, the wolf following close behind. Arthur felt himself being carried with them, an invisible aura able to do nothing but spectate what played out before him.

The two ran for days, it felt like. Weeks, months, years … What was only just a short time felt as though it stretched on forever, and they just kept on running, continuing to dodge whichever direction the repeating gunshots were coming from. Faster and faster they ran together, until the land around them was nothing but a white and gray blur.

That gray blur suddenly became green, and the sky turned from white to blue. Soon after the deer and the wolf suddenly ran into a clearing of open grassy fields, the land beyond completely covered in lush greenery and flora. They ran until both of them reached a cliff.

The wolf stopped right on the edge, but the deer leapt over it and into the air, suddenly fading away, disappearing abruptly from the wolf’s side into a glimmering gold mist.

The black wolf was left alone to stand over the tall cliff, looking down on what lied before him. Arthur looked over the landscape, taking in what the wolf saw.

It was some kind of ranch, a place that somehow felt welcoming and safe … he looked over at the wolf and saw them then and there.

John’s clear brown eyes.

•••••

— To Be Continued

#unshaken #chapter 8 #part 8 #arthur morgan x reader #arthur morgan x female reader #slow burn #romance #arthur morgan #fanfic #red dead fanfic #rdr2 fanfic #red dead #rdr2 #red dead redemption #red dead redemption 2 #red dead redemption imagine

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sallytheseamstress · 4 years ago

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Silent Treatment

The potato soup was done, steaming, waiting in the pot. The Black Forest Gateau Sally had spent the whole afternoon making was being chilled in the fridge. The cake, while a favorite of her father, was certainly no easy task; and as she toiled away in the kitchen, Sally could feel her father’s gaze, out of the corner of her eye, suspiciously, questioningly. Perhaps she had gone too far. Still, if it softened the blow in any way, it would have been worth it.

“Is it Father’s Day already?” William asked sarcastically, without an ounce of joy, when the hot soup dish was presented in front of him. Nonetheless, he devoured the meal with heavy spoonfuls. Sally smiled, barely touching her own dish. He was happy, and that was all she needed.

“I’m glad you like the soup,” she said quietly, perhaps a bit dumbly. “I see you’re wearing that suit I made for your last birthday. I think it may be the best sewing I’ve done—”

“Fishing for compliments again, Sally?”

She hung her head in shame. Her soup was getting cold. Perhaps it would be best to postpone the news, wait a little longer… But if she kept waiting to be ready, she would end up waiting for the rest of her life.

“There’s something I wanted to tell you about,” Sally said, taking a deep breath. The script had been practiced, and his possible interruptions had been foreseen and mentally countered. She was as ready as she could be. “Something that happened that afternoon at the Red Orchard –something good. For the both of us.”

William looked up from his almost empty dish. He automatically frowned in disagreement; she hadn’t even explained what it was yet. But he didn’t interrupt yet. So Sally considered this to be a small, good sign.

“I met this lady at the Orchard, Miss Di Rossi. She’s a newcomer to Redwood, and she’s interested in supporting small local businesses. And I talked with her… And she commented on the dress I had made,” she said firmly, while wringing her hands under the table. “She suggested I set a business of my own, designing dresses, garments… She said she saw potential in me.”

Sally paused to let it sink in. Her father hadn’t interrupted yet. It was strange. He had a blank, lost, glassy-eyed stare, almost as if he wasn’t listening at all. But he was always listening, and she knew it very well. So she smiled, shrugged humbly, and continued.

“I told her that I was very thankful, but that I am very busy, what with my job at Jack’s Attic, and with the Community Center, and with my chores and whatnot… So she made me an offer. For an investment,” Her father’s eyebrows shot up. Sally’s heart began to beat faster. “She offered me a good deal of money for us to hire someone to help around the house, so I can focus on work –I mean, on working on designs, on sewing, on… Well, getting a business started, and such,” she chuckled. “It’s good money, no strings attached, and Miss Di Rossi’s a very stylish lady, so I think I could really—”

“You think?” William interrupted, at last. “A stranger shows up and offers you money, no strings attached, in exchange for… What? Some new clothes?”

Sally nodded, biting her lip. She had been expecting this particular question. “Yes. Miss Di Rossi was very clear in telling me that if it doesn’t work out, there’s no need to give it back. But I intend to make my very best to earn that money, and I’ll find a way to manage with my job and with my work at the Community Center—”

“You’re not going to take it.”

She did not expect for him to be so definite with his decision. Still, Sally had to keep going. “I already have. We made an agreement and I gave her my contact, so any day now I’ll start working on the garments I have promised her. And, what’s most important, I’ve already began searching for a caretaker—”

“A caretaker?”

“The best caretaker I can hire,” she said quickly. “So they can care for you while I’m working for Miss Di Rossi. It’s a very important job, so it will take some effort to organize myself, but I’m positive that I’ll—”

“You’re meaning to get another stranger here, around the house, and pass all your responsibilities to them? Just so you can play store?” William retorted.

Sally did not answer to this. She squeezed her hands, looking down at them, knowing what was coming. Indeed, William took a long drink of water before beginning to argue.

“So that was what the whole big showy dinner was for, to butter me up so I can agree to this ridiculous plan… God, listen to yourself, child,” he said, leaning back on his chair. “Hiring a caretaker… You gave up trying to hide the fact you want to get rid of me. What’s next, locking me up in an old folk’s home? Claiming I have dementia?”

William pushed his dish forward, making a noise of falling spoons and spilling his glass. Sally winced, but stayed put.

“I made all this for you,” Sally said gently. “Because I wanted to see you happy. Because I wanted to show you that I really do care for you, and that I do love you, and that is why I need to take this opportunity. It will be best for both of us.”

Her father made a grimace, exhaling deep, showing as well as he could that he didn’t believe a word she said. “You’re still a child, Sally. At the very least, you behave like one. You think like one. Think that just because you make a pretty meal I’ll be swayed to say yes to anything you ask,” he made a disparaging gesture at the ruined dinner. “While you yourself are perfectly gullible, believing anything a smiling face tells you.”

“I’ve thought about it long and hard, and I do believe—”

“You think you got what it needs to run a business? All the while still having to care for yourself?” he asked as he raised his voice. “You’ll give up. I know that for a fact. You’re terrible with money, and lack the backbone to make important decisions. The only reasons you keep showing up at your useless job at that store on Main Street is because of the paycheck and because you never have to do any actual work. And as soon as the going gets tough, you’ll quit and come back crying.”

“I need to have my own money, to… To be independent,” Sally said as quickly as she could, before he could interrupt her. “This is the best chance I have to—”

“You see! You do want to abandon me, to leave me, your own father, just so you can go chasing some impossible dream!” he claimed. He had finally given in to his customary theatrics. “Me, who is stuck in this damned chair, and who still –still –did all humanly possible to ensure you have a good life! You ungrateful little—”

“I can’t do this forever!” Sally claimed, on the edge of tears. “Please, understand that I accepted because we both need to—”

“Nobody ever told me how expensive it was to raise a child,” he continued as if she hadn’t said anything. “Nor how exhausting. Still I did so, on my own, with help from nobody. Not a caretaker, nor a nanny… I made you independent. And this is how you repay me? Preparing yourself to pretend I never existed?”

“I don’t—”

“You do, don’t deny it!” he cried. “Don’t you lie to me, Sally! You know I know when you lie to me!”

“No you don’t!” she cried even louder, banging her fist on the table, standing up, demanding his attention. And he finally shut up. “I have –I have had to do almost everything I love behind your back, because I know you would never approve! You are the one who wants to keep me down, keep me locked up, forbid me from living as myself! You say that I’m the warden of the jail, when it’s you who kept me scared for my whole childhood, hell, my whole life! And I’m tired!” She continued, now truly crying. “I am so tired! Why must it be like this? Why can’t we just accept that this is for the best, that this is the healthy choice—”

“Have some respect!” he yelled, red with anger. “You think you’re doing me a favor? You wicked girl, you self-centered, ungrateful child, you have caused the problem in the first place! You will be the death of me, I’m certain! You will wash your hands off the whole deal and run away with the money, I know it!”

“I won’t!” she replied. “I promise you, I haven’t touched a penny of it, it’s for you, for the caretaker—!”

“Where’s that money?” he asked suddenly. “You haven’t deposited it in the bank account, I would have known.”

Sally remained silent.

“Where did you put it!?”

Sally looked down at her hands. William huffed, now pink from the exertion of shouting.

“So you don’t want to talk now, huh.”

She was trembling. What for? What was the worst thing he could do? Sally frowned, both furious at him and at herself. At him, for not even trying to listen. At her, for having failed so miserably. If only they could see eye to eye for once…

“… There’s cake. Want a slice?” she asked him, after a few minutes of silence.

William simply glared at her.

Sally sighed. She picked up the dirty dishes and the glasses, and brought a rag to dry the water on the table that was now dripping on the hardwood floors. Then, she washed the dishes in silence, waiting for some noise to signal to her that her father was searching for the cheque. But there was only silence and the sound of the running water of the sink.

She went back into the dining room to see William just where she had left him. He looked up at her. It reminded her a bit of Henry, the stray cat that she had grown fond of, when she showed up to bring him some food.

“You sure you don’t want any?” she asked him again.

William looked back forward, into the Victorian wallpaper, straightening his shoulders. Sally took it as a yes.

It was late, and it seemed like he wasn’t in the mood to watch TV that night. Sally helped him up the stairs, and changed into her pajamas as he brushed his teeth. She didn’t dare check if the little folded piece of paper was still where she had put in, in fear her father was peering through the keyhole. When she was done, she brushed her teeth as well, and helped William into bed.

“Good night,” she said quietly, apologetically.

He said nothing. Instead, he turned off the light.

#. SELF PARAS { but it seems wrong to me }#abuse tw

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wetalkinboutbooks · 5 years ago

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Empire of Sand by Tasha Suri

Summary: A nobleman’s daughter with magic in her blood. An empire built on the dreams of enslaved gods. Empire of Sand is Tasha Suri’s captivating, Mughal India-inspired debut fantasy.

The Amrithi are outcasts; nomads descended of desert spirits, they are coveted and persecuted throughout the Empire for the power in their blood. Mehr is the illegitimate daughter of an imperial governor and an exiled Amrithi mother she can barely remember, but whose face and magic she has inherited.

When Mehr’s power comes to the attention of the Emperor’s most feared mystics, she must use every ounce of will, subtlety, and power she possesses to resist their cruel agenda.

Should she fail, the gods themselves may awaken seeking vengeance…

Empire of Sand is a lush, dazzling fantasy novel perfect for readers of City of Brass and The Wrath & the Dawn. (Taken from Goodreads)

Our Ratings:

→ Geena: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

→ Kae: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Overall: A fantastic fantasy with really cool worldbuilding that we adored, and it keeps you engaged with a protagonist who does what she wants without remorse 😤 (and we love her). Also, heads up this isn’t YA persay, we’d classify it as more NA (new adult).

The Good

→ Mehr

Kae: So let’s get started with one of my favourite strong, badass female characters, Mehr. Mehr is the “bastard” daughter of a noble. Her parents were very much in love, but her mother was an Amrithi. The Amrithi people in this world, are very connected to the spirits and the Earth. But, as all ~connected~ people seem to be, they were hunted by the Ambhans because they were seen as the lowest race of people. They were seen as barbaric, heathens, and all those other mean things people say to seem inferior. As much as the Ambhan’s hated the Amrithi, they needed their blood to protect themselves from Daiva (spirits). Ambhan’s also think of themselves as the superior race so jot that down. Now let’s get back to Mehr.

Mehr is the daughter of an Ambhan noble and an Amrithi tribeswoman. The Amrithi do not marry because it will mean they are giving themselves up and breaking a vow that it literally written on their skin. It would mean they are losing a part of themself. Because Mehr’s father keeps a big ol’ cup of ‘RESPECTING WOMEN JUICE’ with him, he was like “Yeah that’s totally fine. I still love you and our children will be protected so this is fine.” So Mehr is protected, as well as her little sister Arwa. The thing is though, Mehr looks very much like the Amrithi. She has her mother's dark skin and hair, and tall figure. Her little sister looks more Ambhan, so she has a much easier time blending in. When Mehr was very young, her mother abandoned them and returned to the desert. So Mehr’s father had to remarry. Mehr’s stepmother is not kind to her at all. She is mean and petty and even forbids Mehr to see her sister, Arwa whenever she feels Mehr is being ‘disobedient’. Mehr’s stepmother, Miryam, has also raised Arwa as her own because she cannot have children. So she feels some type of ownership over Arwa.

Mehr is very aware of her Amrithi roots and continues to practice the Amrithi religion and dance her Rites whenever she gets the chance. On one particular spirit Daiva fueled stormy night, Mehr decides to dance her rites in the storm. This particular storm is called Dreamfire and it’s basically when the spirits come down to earth. While doing her Rites, she ends up lost and wanders into the city, unaccompanied (Which is a huge no-no) and finds herself at an Amrithi woman's house (whom? Has taught her the rites and her heritage, in hiding.) This grabs the attention of the Mystics and they are at her house within a few weeks. The Mystics are very powerful people who you absolutely cannot refuse or they’ll pretty much kill your whole family. So she is offered a marriage proposal and has to take it to save herself and her family. This is when she is introduced to her soon to be husband, Amun.

Geena: I loved Mehr, and Tasha Suri does a good job of using Mehr’s character with her lineage as a way to comment on colourism and caste (since the book is set in a place that is essentially the Indian subcontinent). But yeh, Kae hit all the plot points, Mehr’s constantly told to hide her amrithi self but she dgaf and does what SHE wants… though this does lead to the Mystics showing up like Kae said. I think part of the history of the Ambhan empire is that they essentially “colonized” the amrithi, and the mystics had a huge part of that since they (we learn later) use the Amrithi to harness the daiva and their powers and guide the success of the ambhan empire. SO, Mehr is forced to accept this arranged marriage, even though her father HATES that the mystics are taking away Mehr’s ability to make her own choice. Ambhans generally consider women property but when it comes to choosing marriage partners, women are given free reign to make a choice, so her dad is furious when the mystics insinuate that Mehr HAS to accept.

Mehr could’ve said no, but she thinks about it and realizes that if she doesn’t go along with the mystics they’d ruin her dad and this would ruin her younger sister’s life too. Our girl says ‘family over everything’ and jumps into the marriage, another amrithi boy (both characters are like 19 I think??). But right after the boy, Amun, is furious and Mehr can’t figure out why until he points out that now they’re bound for life!!! Mehr can’t STAND his ass, she’s like “okay but I didn’t want this either bitch” anyways this is a very slowburn type of story. Mehr quickly learns what it is the mystics do and she’s basically like “o shit.” SO LIKE, we learn that Amun has been under the mystics since he was a kid, and he essentially had accepted his fate that ‘I will live and die working for them’ but then Mehr shows up and learns everything, and our girl is quick-witted and isn’t about to take shit lying down. I LOVE how she essentially is a beacon of hope, even when her mother abandoned them and she was stuck with a shitty stepmom it didn’t stop her from embracing her roots and living life how she wanted. AND!!! Despite her stepmom’s threats she didn’t say away from Arwa and taught Arwa almost everything she knew. Mehr had rules laid out for her but she was like “lmao fuck that” and did what she felt like doing. She’s also really sweet, she learns all about Amun and manages to befriend other people under the mystics, which backfires but you kno. You win some, you lose some. Mehr is truly that bitch and gave Amun hope, and together they fought for their freedom.

ALSO, I should add that I like how Mehr doesn’t make dumbfuck decisions like everything that goes wrong isn’t necessarily her fault (other than her few slip-ups rip) but like she isn’t a dumbass so I found solace in that.

→ Amun

Kae: Amuuuun. Amuun. Amun. I liked him a lot. He’s just this very quiet, handsome young man who is TRYING HIS BEST. He like, initially stays away from Mehr because he is resisting an order from the Maha. Basically, if the Maha tells Amun to do something, he HAS to do it, or he starts to suffer. It’s because when Amun was first forced to join the Maha and his religious cult, Amun had to take a vow (which is very literal and serious for Amrithi and is literally carved into their skin) to always obey the Maha. Amun has his own way or obeying the Maha. He rebels in the smallest way he can and I don’t think he even realized how much he was rebelling. It was just natural to him. He does what the Maha asks of him but in his own way. But yes, Amun was very standoffish towards Mehr. He was kind of afraid to get close to her because neither of them wanted to get married, but for Amun, it was a vow he was instructed to do. For Mehr, it was saving herself and her family. So he teaches her the new Rites she has to learn to perform in Dreamfire storms, etc. But eventually, they start to talk and actually enjoy each others company. Amun is comanded to sleep with Mehr, but since that’s isn’t exactly a ~specfic~ order, he has been sleeping with her… But like, literally just sleeping beside her in the same bed. That’s it. But TECHNICALLY, he is doing as he was commanded. See? Our boy finds loopholes because HE SMART. AND HE DRINKS ‘RESPECTING WOMEN JUICE’. We stan a legend. SO YEAH THE MAHA FINDS OUT ABOUT THIS. MAHA IS PIIIIIISSED. So he literally says to Amun, “fuck your wife.” and him and Mehr are close and this point and Amun is literally killing himself by not doing this direct command because he doesn’t want to hurt Mehr. He doesn’t want to force her to have sex with him. He is literally losing weight, sweating, getting sick. All of it. And Mehr is like “Listen… I love you. I really do and I don’t want you to die. So like, just do it. It’s okay, I’m giving you permission.” AMUN OUR SWEET BOY IS STILL SO HESITANT BECAUSE HE DOESN’T WANT TO DEFILE HER. BUT HE IS DYING SO LIKE, HE HAS TO HAVE SEX WITH HER. IT’S EITHER FUCK OR DIE. THE WORLD FUCKS U EITHER WAY SO MIGHT AS WELL.

Geena: WHEN….. WHEN THE MAHA TOLD HIS OLD GENERAL DUDE “YOU WATCH AND MAKE SURE THEY DO” I WAS SITTING HERE LIKE…. BRO…. BRO WHAT……… AND THE GENERAL WAS UNCOMFORTABLE AND EVERYONE WAS UNCOMFORTABLE….. AND like everyone is eating the Maha’s ass at this point and it takes Mehr forever to convince the general guy to be like “couldn’t you just wait at the end of the staircase and listen instead” god that was so awkward.

Kae: I’M GLAD YOU MENTIONED THAT PART. Yes, it was extremely uncomfortable for everyone in this situation. Including the readers asdfghjkl;. But like, The general agrees and waits outside. Mehr and Amun are making the best of their situation and well… They make LOOOOVE. And it’s actually really sweet and not a bad scene. He was gentle with her and they made their own vows to each other to make such a harsh, forced moment, a moment of their own. Amun is just a sweet, quiet boy who is very much in love with his wife and he just gets caught up in shit. But we love him.

Geena: I ONLY WANNA ADD ONE THING, which is that the condition the Maha had laid out was the moment that Amun slept with Mehr, Mehr would be forced to follow every single order from the Maha too. So all of Mehr’s “Friends” feel bad for her because she’s being forced to sleep with Amun, who they think is this hulking man who’s rude to everyone (he has reason to be bc they all treat him like a monster). And Mehr can’t handle her man being slandered and she’s like “EXCUSE YOU, BUT THAT MAN IS SOFT™ AND HASN’T TOUCHED ME” and one of her “friends” is like.. “O worm?” and basically snitches to the Maha. Also, I love how Amun is written, he doesn’t have a perspective of his own but we still get to see what drives him and why he is the way he is, like his past and what his dreams had been. Amun is like a dark skinned Thor but like more depressed sdkfjndsf

WAIT UNREALated to Amun kinda, but when the whole book went without cussing and near the end the Maha was like “AMUN I WANT YOU TO FUCK MEHR” I LOST IT….. Tasha’s editor was like “You may say fuck…. But only ONCE” like that donkey kong meme.

AND ANOTHER THING, the ending with Mehr and Amun had me like clutching my chest. They manage to defeat the Maha and essentially free any future Amrithi from facing the same fate as them, but they realize that the dreamfire dance is important to keep the gods and daeva appeased. Mehr steps up saying that she’ll stay in like the Maha’s place and perform the dance and teach any Amrithi willing to listen, and Amun says he’ll stay with her too. BUT!! He had also said that he wants to do nothing more than leave that place and travel far away from the Maha’s influence, and Mehr essentially tells him “Amun, you gotta go live your life, I refuse to tie you down with me.” and up until the last page the reader is like…. O shit…. He’s going….. AND that’s so sweet of Mehr to say because she knows that Amun only has bad memories of the place and it’s overall traumatic for him so even though she loves him she doesn’t want to tie him down. BUT!!!! AMUN STAYS ALL BC HE’S LIKE MEHR IS HIS LIFE!! And together they stay and train Amrithi, and the place that had once been used to imprison and enslave Amrithi is made into a safe haven for them.

Kae: boom yes ur were right. I got caught up because it was so cute. But like, he goes “I don’t want to travel. I want to be with u” and she’s like “NOOO LIVE UR LIFE DON’T STAY CAUSE I WANT U TO” and he’s like “but i want to court u like we talked about” and she's like “BOY WE MARRIED” and he’s like “Yeah, but like, I want to court you every day. Like if we were normal and didn’t get forced into this. Anyway, I love you a lot, but we should do this right” and she gets all flustered and shes like “WHEW. IM GETTIN’ HOT. ENOUGH COURTING FOR TODAY.”

The Bad:

→ The Mothers

Geena: Kae mentioned earlier than Mehr has had two moms, her real one and then the stepmom that she was forced to deal with after her mom left (see: abandoned) her. As much as her stepmom was an asshole to her, she did her absolute best to be a good mother to Mehr’s younger sister so like… I guess she deserves SOME rights. BUT…. THEIR BIRTH MOM? AN ABSOLUTE TOOL. We end up meeting Mehr’s mom after Mehr runs away from the Maha, turns out she’s been acting as chief for a tribe this whole time??? And wasn’t missing or dead…. Just out here…. Travelling with her tribe…. Not giving a shit about her daughters… And when her mom learns that Mehr is under the Maha’s control her mom is unsupportive in my opinion, and I was ready to fight her. Mehr asks for her help but her mom is like :///// sorry my tribe comes first :/// and anyways I was v unimpressed and her mom’s excuse was like “oh your dad gave u a life better than I ever could” like that doesn’t mean shit when Mehr didn’t have anyone to lean on in her life (like her stepmom could give two shits about Mehr…. Imagine getting ur period for the first time and your stepmom is just like ‘yea idc’ so u gotta sit there with ur cramps all sad with no one to hug you, bc all the servants think you’re weird). Tasha Suri does a great job at writing varying levels of shitty parenting so there’s that lmao

→ Kalini

Kae: So now we have, Kalini, AKA BOOOOTLICKERRRRRR. Kalini and her sister whose name escapes me at the moment, were ~rescued~ by the Maha when they were kids or whatever. So she is his self proclaimed right-hand woman.

Geena: She highkey wanted to fuck the Maha you can’t change my mind. She saw his wrinkly ass and was like “I wanna hit that”

Kae: LMAOOO YOU’RE RIGHT AND YOU SHOULD SAY IT. And like, she also highkey hates Mehr. She thinks that if her sister, Hema, continues to talk to Mehr, she will land herself in trouble and well, Kalini wasn’t wrong. Hema’s throat is slit and she bleeds out in front of her sister for fraternizing with Mehr. Kalini was mean to Mehr from the start, but the murder of her sister just darkens Kalini even more. She loathes Mehr. BUT, Kalini isn’t a total dumbass. She DOES recognize that the Maha is the one who commanded her death, so she holds that memory tight and uses it to fuel her. She later kills the Maha where he stands, letting him know that he is not a God, and is mortal like everyone else. She slits his throat. Boom, he dead.

Geena: Kalini was eating the Maha’s ass but she realized he wasn’t shit at the same time. So she can have rights bc of that I suppose.

The Ugly:

→ Maha

Geena: now to talk about, as Kae beautifully phrased it the “HOE ASS BITCH ASS FUCK ASS MAHA” He is truly… the nASTIEST man alive, thinks of himself as a God even though he’s ugly and probably has the body of a pufferfish (unappealing). So, he has the ability to do ~vibe checks~ and find amrithi, who he forces to dance every few months during a huge dreamfire storm so he can harness the magic and use it to fuel the Ambhan empire. He’s had Amun under his thumb since the boy was a child, and now he wants to use Mehr too…. OKAY WAIT KAE DIDN’T HE WANT THEM TO “BREED”

Kae: YEAH. BUT AMUN SAID THEY COULDN’T HAVE KIDS BECAUSE THE DREAM FIRE RITE FUCKS THEM UP. BUT HE ONLY CAME TO THAT CONCLUSION BECAUSE MAHA WAS FUCKIN’ THE LADY THAT WOULD DANCE THE RITE WITH AMUN BUT SHE CULDN’T GET PREGGGERS. SO I JUST THINK THE MAHA WAS FUCKED UP AND NOT THEM. We will see in book 2 tho….

Geena: YEA!!! SO THAT WAS JUST ONE OTHER FUCKED UP THING THE MAHA ORCHESTRATED (also lmao he was shooting dust ehehhe). Along with slitting Hema’s throat and uh telling Amun to force himself on Mehr. A part of me was thinking while reading that if Amun and Mehr weren’t married and had their vows…. What he would’ve done… He was a gross old man and eugh makes my skin crawl thinking about him. Like he enslaved Amrithi and worked them until the ritual eventually killed them and ugh fuck that man he got the death he deserved… Though I kinda wish Amun had been the one to stab him dead but :/

Kae: Geena broke it down pretty well. We HATE THE MAHA AND HE’S A FUGLY, SKANK BITCH. He really is the worst though. He had been harnessing the power of the Amrithi people for generations, making him pretty much immortal (right or am I wrong?) until Mehr and Amun fought back and she dipped out on him in the middle of a huge dreamfire storm. Since they didn’t complete the rite, the Maha didn’t get that nice hit of Amritihi power, and he quickly began to age and get sick. This is when Kalini saw her opportunity to strike and murked his ass. The Maha was demanding, evil, VILE, and an abusive manipulator. I don’t like him. BUT THAT’S GOOD THAT WE DON’T LIKE HIM because that means he was well written. Tasha Suri does a fantastic job writing all of these characters.

Conclusion

Kae: Also, dude. Tasha wrote Mehr so well. It's why she’s one of my favourites. Like, Mehr was brave, but she was scared as shit in the beginning. She did everything she was told and we see her progress into this strong wonderful young lady and it's such a beautiful development? And same with Amun? He’s like, quiet and weird but we find out it was because he wanted to protect Mehr from the start? POETIC CINEMA.

Geena: FUCK DUDE you’re so right, it reminds me of Sabaa’s writing a lot too. The way we see her characters flourish in tandem with each other like OOOF, I wanna write like that. Also, the romance isn’t like an insta-love type of deal, Tasha makes it very clear that it develops over a long period of time, and uughhhh everything is so natural. Speaking of, Tasha Suri’s coming out with another book set in the same universe, but this time it’ll be focused on Arwa, Mehr’s sister. We’re super excited because it happens years after this book, and Kae mentioned that Tasha has hinted at a family reunion so I CAN’T WAIT!

#Empire of Sand #Tasha Suri #bookblr #book reviews #bookworm #the books of ambha #booklr #book blogging #book blog #book blogger #reading #books #book review #book aesthetic #book photography #wetalkinboutbooks

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deathvalleyusa · 5 years ago

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the last bit of the basement chapter!! holy moly. i think i have a whole chapter of this done. wild. anyway, it’ll be a while before i post anything else that isn’t memes so enjoy!!

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She hated playing angry. Hated the energy it gave to the rest of the band, hated how it affected her voice. But Candy couldn’t find it in herself to calm down by the time The Misfire’s set rolled around. Everyone else was heated as well; Kyle, normally the most level-headed of the band, suggested swapping out a few of their more ballad-like songs for angrier ones. Rizz and Erin agreed.

So when their set came, The Misfire threw every hurt feeling, every ounce of anger, into their music. The banshee wail she had come to be known for echoed in the small space, an unfathomable noise from someone so small. Rizz slammed away on the drum kit, hard enough one song to break a drumstick. Erin took some liberties with the synth, switching her setting at the last moment to give it a grittier noise as she messed with the pitch bend. And Kyle. Beautiful, wonderful, Kyle let his voice distort in ways he hadn’t done since he had been a part of his last band. Growled out every response to Candy’s lines, strumming away at his bass as his face contorted with his added screams.

The energy the crowd gave back sent her back to a place of calm. This was where Candy was in her element; a good crowd dancing and yelling along to songs they remembered, seeing a pit form when they started up their signature song, Immolated.

Burn it all down No longer seeped in shame Immolated Smouldering in the dying flames (Who am I? Who am I?) (Who am I? What have I become?)

“Thank you guys!” she called out, flipping orange hair from her face. One more strum of her guitar, Rizz’s drumsticks crashing against the cymbals as the song ended. “You guys have been great tonight, seriously. Keep up the energy for the next band, Oct 29!”

God, she thought, I hope someone recorded our set tonight.

As they filtered off stage, Erin came behind her, giving a tight squeeze.

“You sounded ferocious,” she exclaimed, the shag of her pink hair slowly curly from sweat. “Oh my god. We totally need to re-record Immolated like that.”

“Agreed,” Kyle said, trying to get a grip on Erin’s Roland. “Seriously, fuck that Rhett guy, but we sounded rad with that extra push.”

><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><

The last of their equipment had been loaded into their respective cars, a reminder to Candy to get back into lifting weights, running, something to make carrying Rizz’s set easier. A cigarette, and the band was back inside, taking in Oct 29’s patented chaos. Drinking, mingling, the stain of the night forgotten for now.

For some reason, Candy couldn’t bring herself to truly enjoy it all. Maybe it was the heated exchange earlier, perhaps it was the reminder that for the past year, she had been attending these gigs with Devion. Now, she was without the man she had grown to love, lost in a sea of people.

This place didn’t need her dour energy. She had done enough damage. With a sigh, she grabbed her jacket, giving hugs as she made her way out to the back of the house. It’d be easier taking the alley back to her car, anyway. As she made her way to the porch, she checked her phone, the slight blue glow illuminating her disheveled makeup before it made its way back into her jean jacket.

There Rhett was, sitting on the crumbling steps of the back porch. Black hair hanging in ribbons off his shoulders, a stream of smoke dissipating into the air. Candy hesitated. Another fight wasn’t something she had the energy for.

Rhett looked back, his faraway expression snapping back to reality, hardening at the sight of her. The intensity between them was almost as visible as the smoke coming from his cigarette.

“You’re not staying for Boy Blu’s set?” he asked, voice tense although he seemed to try his best to keep it unbothered. “Thought they were pals of yours.”

Candy kind of hated how he was trying to act so casual. Like they could have a conversation after screaming at one another not even an hour ago.

“They are,” she answered, jaw setting. “But they’ll be fine. Boy Blu plays all the time, one missed set isn’t gonna hurt their feelings.”

“Bummer,” Rhett said, taking a drag of his cigarette. “Heard from Jamie they’re gonna play a few new songs.”

“Again,” she said, patience wearing thin, “they’ll understand. Did you want something?”

“I’m just trying to be nice, Jesus Christ.” The anger was back in his husky voice. “We both got heated, isn’t good for either of our bands since, y’know, we play so many shows together.”

He had a point. As much as Candy wanted to stonewall Cain Is Able after this, they were often booked together. Playing nice for now might have its benefits. Heaven forbid The Misfire be labeled as a band that was hard to work with, especially in such a tight knit local scene.

She gave a sigh, blowing wisps of orange hair from her face. “Hate to admit it, but you’re right.”

That got a chuckle out of him. “I’m right about a lot of stuff, Hawke.”

Jesus, the ego on this one. Candy rolled her eyes, breezing past him as she gave him the finger. “Get bent, Rhett.”

“Hey.”

Brown eyes narrowed, her head whipping back to look at him. “What.”

“You really thought my singing was good?”

It was such an earnest question. Worse was how sincere his face was, deep eyes nearly black in the shadow of the porch light. She almost felt sorry for her comment earlier. How many of her friends back in Madison had dealt with similar problems, having to step away from music entirely because of their problems? Rhett was fucking lucky. He had come back, albeit not in the position he left in.

Candy would never tell him, but when she did catch Cain Is Able’s sets, she always listened closer for his voice, backing Perry. Wished he would let the growl of his voice overpower the crisp, pop sound of Perry’s voice. When she had first arrived in Milwaukee, it was impossible to not hear his distinct, deep voice coming from one of the clubs. Once it was gone, the hole it left felt enormous.

“Yeah,” she said. “You were really the only thing that made you guys stand out, man.”

She couldn’t tell if the answer pleased him or not. Candy wasn’t going to stick around to delve further. She dug out her keys, giving a nod in his direction.

“Later, Rhett.”

“Yeah,” he echoed. “Later.”

><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><

TAG LIST: @erinbeatty @lunalove4537 @alias-b @redjadequeen

#writeblr #wip excerpt #wip: band candy #a truce? can it be?

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sage-nebula · 5 years ago

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After that miraculous finale, do you think we're headed for a reverse love square now? I can kinda see seeds, but I don't know how Adrigami and Lukanette fit into that... And I'm curious: You mentioned once that you think of Adrien as the love interest prize and therefore as static. Does this moving on business change your opinion in any way? One could argue it's a sign of character development, but he still seems rather reactive... Would you mind explaining your thoughts a bit more?

I really hope not. While I don’t begrudge people for wanting to see more interactions between Marinette and Chat Noir, the absolute worst thing that could happen right now is for Marinette to cheat on Luka (emotionally or otherwise), or Adrien to cheat on Kagami (emotionally or otherwise). There is no excuse for cheating, absolutely none. Not only do Luka and Kagami not deserve such disrespect, but it would pretty much tarnish Marinette and Adrien’s characters irredeemably, as well as forever soil the Marinette/Adrien ship. So while we all know that Luka/Marinette and Kagami/Adrien are (unfortunately) temporary ships and that Marinette and Adrien will end up together by the end, I really hope it doesn’t come about as a result of either Marinette or Adrien cheating on Luka and Kagami respectively. Adrien/Marinette has had enough negative development as it is; it doesn’t need to be tarnished beyond repair.

(For anyone who might be thinking, “But Scrawlers, you ship Gabriel/Nathalie, and that would mean Gabriel would be cheating on Emilie!” two things:

1.) Emilie is in an indefinite coma, and has been for quite some time. It’s not unreasonable to think that Gabriel might catch feelings for someone who is conscious, breathing, and close to him—someone that he can confide in—while Emilie is out of commission. And more importantly

2.) Villains do terrible things, and both Gabriel and Nathalie are villains. The two of them having an affair while Emilie is comatose won’t tarnish them any more than, say, terrorizing Paris, beating up teenagers, beating up the elderly, akumatizing actual infants multiple times, tormenting people just to akumatize them, and so on and so forth. We expect Gabriel and Nathalie to be terrible and do terrible things because they’re villains. The same cannot be said for Adrien and Marinette, who would be irredeemably tarnished if they cheated on either Luka or Kagami (and again, this includes emotional cheating, because it’s goddamn wrong to carry on a relationship someone while you’re emotionally invested in and involved with another).

So yes, I do like Gabriel/Nathalie, and their relationship is a dark one, but that’s because they’re villains. Of course their relationship is dark. I expect better from the heroes.)

So if Marinette and Adrien do start connecting more through the “Marichat” connection, then it sure as hell better be platonic. I don’t want to see a single ounce of romance occur between them until both of them are single, or else I’m out entirely.

As for Adrien being Marinette’s reward for good behavior, I think you misunderstood what I meant a bit. It’s not so much that he’s static, so much as it is that his role in the show isn’t to learn lessons and grow as a person.

MIraculous Ladybug is Marinette’s coming-of-age story. It’s a story about how she grows both as a hero and as a person. Therefore, the story focuses on her, almost wholesale. We see both her triumphs and her failures. When there are new developments, those developments have the largest impact on Marinette, whether they’re good or bad. The idea is that, at the end of the story, Marinette will have fully matured as both a person and a superhero. The lessons she learns from her mistakes, as well as her challenges and triumphs, are supposed to help her get there. Having a romantic relationship with Adrien at the end is supposed to be the cherry on top.

On the other hand, although he does have an important role in the story, Miraculous Ladybug is not Adrien’s coming-of-age story (hence why his name isn’t in the original title of the show; I imagine it was probably changed for American audiences to try to market the show toward boys, because god forbid they watch a show about a girl, am I right?). The story isn’t about him growing and maturing as a person and superhero, any more than it’s about Alya learning and maturing as a person and superhero, or Nino, or Alix. True, he has a more important role than those three given that he’s Ladybug’s primary partner, Hawkmoth’s son, and Marinette’s love interest, but all the same, the story is still not about his growth and development as a person and superhero. It’s not his coming-of-age. This is why we don’t have episodes focused on his individual adventures, why we don’t see him encounter challenges and learn from them the same way we see Marinette encounter challenges and learn from them. What happened at the end of season three is a perfect example of this. Sure, Adrien is sad that Master Fu lost his memories and is out of the picture now, but Marinette is the one who is assuming Master Fu’s responsibilities as the new Guardian. She’s the one affected the most by Master Fu’s departure, and she’s the one who’s going to grow as a result of it, whereas Adrien’s life will remain mostly unchanged save for him needing to find a new Chinese tutor. If Miraculous Ladybug intended to focus on both of them growing and maturing as people and superheroes, surely Adrien would be equally as affected by Fu’s departure—but he’s not, because this isn’t meant to be his coming-of-age story. It’s Marinette’s. Therefore, she’s the one who takes the bulk of the plot meant for advancing character growth.

This doesn’t mean that Adrien can’t have anything to do while Marinette is going through that arc, of course. Look at love interests in other superhero stories: Lois Lane is a reporter, Michelle Jones is an activist, Steve Trevor was a soldier in World War II. If all a love interest does is sit around twiddling their thumbs, they’re not going to be characters that the audience will be content with seeing the main character end up with. So of course Adrien has his life as Chat Noir, he’s a model, he has a best friend in Nino, and yes, he’s dating Kagami for now. This doesn’t mean that Miraculous Ladybug is his story, though, in the same way that it’s Marinette’s story, because it isn’t. Adrien’s going to experience some changes as the story goes on, just as other side characters have (e.g. Chloe’s arc, which at the moment resembles a boomerang), but he’s not going to go through the same trials and tribulations as Marinette because that’s not his purpose here. He’s not the protagonist, Marinette is.

This was a very long explanation, but I hope it made sense. Sorry it also took time to reply; I only have access to tumblr on my phone while I’m at work, and I wasn’t about to type all this without a proper keyboard, lmao.

#miraculous ladybug #miraculous ladybug spoilers #ml spoilers #loveater spoilers #miracle queen spoilers #meta #marinette dupain cheng #adrien agreste #gabriel agreste #nathalie sanceour #Anonymous #but honestly can you imagine cheating on someone as sincere and understanding and soft as Luka?#or someone as devoted and trusting and honest as Kagami?#literally cannot think of anything more abhorrent #if either Marinette or Adrien cheat so help me I am forever done

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hanistarxx · 5 years ago

Text

Against Elysium - Chapter 3

A Modern Greek Mythology AU with Fem!Hades & Fem!Persephone

Summary: All Omisha ever knew was death. She has never felt the warmth of the sun or the breeze of a stormy wind. She has never seen beauty in her kingdom of desolation, or heard the soothing music of assurance. Seraphina wanted to change that. All in the name of love. And Gods forbid anyone who dared to separate them. For if anyone did,a war is what would become of it.

Pairings: Zoe Kravitz x Adria Arjona (Fem!Hades x Fem!Persephone)

Warnings: None, Slight mention of murder

Word Count: 3.4K

Against Elysium - Masterlist

“ABSOLUTELY not!”

Seraphina yelled at her friend who had nothing but a cheeky smile on his face. They had only been driving for 5 minutes and she felt sick to the stomach already.

“Fina, this is the one time you get to go out. Of Bronxville! The next time your mom gets high and lets you off the hook again, will be in another 300 years. Do you really want to live in your floral shack for another three centuries?” Jacob chuckled.

“You call my mother a druggie one more time Kingsley and I will cut you.” Seraphina grabbed on to the seat belt, the material clutched tightly in her hands. She looked as if she saw a ghost, wide-eyed and mouth agape.

“You can’t make me lie to Mama, Jacob. I’m a terrible liar!” she hissed, small beads of sweat dripping down her face.

“Look we’re going to Illyana’s and then Xander’s. And then we’re going somewhere else. You can just tell your mom that we went to the first two. You don’t have to tell her everything,” Jacob replied, his grin wider than before.

Seraphina squinted her eyes at him in anger. She was not about to get into trouble. If her mother found out she lied, her chances of ever going out again were implausible.

“Technically speaking, omitting the truth, isn’t lying - “ Jacob said.

“Yes it is!” Seraphina exclaimed.

Jacob jumped slightly at her outburst but laughed nevertheless. The one time his friend was given the opportunity to roam around the city, and she decides to spend her time panicking.

“Will you at least tell me where we’re going?” she asked, twisting her head to face him.

Truth be told, Seraphina was flooded with adrenaline. Sure she was given the green light by her mother, but going to some place that was not allowed of her, made her feel invincible. It excited her.

Jacob hushed her, telling her that it was meant to be a surprise, one she would never forget.

“You’ll see. I think you’ll like it.”

----------

“THE portal to the Underworld is in Manhattan, New York?!”

Seraphina pressed her face against the car window, in hopes to get a better view of the metropolis outside. She watched tall skyscrapers piercing through the clouds pass by. All her life, the tallest building she had ever seen was the five-story church at the corner street of Bronxville.

She awed at the sight of the city. It was modern, advanced and nothing at all like she had imagined. She turned her head to face forward and noticed Jacob driving them into an underpass.

As they slowly descended into the tunnel, she realised there were no other cars in front of them or following suit behind them. She stared ahead, taking notice of a slightly transparent veil. It shimmered, expressing a little bit of gold. Seraphina squinted her eyes as the veil came closer to them.

The car sped through the veil. The metal surfaces of the regular Manhattan underway passage slowly morphed into brick walls with statues of gargoyles protruding out. Each of them carved with rose-coloured stone and marble.

Seraphina undid her seat belt to move forward, anticipating the view that was always described by others but never seen for herself.

“Welcome to the Underworld.” Jacob brought the car slower than usual, as it drove away from the passageway.

They drove through a windy dirt road, between a forest. Large green pine trees encompassed them, with dead brown leaves bunched at the bottom, around its roots. Light misty clouds seen through the leaves above.

Seraphina brought the windows down to gain a better view of the dark naturistic world. The sun was neither glaring down on them, nor was it completely hidden. The dirt below seemed wet, with puddles every here and there. The breeze as the car continued, was cool and serene, causing her to close her eyes in content.

She opened her eyes when she felt the car bump. She looked down to see the dirt beneath had turned into a stone path. They were no longer between pine trees but instead, dead willow trees, its enormous roots, resembling the skeleton of a human hand.

She faced forward and that was when she saw tall gates, the colour of the night sky, stood between high brick walls. It’s metal framework showcasing a visible ‘M’ on either side of the gate. Vines and moss covering at its seams, and the entirety of the walls.

Behind the ancient wrought-iron gates were rows upon rows of crumbling gravestones, their engraved epitaphs bathed in light split from an auriete sun. She let out multiple gasps of shock and amazement as they passed by a series of ancient mausoleums, porous trees hunched over most of the void, casting them in a healthy shadow. Cobweb covered grecian statues stood proudly among the sea of the dead.

Seraphina noticed the plants and flowers among the tombstones. Dark flowering vines wrapped around the mausoleums. She frowned as she gazed upon them, wondering how something so morbid, can appear beautiful at the same time.

“There it is. Morrigan Castle,” Jacob said. He drove them through another clearing, away from the cemetery.

She had seen pictures of Moerani Manor, courtesy of Jacob. It’s elegance and class renowned for its crystal marble floors and white chandeliers. But Morrigan Castle was the total opposite. It allured curiosity and mystery and she wanted nothing more than to step foot on the obsidian floors of the home.

The old castle stood like an old man of the hill, the sunlight shining on it, its windows dark and gaping. Moss clung in the shade of the ancient walls like a scraggly beard. Grey stone rose from the land, unapologetic and bold. This was more than a castle; it was a home to everyone living in these parts.

Both of them exited the vehicle and Seraphina suddenly found herself hesitating to enter. Under her fingers the stone was rough and it left her skin cold, drawing dampness into her bones.

They strolled among the empty hallways outside the castle, Seraphina occasionally gazing up to the ceiling to admire the finer details of the architecture.

“This place is amazing,” she whispered, in awe.

“Pretty cool huh? It’s a lot darker than Olympus but you can’t say Omisha ain’t got style, even if it’s old,” Jacob replied.

“It’s definitely not how I imagined it to be.”

“Sorry to disappoint you then,” a sudden voice said.

Jacob and Seraphina screamed as if their terrified souls unleashed a banshee from within. They turned around and found Saskia, all decked out in black, her halberd by her side.

“Speaking of disappointments,” she continued, her gaze focusing on Jacob.

“Right, yeah, no one comes into this realm unannounced,” Jacob solemned.

“Good, you remember,” the Fury replied, “So why the hell do you keep coming unannounced?”

Jacob scoffed at the blatant remark. He thought of an excuse but knew that if he lied his way through, his head would come clean off, with the way Saskia was holding on to her deadly contraption.

“I’m a messenger-”

“What up mailman?” Kiara hollered from behind him, happy to see the Kingsley man. Accompanying her was the youngest Lin sister, Thana. The both of them were similarly clothed in black and weapons tucked into their scabbards, attached to their hips. They walked towards the front, joining Saskia.

“A MESSENGER!” Jacob shrieked, in a little girly voice.

“As I was saying, I forget things sometimes, with all the messages I have to freaking pass around everyday,” he spazzed, his arms flailing around.

Seraphina tried to control her giggle, while the sisters just looked at him blankly.

“Just get a phone like the rest of us. You know those things exist right?” Thana remarked, her tone laced with sarcasm.

Jacob rolled his eyes with a disgruntled sigh.

“I know that but the old man insists on formalities,” he said.

“Or maybe he’s just too old to even try and use a phone. I can’t blame him, he’s got a tiny brain,” Saskia seethed.

Seraphina glanced back and forth between the girls and Jacob, thinking about who they were referring to as ‘old man’.

She quietly raised her hand and spoke up, “Are you guys talking about Mr. Moerani?”

Jacob pressed his face into his hands while the Erinyes’ stared at her incredulously.

“Mister? Sweetheart are you lost?” Thana asked.

Seraphina shook her head, the frown between her eyebrows increasing.

“We don’t call him mister down here. That man doesn’t deserve an ounce of respect from us, not after what he did- ”

“Saskia.”

At the sound of a velvety yet powerful voice, Seraphina turned around to find its source. She found Naya Corvus and standing beside her, in all her royal glory, was Omisha Morrigan.

The Erinyes’ dropped down on one knee, their heads bowed with respect for their Queen. With a hum of approval and a wave of her tattooed hand, she commanded them to stand.

Seraphina tried to break her gaze away from the Goddess but to no avail. She took notice of her raven hair tied in braids, loosely let out over her shoulders. She saw tiny freckles, barely visible, spread over her nose and her honeyed-brown skin that basked under the filtered sunlight.

She focused on her eyes which were curiously gazing back at her. They were a deep brown, like the color of the earth after a torrential rain. But there was something else in them, glistening like an old copper penny. They held secrets, the same way a pot holds deep soil because it is essential to keep the plant safe. The roots are held in place, the same way her dark eyes held so tightly onto her secrets.

Omisha who held a curious frown towards the younger Goddess, turned to Jacob for an explanation. Having guests in the Underworld was a common idea but she had never met the hispanic beauty, standing in front of her now. Seraphina’s luscious brown curls and her soft hazel eyes, paired with her glowing caramel skin made Omisha wonder in enamore.

“Misha, my girl!” Jacob started, his words stuttering out of his mouth, due to his nerves. No doubt he had been reprimanded more than once about visiting the Underworld without her knowledge. Omisha never liked anyone coming to her home uninvited or uninformed. He was afraid today she might as well send him to Tartarus for forgetting again.

Omisha’s glare was the only message he needed. Her gaze fell on him like an act of violence and he visibly trembled for a second. He was about to speak up again before he was interrupted by her.

“You girls can leave. Bring her with you,” she said, commanding her Erinyes’ to take Seraphina on a castle tour, far away from her, as she needed to discuss private matters with Naya and Jacob.

The sisters nodded and with gleeful smiles, invited Seraphina and went on their merry way. Seraphina hesitated at first, looking back at Jacob who merely winked and nodded at her, encouraging her to explore the grounds with the girls.

Jacob sheepishly shrugged his shoulders at Omisha, who rolled her eyes in reply.

“Why are you here?” she asked.

“Moerani wants you to know that he’s working on the murder cases. The police mortals have confirmed that they are indeed a series of murders, by poison.”

“That’s why they all looked like they died in their sleep. The damage was internal,” Naya concluded to herself.

“Yeah, and the victims were all infected by the same poison,” he replied. He pulled out his tablet, showing intel that he retrieved from the police investigators - a serial killer was on the loose.

“Israel’s working on an antidote right now, but we’re still unsure of how this poison was administered and how long it takes to fully affect humans. He hasn’t gotten a prophecy or a vision as to who the murderer is though, ” he continued.

Omisha walked between her advisor and her friend, nodding her head, her brain reeling in brand new information.

“You know, you could have just sent a text to Naya about this,” she said, amused that the God of Travel came all the way to her abode, to spew a little murder mystery.

Jacob nodded, “Yeah, that’s not the only reason I came down here. Moerani wanted to give you this too.”

He dove his hands into his satchel, retrieving a sepia-coloured envelope, with her name written in cursive. She tore it open and took the card out, revealing an invitation to a grand party in Moerani Manor, in celebration of his and Genevieve’s wedding anniversary.

Omisha let out a bitter sigh, “You’d think they’d get tired after throwing these parties for 500 years, but no.”

Jacob laughed as Naya contained hers. Jacob reminded her that her presence at the party will be gratefully appreciated. Omisha did not reply with words but one look from her grouchy face, she meant to tell him ‘no promises’.

It was Naya’s turn to speak up, her topic directing back to the young floral Goddess that accompanied Jacob.

“Was that Isabela’s daughter that you brought here?”

----------

“SO you live on Earth?”

Seraphina nodded, balancing herself on a stone ledge. The sisters had given her the ultimate Underworld tour; from skipping around the graveyard to watching them train in the Arena. All she knew was this realm was far more magnificent than her friends described it to be.

“What’s it like up there?” Thana asked.

“I wouldn’t know. I rarely get out of the house. My mother doesn’t let me out,” she replied.

“So you snuck away?” Kiara imposed.

Seraphina jumped off the ledge to sit on it. She let out a heavy sigh and shook her head.

“No. I kinda yelled at her for being unfair to me and I guess she felt bad, so she let me follow Jacob the whole day, to apologise, I guess.”

“What about your dad?” Kiara asked again.

Seraphina was taken back by surprise. No one ever asked her about her father before. She did once but only because the first time she brought the topic up, her mother made her vow to never ask about him again. She had always wondered why but knowing how her mother can get when no one listens to her, she’d rather stay in the dark.

“I don’t know who my father is actually. I’ve never met him. I asked Mama about it once and she seemed dubious about it,” she shrugged. “I never asked again.”

“Damn,” Saskia started, “Isabela Narvaes had a scandal with one of the Gods.”

Seraphina shook her head, wanting to disagree with the beautiful Chinese girl in front of her.

“Oh my Gods, that’s possible,” Kiara insinuated.

“But which one?” Thana asked, her face displaying a sickening smile.

As the sisters immersed themselves into the discussion of Seraphina’s supposed father, she stood up and quietly snuck away. Of course, she would like to know who her paternal figure was but she wasn’t quite ready to handle the hard truth, especially not in the Underworld.

She found herself roaming around the hallways of Morrigan Castle once more. There was a vibe coming from the establishment that pulled her, like a bird to its nest. As she strolled along, she brushed her hands on the rough stone walls, electricity flowing through her veins. The tiny hairs on her hand stood, not out of fear, but out of misplaced belonging to the castle.

She kept on walking and admiring the many paintings on the walls until she reached the end of the hallway, and laid her eyes upon a beautiful landscape. It stood right smack in the open center of the castle, an attraction displayed for its grandness.

The Underworld was no doubt a place that reeked of death and despair but right in front of her was a square garden, filled with flowers and plants, even she had never seen before. She climbed down the few flights of stairs leading to it, her eyes never moving away. She walked in twisted bends around small trees, a different spring flower in sight at every corner.

Through the maze, she reached the center of the garden. There stood a tree, standing at attention, its leaves forming a canopy slightly above her, shading her from the setting sun above. Its bark swirled like water, as if it had flowed from the earth rather than grown there. She followed the eddies and curls, half expecting them to move. She reached out to feel it upon her skin and felt her next breath go in a little deeper.

Her gaze wandered up only to notice the extravagant fruit it bore, each branch spread out as if so proud of the bounty they held and the sweetness given within each one. Red and round, similar to apples but she knew they were anything but.

Her hand moved gracefully from the bark of the tree towards it, ready to pluck it. Her fingers were inching closer and her fingertips were already brushing on the leathery rind of the fruit when her wrists were caught.

She felt the cool pressed sting of metal rings on her bare wrist and she recognised from the tattoos on the hand that caught hers, that it could only belong to one Goddess of the Underworld.

She trailed her eyes to the owner and for a moment she feared for her dear life. Omisha burned her gaze into Seraphina, literal embers of orange that could only represent fire, contrasted again obsidian black, had replaced her dark brown eyes.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” she asked, her voice, far from the velvety rhythm Seraphina heard merely an hour ago. She sounded terrifying, demonic even.

“I was just looking,” Seraphina replied, her words stammering out of her mouth. She looked around and noticed Jacob, Naya and the Erinyes’ all looking at her with worry. She stopped her gaze at Jacob, silently praying for his help.

“If you know what’s good for you, you’ll stay away from this garden and from this place,” Omisha grunted, her fingers still tightly wrapped around Seraphina’s tiny wrist.

“You’re hurting me.” She tried to pry her hand away from the deadly grasp, tears falling down her cheeks, calling out for Jacob along the process.

Jacob hurriedly went to her side, as Omisha let go of her. He ushered her to walk back to his car, wanting to bring her home immediately before anything worse could happen. Omisha frustratingly turned away and was confronted by a disappointed Naya.

“Its her first time here. She doesn’t know anything about this place,” she stated, crossing her hands in front of her.

Omisha disregarded her and turned her attention to the Lin sisters.

“I thought I told you to look after her,” she breathed out, making her way to them. The sisters audibly gulped. “You know what happens if anyone eats that cursed fruit.”

They all but nodded, bowing their heads in regret and shame.

“She didn’t know, Omisha,” Naya stated again.

“Why are you defending her?” she muttered, slowly turning her head towards the elder Goddess.

“She’s innocent.”

“Exactly,” she hissed. “If she ate that fruit, she’d be stuck down here like the rest of us. I don’t know that girl, but I know she doesn’t belong here. She won’t last a damn minute.”

With her final word, she dispersed, heading back to her office. She wasn’t about to argue with her friends over her actions towards a floral dress-wearing Goddess. Truth be told, Omisha was afraid. She was afraid of the very same mistake occurring again, resulting in another innocent soul to be sealed to the Underworld, without a choice.

As the car drove back towards the tunnel leading back to her realm, Seraphina rubbed her wrists. The pain from the grasp was still very prominent and she could see the red outlines starting to appear.

She was a mixture of emotions. Sadness, anger, fear all wrapped up inside her. But there was only one question that played on her lips.

“What the hell was that fruit back there? Why was she so protective of it?”

Jacob sighed and closed his eyes momentarily.

“It was a pomegranate,” he said.

“And she wasn’t protecting the fruit. She was protecting you.”

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Chapter 4 (COMING SOON)

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