#if not for academic work I would've gone full out on this | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

my-favourite-zhent · 7 months ago

Text

New Tricks - Chapter 19

Status: Work In Progress

Version: 1.01

Pairing: Rugan x AFAB!OC

Rating: NC-17 (This chapter PG-13)

Genre: Adventure/Romance

Summary: Misadventures of Rugan and the original Zhentarim Gate's crew before and during the year of three sailing ships.

Notes: When one chapter becomes three. The main scenes for the next two upcoming chapters were written way back when I was struggling with chapter six. It was meant to be chapter eight but the plot got away from me a bit. This chapter started out as a little extra tidbit at the start but ended up growing into its own thing and for once I didn't delete an Izzy POV chapter.

Thank you to @fistfuloftarenths, @captainsigge, @dustdeepsea for always being my wonderful betas and providing me with encouragement. If it weren't for you all I think I would've deleted this chapter.

Dust also had the great suggestion of including the clip from Izzy's notebook and showed me how to do all the lovely formatting you will see in this chapter <3. (Check the AO3 link for that and additional footnotes as it's not in the tumblr post)

Also a shout out to @coreene for having such a treasure trove of lore on her tumblr! Always super helpful for fleshing out the background world lore.

Table of Contents

Read Here on AO3 or below the cut.

By now rotten luck had coloured most of Isolde’s life.

It seemed to her that it had all begun after her parents' untimely deaths when she was sixteen.

What had begun as one bad year became two, with her exile to some gods forsaken farmlands and her first heartbreak at seventeen.

The following year had appeared to break the trend—she had been offered the position of sizar at the university where her parents once taught. Only in reality it had simply been a year spent building the framework for a truly devastating nineteenth year and an end to her academic aspirations. Her first lover came and went. First friends came and went. Corra was the only good thing to come out of her short-lived scholastic career.

The jobs had been like that too. Someone would turn traitor or stupid. Load bearing beams would give way. Priceless urns would be full of fucking venomous spiders. Only now she had been prepared for rotten luck. Moulded by it.

Now she always slipped a spare trinket under her blouse or in her boot just in case the job didn't pay. Now she kept her valuables in a safe deposit box on the off chance her room got ransacked again. Now she slept in her road breeches with a knife under her pillow, and while she'd never been trained to kill, jabbing someone who wasn't expecting it gave you a good head start on an escape.

Seventeen years of bad luck had taught her to be prepared and to be persistent. She had survived and even sometimes thrived because of it.

So now, as she watched the sailors drag her chest up onto the deck of the ship, she felt especially stupid.

“My tools are in there! I've paid you good coin to transport those!” She screamed, but her voice could barely be heard by the man next to her over the crashing of the waves.

The ship rocked under another violent tumult of wind. The tempest had come upon them without any warning, clear blue skies had become turbulent greys streaked in black and white in mere moments. There wasn't even supposed to be storms like this on the Sword Coast for another month. It was just her luck.

Distantly she heard cries to cut the main sail.

The sailor looked as contrite as one could in the midst of a squall. “Sorry lass, bitch queen needs her offering!”

And despite the pelting hail and whipping winds it was the word lass that made her flinch.

‘Should have never gotten aboard a ship out of Neverwinter,’ she thought bitterly as she watched them tip her chest into the sea.

The contract she had taken in Baldur's Gate was an easy forgery job. She could've sat nice and safe in a room at the Elfsong scribbling away before meeting Rugan. She would've made a mint for doing hardly anything at all. But now her seals were gone and with it the contract.

Standing on the docks, Isolde weighed her options. It was alright. This was manageable. She still had the clay impressions of her fake seals in her pack. The sheep’s bladder she kept them in had protected them from any water damage from the storm. A half-way competent smith could recreate the seals from the pressings easily. But just how much would halfway decent cost her? More than she had left, it turned out. Most of her coin was now at the blacksmith's, and that was only the first half of the payment.

Her hand strayed time and again to where her insurance necklace would be, but she had pawned it. Pawned it for the same reason she had come to the city. The same reason she was flat broke. At least she could make that bastard buy her a drink. Blame him heartily for her misfortune. And if he smiled at her even once her fool heart would find the whole venture worthwhile.

“Sorry, miss, believe his caravan is on the road right now. Haven't seen him in a tenday.” The man behind the bar at the Elfsong shrugged.

It was just her rotten luck.

In weaker moments of her life she had considered leaving offerings to Beshaba at those little roadside shrines made of antlers and twigs. But no, fuck that deer-headed bitch. And fuck Umberlee too, while she was at it.

The barkeep looked apologetic, just as the sailor had, but that wasn't going to help her out in any way, shape or form.

She would need to find another job to take on. Isolde considered the other local contract she had ignored on account of the risk. There was nothing for it now. She leaned back in her stool and sighed. So long and low and frustrated that the man gave her another sympathetic look.

“Drink might help with that, miss.”

She opened her coin purse and eyed the few bits she had left.

“Give me the strongest thing you've got for two silvers.” She said sliding the coins across the table.

The man nodded and exchanged them for a pitcher of wine and a tall glass.

“If it's not a pressing issue,” he added as he poured the first glass full for her. “Could leave a letter with me if you like. He's in here every night when the caravan’s not on the road.”

Isolde perked up at that. “If you wouldn't mind.”

“Half the point of an inn is to have a place to send letters. I even mail some out if you've got a coin for the ship’s captain.”

Isolde almost took out her pen and ink right there, but then thought better of it. No sense trying to hastily scribble a note at the bar where some other patron would knock their elbows against hers and make the barman regret his offer.

Scooping up her glass and pitcher, pack slung over her shoulder, Isolde tipped her head in thanks and made for one of the alcoves at the far end of the taproom.

The Elfsong was much nicer than she had expected. The floors were worn but well-maintained, the drapes were not frayed and had minimal patching. She had been told more than once this place was a tourist trap, but when Rugan had called it his local she had presumed it to be something more akin to a dive bar. Had that been unkind of her? The Blackstaron and the Prow in Waterdeep had both been nicely kept inns, even if they had managed to get themselves kicked out of the first one.

She was broken from her train of thought when another patron collided into her, the wine from her glass sloshing over her hand.

“Sorry, love.” The man offered though he didn't even bother to meet her eyes as he and his date brushed past and grabbed the seat she had been eyeing. The date gave her a look that was half amusement, half pity, and Isolde muttered a curse under her breath as she stalked down to the next alcove.

Carefully she placed her wine down on the table, mindful of how it still undulated in its confines. With her clean hand she withdrew a rag from her pack and wet it with her waterskin, wiping clean the other before finally seating herself.

As she unpacked her writing tools she wondered idly if this was the same seat Rugan liked to frequent. Would he have a regular seat? She should've asked the barman. No, on second thought that was a terrible idea. Isolde had seen and chosen to ignore the pitying look the man had given her when Rugan's name had slipped her lips. Didn't need to let him know how badly besotted she was, admitting it to herself was embarrassing enough.

She drained her first glass before setting pen to paper. This one was easy enough to write, and feeling a bit bold she applied a thin layer of vermillion to her lips as the ink dried. She marked the page with her lips and hoped it would make Rugan suitably unhappy about standing her up.

There was another letter she should write, though she wasn't too pleased about it.

‘It might not be necessary.’ She tried to tell herself.

She pulled out her leather bound notebook. It was a tiny thing, worn at the edges, about as wide and long as her hand but maybe two finger-span thick.

The contact information for the job had been hastily scribbled on one of the thick pages, just in case.

It had been Isolde's father who had taught her how to bind books, but it had been her mother who had taught her how to spot traps.

There were many things to take into account, but it came down to a few large considerations:

Was this culture known for booby-trapping tombs? Was this a place or person of importance?

An Imaskari noble would have a much more dangerous mausoleum than a Tharrian peasant.

Was there irregular wear on the ground that might suggest its builders walked a specific, safe path?

Pressure plates were a simple trap and thus effective trap. They stood the test of time better than more complex machinery.

Were there intricate patterns on the structure that could conceal glyphs?

Metal lasted long but magic lasted damn near indefinitely and could do far more damage.

One should be wary on any job, but if the answer to any of these questions was yes then doubly so.

Isolde had a similar list of tell-tale signs when it came to selecting jobs.

Was this client known to her network?

One tended to see the same familiar faces handling these operations. Sure muscle and labour would be locals, but the showrunner was usually one of two dozen folks who had the training to identify a site or the connections to fence the goods. Some characters were more trustworthy than others.

And no, the folks named here were not known to her or anyone she had asked.

Was the site near a city centre?

They oft times were—cities tended to grow on the bones of their forebears, like Luskan and Illusk. This meant more secrecy was necessary, but also less violence. Harder to hide a body and its eventual rot. Out in the wilds you didn’t even need to bury a corpse for it to never be found.

This job was definitely not near a city.

Was the pay reasonable?

Too high meant this was a con, you were lucky if you only came out empty-handed. Too low meant whoever was in charge didn’t even know what their goods were worth, if anything, and they didn’t know the running cost of a black market archaeologist.

Too low, far too low.

She had already known all this, but somehow had hoped the details might have changed since she last looked at the notebook. Isolde groaned and threw her head back against the wall of the booth. She was going to have to write the second letter.

Isolde poured and downed two more glasses of wine before she was sufficiently over her shame of having to ask Corra for money. If the forgery job was still around when she returned she’d pay Corra back two-fold.

Maybe she could just wait till Corra’s letter of credit came through, there were cheaper inns in the city, certainly. Gods, maybe a flophouse? But no, after hunting around the lower city and Norchapel it turned out Baldur’s Gate was almost as overpriced as Waterdeep.

‘Should’ve sent the letter and waited before paying for the tools.’ She thought dejectedly.

There ended up being roughly enough coin for a night or two in a flop house, some food for the road and a ride on a caravan heading west. So that was what she resolved to do.

Hopefully, stupidly, she looked for his face amongst the various caravans on the morning she made her way out of Baldur's Gate.

The wagons outside Basilisk Gate were packed end to end—or end to horse as it were. Some people pushed handcarts, perhaps to visit the nearby farms. She also saw oxen hitched to sturdy wagons loaded down with heavier goods. Merchants with lighter goods like the one she accompanied had horses to carry them along faster.

It was a decently nice carriage. Nothing fancy like the wooden conveyances that nobles used, but it had a sturdy canvas roof which was more than most.

The air by now was rank with the dung of a hundred beasts of burden, idling while their masters impatiently waited behind the traffic of a several dozen handcarts.

‘Just like Crimmor.’ She thought with an amused sort of wistfulness.

Isolde noticed then a group dressed in that familiar black and yellow, and her heart struggled to break free from the confines of her ribs. She leaned out the back of the wagon to get a better look. Though she squinted hard there was no one she was acquainted with. Just some red-head with clownish hair, though he had a familiar sort of chin.

“Don't want to be looking too long, dearie. Not a friendly bunch.” Warned the old woman across from her, not unkindly. The merchant’s mother as she understood it.

“Of course, my thanks.” Isolde bowed her head and sat back down on the wagon floor.

They began moving at last, just as the dawn's early light was obscured by heavy soot coloured clouds. A wry smile twisted Isolde's lips.

“Something funny, dear?”

Isolde turned to meet the woman's gaze. “Just my luck, that’s all.”

#rugan #bg3 rugan #rugan bg3 #zhentarim #bg3 #baldur's gate 3 #baldurs gate 3 #baldurs gate 3 rugan #bg3 fanfic #bg3 fanfiction #new tricks #bg3 fanfic: new tricks #bg3 oc: izzy #izzy x rugan #rugan x izzy #bg3 fic: new tricks #my writing

13 notes · View notes

vxnillite · 1 year ago

Text

some untitled oc backstory

POV: It's 2148 and you're a high school teacher on Earth checking in on your students

not the most riveting concept, but i thought i'd play around with a 2nd-person POV narration style for a little Noah and Kevin backstory in preparation for a bigger, angstier backstory fic :D Also Noah is referred to here as 'Maxine', which is their first name and what they would've gone by during their days on Earth

Constructive criticism would be super appreciated :D

Characters: Kevin and Noah Siazon © me!

Word Count: 4832

The sound of metal grinding on concrete made your temples throb in pain for a few seconds, but you took the accompanying noise of students chit-chatting as they left the room as a sort of compensation. Yet another long day of teaching back-to-back lectures was finally over. It was a Saturday, too. All the more reason to celebrate as you had one full day ahead of you where you didn't have to face such disinterested and disrespectful students at this C-level institution.

However, you didn't leave your spot at the front of the class just yet. As the last of the students were filing out of the room, you cleared your throat. Of the 7 kids that were yet to leave, only one of them stopped in their tracks, visibly wincing at your voice. In the back of your mind, you took note of how the other students now shuffled out of the room quicker, whispering and snickering amongst each other.

"Maxine," you said. "Come over for a bit."

The kid quietly turned on their heel and approached you, their eyes glued to their feet as they moved. Their shoulders were as tight as the hands that gripped the sling of their messenger bag that seemed too big for the small and only 12-year-old in your 12th grade class.

Maxine Noah Siazon. They were, by far, the youngest 12th grader in the whole school—butting academic heads with a bunch of 18-year-olds that were almost twice their size. It was that, and the fact that they were actually smarter than most of those 18-year-olds, which gave you enough reason to give them more considerate treatment than average.

But you had to draw the line at some point.

“I assume you know why I kept you back,” you said in a tone that was both parts soft and professional.

They nodded, eyes still cast downward. You’ve grown accustomed to this, thanks to their brother’s friendly note about Maxine’s behavior.

So you continued, “You and Kevin have incurred several absences this semester, Maxine, and as your advisor, I’ve notified you time and time again to rectify this.”

The hand on their bag sling tightened, but Maxine showed no hostile reaction.

“3 more absences for each of you, and you and your brother won’t be able to graduate.”

Unexpectedly, there was a tiny, nervous shift in their shoulders. Then, they actually spoke.

“We’re aware of this, Mx,” they answered flatly, “We’ll try not to skip classes anymore.”

Something about that answer felt… off. The tone was quite expected of them, actually. But, somehow, your instincts were ringing some alarms in your head. Out of concern, you decided to prod just a bit.

“May I know why the two of you have been skipping classes lately?”

The answer came much quicker than you thought it would—almost as if it was on cue. “Kevin works on the side, Mx,” they said in one breath.

“He gave me his word that his job only starts after school hours.”

“Perhaps it would be best if you talked to him about his work directly?”

“Of course. And, what about you?”

“Fever and coughing fits,” they said. Again, a bit too fast than normal. “I’ve submitted medical certificates to the system for verification.”

You sighed, but it wasn’t out of annoyance. A star pupil like Maxine was one in a million these days, especially considering the school you were at. Out of good conscience, you were not turning a blind eye any longer.

“You know policy states that there are no excused absences, Maxine. The certificates only allow you to take tests that you’ve missed. And, yes, I know you’ve taken all the tests you missed, and so has your brother.” You sighed heavily as your gut bothered you again to press them further. “Look, I’ll give you this one chance, so tell me the truth, alright?”

You paused just a bit to look out for a response, but the kid was holding on to your breath, it seemed.

“You’ve been absent a lot because you were sick. There is 0% chance that it is not because of any other reason?”

“Yes.”

You took a mental note, then nodded. “Alright. You may go now.”

Maxine walked out as quietly as a feather, their stride longer than usual. You took another mental note as you noticed them hurriedly looking at the heavy watch on their wrist as they left.

You fixed your bag as quickly as you could. Then, on your phone, you pulled up the younger Siazon’s student profile and copied their address to your notes app. Wellness checks weren’t a common thing among your colleagues. Usually, you always just thought you weren’t paid enough to go to such lengths when all this school was to you was a stepping stone for the career of a fresh education graduate who was quick to learn that none of the better-paying schools were interested in short CVs. But this time, you thought, you’d start doing your job the right way. The only way you should’ve been working this whole time.

The area the siblings lived in wasn’t one you were familiar with. So you looked it up on your mobile map.

“Huh, I thought Kevin said they usually walked to school,” you thought out loud as you exited the campus, “This borough is 30 minutes away on foot.”

Your concern began to grow at a disturbing rate. You booked a subway ticket and walked as fast as you could to get to the station. The PA lady was making final calls for your trip just as you arrived. The cars looked full, given it was rush hour, but you managed to squeeze into one of the cars in the nick of time.

20 minutes later, you alighted at the third stop. Immediately, the air around you smelled different, and as you breathed it in, it was like you were breathing right in front of a heavy smoker. That’s when you noticed all the people around you wearing face masks. Worse, breather packs. In the capital, you could usually go about on a stroll without needing the pack. But right now, it was like every breath was siphoned straight from a smoke-belching van’s exhaust pipe right to your face. You figured the face masks you had wouldn’t do much to help. Luckily, you found a store right there at the station. For your sake, you chose to ignore the insane markup they had on the standard breather pack.

While walking, you plugged your earbuds in and turned on audio directions so you could keep your phone in your bag as you walked the dimly lit and very dangerous-looking sidewalk. Your new surroundings were a far cry from the loud and bright metropolis you were walking through just minutes ago. It was almost too hard to believe that you were still in the same city. Most of the street lamps were broken. The WIFI towers were offline—you had to turn on your data which, thankfully, still had load from last month. The streetside buildings were about half as tall as the skyscrapers at the capital, but just a single turn into an alley had put you right at the mouth of a network of winding streets with smaller, dilapidated residential buildings and even fewer streetlights. Instead, there were lines of paper lanterns illuminating pop-up vendor stalls and hole-in-the-wall stores and diners. Somehow, between all the warm light and bustling night crowd, these cramped backstreets seemed a lot more… human.

It had been 5 minutes of just walking and weaving through the cacophony of the night market, and your AI had just informed you that you were still quite a ways from your destination.

You took a left, a right, then another left. Another left was due, but there was no Anchilletas St. where it should’ve been, according to your phone. What stood there was, instead, a busy little mom-and-pop diner whose entrance was lit up with retro neon signs—the kind you only saw in old movies. The windows had printed tarpaulins of product ads draped over decommissioned display TVs. But through the gaps, you could clearly see into the place, and you spotted a familiar face.

There was an empty spot farther into the diner, and you were comfortable enough to wait for a server to come by, especially because it was safe enough to take the breather pack off now. You have not had to wear one in a long while ever since the capital installed giant filters in their streets.

Four servers were working the very busy floor right now. For a diner this size, you’d think they would hire more. Lucky for you, the exact server you needed came right to your table after noticing you.

Kevin instantly recognized you and skipped the scripted customer service greeting. “Teach, what a surprise,” he beamed, “I have never seen you in this part of the city! But I ain’t judging ‘cause you picked the perfect spot to grab a bite! What can I get you?”

He doesn’t look like a student at all, you thought. He looked quite different in his oil-stained, blue-and-white, striped server uniform than when he had a crisp and plain white school polo shirt. His hair was quite tousled. It made you wonder how long he’d been running around the shop that day. All of that made Kevin, one of your liveliest students, look much older now and wearier. But you thought it would be rude to comment like that.

“I’d like a chocolate shake,” you said, smiling, “And a conversation from teacher to student.”

Unlike his younger sibling, Kevin was a lot more sociable and charismatic. You assumed he was aware that you weren’t just here for a spontaneous dinner at some obscure diner, but it appeared he wasn’t at all fazed by the sudden teacher’s visit. Instead, he flashed a charming, friendly smile as he punched in your order on the tab.

“A choc-shake and a check-in,” he grinned. “Anything else?”

“Top it with sprinkles.”

“Gotcha. Comin’ right up~”

Kevin disappeared into the kitchen, then came out mere seconds later with two trays of food on each arm, none of which had your orders. So you waited, watching as your student would go in and out of the kitchen, and each time he would be bringing no less than two trays at a time. Still, you noticed the way his smile never faltered or twitched. Not once.

When he came back on the floor for the 4th time, Kevin did not have the server apron on. Still, he professionally brought over your chocolate shake with the same smile on his face. In the light of the room, beads of sweat shone like little diamonds on his forehead before he wiped them away with a towel, which he slung over his shoulder.

“The boss gave me 5 minutes,” Kevin said urgently as he sat across from you, “With all due respect, Mx, I’d like to not have her deduct a cent from my pay tonight.”

It would’ve sounded crude had it not come from a teenager who was obviously just strapped for cash. Lucky for him, you had a thing a lot of your colleagues didn’t have much of for him. Empathy.

“And, Max texted me already,” he quickly added. “I understand the whole absence policy.”

“Yet, you’re down to three permitted absences, Kevin.”

His shoulder slumped as he laughed sheepishly, an odd gesture considering what he said next. “Family emergency, teach. I’ve been taking more shifts and odd jobs to get through it, honestly. But Max has been making sure I’ve made up for as much of the schoolwork that I’ve missed.”

A twinge of guilt settled in your chest at that point. But you were yet to realize that it would not leave anytime soon.

“I’ll do my best to talk to your other teachers about giving you consideration, Kevin,” you said.

The boy’s face lit up in what seemed to be genuine relief. “Aw, seriously, Mx? Thank you, really!”

“Mhm. But, I must ask about Maxine.”

The relief disappeared like water into a vacuum drain. “Did something happen today at school?”

“They’re doing fine at school, as usual. I am actually more curious about what happens at your home.” You paused to check his reaction—nothing raised alarms, so far. So, you asked, “How is Maxine’s health faring?”

Oddly, Kevin looked more confused than concerned at the question. “Max’s lungs are a concern, but it’s nothing a breather pack can’t make up for. I don’t remember them getting sick in the last 6 months.”

Well, that’s definitely intriguing.

When you spoke, the firmness in your voice disappeared, which wasn’t originally intended. Maybe it was instinctive.

“Maxine has 3 absences left in the semester, same as you, Kevin,” you said, trying as delicately as possible to not alarm him. But it wasn’t working. The confident facade had completely disappeared from Kevin’s face, now lit up by the ghostly blue screen of his phone. He punched only two buttons. Speed dial.

While he held his phone to his ear, waiting for the other person to pick up, you continued, “They told me it was because they’ve been getting sick a lot, and the medical certificates seem to back that up.”

“They’re not picking up,” he grunted.

“Try calling home,” you suggested.

Kevin speed-dialled again. His fingers nervously tapped on the table as he waited for the person to pick up. You saw him muttering the words ‘come on’ over and over until, finally, the receiver answered. Kevin’s voice sounded unlike any way you’ve ever heard it before. Even if he was talking in a foreign language, you could clearly sense the grave urgency in his tone. Honestly, he sounded more like a father than a brother.

“‘La, nasa’n si Max?” [Lola, where’s Max?]

The receiver responded, and Kevin replied, “‘Di pa ba siya umuuwi?” [Did they not come home yet?]

It sucked, but all you could do was helplessly watch from the other side of the table, unable to understand anything but the growing concern on his face.

Kevin exchanged a few more words with the other person until he ended the call and shoved the phone into his pocket.

“Max isn’t home,” he said, getting up, “I’ll go find them.”

“What about your shift?”

“I can work overtime tomorrow.”

“I’ll come with you.” This was a no-brainer for you, really.

A soft smile brought back the youth to Kevin’s features. “Thanks, Teach.”

One thought ran through your mind at that reply and as you silently watched Kevin disappear into the kitchen for the last time that night.

These kids are going through so much.

When he came out, Kevin had his backpack slung over his shoulder, a worn-out letterman jacket, and a determined look on his face. Also, he had a paper bag that he handed over to you.

“It’s a good thing we serve our drinks ready to go, huh,” he said, cracking a wider smile.

You hummed affirmatively as you took the bag. As soon as you had your drink all packed up, the two of you left the diner. As you stepped out of the door, you popped on your breather pack. To your surprise, Kevin remained bare-faced. He didn’t even have a mask on.

“Kevin, don’t you need a mask,” you asked. “Or a pack, perhaps?”

He raised his brows, wrinkling his forehead a bit. “Oh,” he mused, “Well, the air right now ain’t as bad as it usually is, so I’m all good.”

You noted how hazier his face looked now that you were outside. Then, you dug into your bag and grabbed two spare masks. It was all you could offer him.

“Teach, it’s fine, re—”

“I can practically feel the smoke pricking my skin, Kevin,” you interjected, “Kindly take the masks.”

The teacher tone worked. 5 seconds later, Kevin was standing next to you with half his face covered up. The two of you were looking out into the street, which seemed to have gotten even more crowded, though you thought it couldn’t have been possible. Kevin towered over it, his neck craning every which way for what you chalked up to be some preliminary search of sorts. It looked to be futile, however, as his shoulders drooped with a sigh.

“They usually just hang around outside while I work,” he said. Then, he checked his phone. “No reply yet.”

“We could split up,” you suggested.

He hummed, mulling it over. “I don’t think you’d be able to find your way around here, teach. No offense.”

“None taken.” You pulled out your own phone and opened the maps app. “And, I can just use this to navigate.”

“Oh, teach, uh, the app doesn’t really have an accurate read of the roads here, not since two years ago.” Kevin sounded apologetic, as if he were the lazy developers behind the app. “But maybe you could stay here and search the main market street? I’ll go around the back and check out the neighborhood.”

You hadn’t seen Kevin exercise this much agency in class. You were surprised but quite impressed. Of course, you nodded to his idea.

“Let’s meet up back here when you’ve found Maxine,” you said, pocketing your phone again. “And I’ll call you when I find them.”

“Damn, teach, you’re doing all this for us, huh?”

It was said like a joke, but you threw back at him a genuine smile, which—though you wouldn’t admit it—actually made you feel bad about all the times you didn’t go to such lengths for a student.

“It’s my job,” you asserted.

His eyes softly smiled at you before he went off, jogging away into the crowd. He was tall enough that you could still spot him all the way until he turned a corner. You felt positive he’d be alright. This was his home turf, after all, which then brought your mind back to your mission in all this. It was your first time in one of the smaller boroughs of the city, and it wasn’t at all what you had expected. Rather than some quaint, homely residential streets, you’ve been met with a buzz that was louder than most shopping centers you’ve been to at the capital.

But that was enough dilly-dallying. You started trekking the sidewalk, keeping your head to the side as you looked through the shop windows while trying your best to avoid potholes and other people. But, every now and then, you’d stop to scan the crowd to your other side—as much as you could see of it anyway. Sadly, the diners, clothing stores, general merchandise, and other shops you passed by all had one thing in common: No Maxine. Meanwhile, Kevin was yet to report back, so you assumed he had no progress either.

You stopped to sit on a bench to catch your breath. The breather pack was still beyond uncomfortable now that you’ve had it on for a while. The air you were inhaling smelled even more synthetic than what you were used to in the capital. Normally, the instinct was to take the breather pack off to try and smell the more organic air around you, but when you saw the hazy scene before you, it didn’t seem to be much of a choice.

Your mind drifted off once more to the siblings. In class, you’ve come to know them as this iconic duo. After all, it wasn’t every school year you got to meet an 18-year-old who was classmates with his 12-year-old sibling. Anecdotes from their past advisor had nothing but good things to say about them, except for Kevin’s proclivity to often be missing from class and Maxine’s vulnerability to social exclusion. For the latter, you assumed it was because of the age gap. When you met your class at the start of the school year though, you noticed how Maxine never really strayed from their brother. But even with all that timidness, you saw how bright they were in class discussions. Their endless curiosity would let you find them spending vacant hours just sitting at their desk with their nose buried in a textbook, usually about zoology which was their strongest subject. Meanwhile, their older brother, a towering bundle of life and laughter, would be sitting right next to them, either chatting with his friends or reviewing for a test. When it was the latter, you’d spot him occasionally tapping Maxine on the shoulder, and the two looked as if the younger kid was tutoring the older one.

The two gave off a very warm energy together, and it always felt like you were looking at an incomplete puzzle when you saw one without the other. Unfortunately, this did happen a lot. You were aware Kevin was a working student, so you were giving him considerations and even talking some of the stricter teachers into letting the kid have breathing room, too. It only worked sometimes, though. Still, you saw how Kevin was just as determined as everyone else to graduate. Even a high school diploma would get any 18-year-old a better-paying job than part-time shifts at a local restaurant, so you thought that was the motivation.

You were aware of the situation the Siazons were in, in terms of how much they actually told you, and you never sensed that they were lying when they said they were getting by well enough. But seeing how dog-tired Kevin looked at the diner earlier, you were more than disappointed in yourself for just taking that claim at face value.

“When the kids say they’re fine, there’s no need to look into it further. It’s a waste of time and money,” the top brass had told you during your orientation. If that’s what they tell every teacher they hire, then no wonder the school was so mediocre.

“Alright, (Y/N), you’ve rested enough,” you said as you stood up, “Let’s get back to it.”

You readjusted the breather pack and turned back to the sidewalk. Then, two stores over, you were standing in front of a butcher’s shop. Its sign was flipped to show that it was closed, but, through its still-open windows, you saw the manager talking to an employee who looked way too young to be working there. They were both looking at their phones, the manager tapping away until he held the device up for Maxine to look at the screen. They stared quizzically.

“What? You expectin’ more, huh,” the beefy-looking manager barked, “Well, you emptied trash cans and scrubbed blood off the floor. Ain’t nothing to break a sweat over, plus you ain’t a real employee, so quit complaining and beat it, kid.”

You watched as Maxine stood there for a second longer. You thought they would’ve argued back. Instead, they made their way to the back of the shop. They were probably heading out to leave. So you quickly shot Kevin a text, telling him the name of the store. Then, you walked over to the other end of the storefront. It seemed the backdoor opened into an alley lined with dumpsters that were either filled to the brim or overflowing. You almost stepped out to call Maxine, but your gut told you to keep observing just a little bit longer.

They were now standing next to a utility bike that seemed too tall for them, and they were still in their school uniform. But, on top of their black slacks and white school polo shirt, Maxine wore an apron sullied with grime and dried blood. Their jet-black hair, which they usually wore in braided twin-tails, was tied up in a messy bun. Like Kevin and a lot of other people in the area, they weren’t wearing a breather pack or a mask. Most striking, though, was the stress on their face that made them look almost 10 years older than they were.

It took a while for the realization to hit you. Maxine is only 12 years old. The city’s minimum working age is 16, with no exceptions.

You should’ve stopped them right there and then, but you had to watch, out of curiosity, when Noah took their dirty apron off and stuffed it in the bike basket from which they pulled out a green delivery courier cap.

“Maxine,” you called out as you stepped into the alley.

The kid jumped and almost stumbled as they turned around towards you. “Mx. (Y/SN)? What are you doing here?”

“I was really worried about you, Maxine,” you said as you approached. “When you said you were only absent because you keep getting sick, well, I just couldn’t bring myself to believe that point-blank—gut feelings, y’know.”

You saw them bite their lip. “But I was, Mx.”

“I talked to Kevin about it, and he said you’ve never been sick at all recently.” At that, Maxine’s eyes widened, then their gaze fell to the side guiltily. You softened your voice. “I’m not mad, Maxine. But now I’m even more concerned to know the real reason you’ve been absent.”

They sighed and began to answer, only to be cut off by heavy footsteps coming in fast from the other end of the alley. There were no lights apart from the one over the two of you, and all you could briefly make out at the dark end was a hulking figure running towards you. So, instinctively, you stepped in front of Maxine and pushed them behind you protectively.

Turns out, it was just Kevin, panting heavily through his mask before he ripped it off, sweat dripping down his face. He must’ve been running the entire way here from wherever he was in the borough. Still, as exhausted as he looked, his face erupted into a relieved smile as he saw Maxine.

The kid stepped out from behind you. “Kuya, I—”

They were interrupted again as their brother pulled them in for a tight hug. You stepped away to give them space and listened quietly.

“Jusko, Maxine,” Kevin exasperated, “Alalang-ala kami ni Lola! What are you even doing here, ha?”

Maxine said, sounding both defeated and stubborn, “I overheard you and Lola talking about the bills two weeks ago.”

Kevin sighed. “You’ve been skipping class to work, haven’t you?”

Maxine didn’t answer.

“I told you, ako nang bahala, Max,” their brother continued, “You don’t have to—”

“But I just wanted to help!”

“And, what about school, ha? Teach here said we’re in the same boat now,” Kevin fumed. “You can’t not graduate, Max. What would Lola say?”

“Ikaw rin naman,” Maxine contested, “If the two of us were both working, you wouldn’t have to keep skipping classes!”

“Max—”

The younger Siazon kept on reasoning. You’ve never seen them so stubborn before.

“Sasabihan na nga kita sana mamaya, eh. I just wanted to make enough money to buy Lola’s meds this month.” They turned their phone on and opened what you assumed was a payment service app. Then, Maxine shoved their phone into Kevin’s hand. “And I did. So, you don’t have to work during weekdays next week.”

Kevin stared at the screen for a moment, handed back Maxine’s phone, then peeled his jacket off to drape it over his sibling. It looked like a blanket on the latter.

“You should’ve told me,” Kevin said. There was no trace of anger in his voice.

“I was going to. Tonight,” Maxine asserted, “Sabi nga ni Lola, ‘di ba? Tulungan tayo.”

At that moment, you were reminded of a similar argument you once had with your dad back in your college days. What you thought was a responsible decision, your dad thought should not have even been considered in the first place. He told you to keep focusing on your studies and to let him worry about the money. As a parent, it was his responsibility to provide for you, no matter what it took.

That’s how Kevin sounded, and what he’d been acting like the entire night. A parent.

But it was clear that Maxine wanted a brother.

Kevin let out what sounded like half a chuckle and half a sigh as he draped his arm around Maxine’s shoulder. He turned them around so they were both facing you.

“Sorry about that, Teach,” he said. “And, sorry you had to go out all this way.”

Beside him, Maxine nodded. “And, I’m sorry for lying about the absences.”

You’d almost forgotten about that, to be honest. So you said, “The medical certificates were validated, so there’s no disciplinary issues to incur here.”

While Maxine looked rather confused, Kevin was grateful. “Thank you, Mx. (Y/SN),” he smiled, “We’ve got it from here.”

“Oh, not so fast, Siazons.”

Concern flashed over their faces. The resemblance had never been stronger. Then, you felt bad for worrying them.

“What would you recommend around here,” you asked. “We’ll grab dinner, and you can take some home for your grandmother, too.”

#avatar #oc #avatar the way of water #avatar james cameron #avatar oc #oc lore #backstory #character info #reader-insert

0 notes

moondrama · 2 years ago

Text

Watched Legally Blonde (2001) yesterday on tv. It was on my to-watch list in undergrad because I had heard it was a good movie for study motivation and I needed lots of that back then. Clearly I never watched it and only did so when the tv channel forced it on me 😅

It was such a refreshing movie. Loved the unapologetic, girly vibes. Loved the simple progression and conclusion of the story.

I can't help it but my thoughts about it are the same as my thoughts about other old shows. I am always compelled to compare them with stuff that's coming out nowadays. Can't critique them as individual pieces of work anymore.

Such a movie could never be made now. Even if it's made, it will be hated on so much unless it is forcefully filled with characters with certain profiles for to tick all the forced representation boxes. The story will have to be pointless complicated. I don't think the character of the female lead would be appreciated either because of how she was and how she wasn't shoving typical feminist dialogues everywhere.

American/Western media is so forced and totally insufferable now but was full of simple, to-the-point, comfort films in the 90s to early 2000s.

From the point of view of study motivation, I don't think the movie would've helped that much lol idk why I had this expectation of it being very academic (which it was but...just not the way I expected). Still a very simple, comfortable movie that can be watched again.

It made me very very nostalgic of the early 2000s too. I would've gone crazy with the vibe of this movie had I watched it then.

#legally blonde #reese witherspoon

1 note · View note

cor-lapis · 3 years ago

Text

hbd and thank you for getting me invested in this game <3 my life has never known peace since

#KEQING BIRTHDAY #not belated. it's still the right day somewhere in the world.#genshin impact #my art #if not for academic work I would've gone full out on this #pain.#at least it's something T_T she deserves at least something.#she's such a cool character...#give her all the food and morax plushies she could want.

139 notes · View notes

purplerose244 · 4 years ago

Text

My thoughts on Seabound!!! 🌊🌊🌊 (2/4)

SPOILERS ALERT!!!

For now, nothing to complain about! We got Nya, we got MAYA AND RAY, we got GILES PANTON BACK A LEGO SHOW!!! 😍😍😍

Of course now I'm definitely curious about what the story is really about, like I'm guessing Wojira will wake up at some point so... Great Devourer all over again maybe? 😅 Idk, for now I just wanna enjoy Nya having her moment 🥳

Alright, here we go!

GENERAL THOUGHTS

New alert for reader, during the Nexo Knights period I was and still am the hugest Clay fan. Now that his voice is in this season I might scream more than necessary... keep that in mind 😅

I love the humor in this, all random but still kinda clever 😂😂 Maybe I'm biased because I love Jay but still 🤷‍♀️

I really like the design of the marine world, very cool!! 🌊🌊🌊

I guess I'm not really seeing any big plot twist moment for now? Ninjago seasons have history of basing seasons on a "we need to prevent this event from happening but it will happen anyway", so I can see Wojira waking up no matter what 🤷‍♀️

I wonder if that will be shocking? Usually when this situation happen, someone makes a major sacrifice (Zane with the Overlord, sensei Garmaron with Chen, again sensei G with the Preeminent...). Maybe Maya? I DON'T WANT THAT 😭 But I am curious, everything is going nicely and I'm not sure what it will bring! 🤩 I'M EXCITED SO LET'S GO!!!

THE WRATH OF KALMAAR

So this is the name of Clay's new incarnation, neat! 👍

Okay really, for having a season lately the main character just can't help but be trapped by the villain: kinda Zane in the ICE Chapter, Jay in Prime Empire, Cole in Master of the Mountain... we can call it a tradition at this point 🤷‍♀️

Giant serpent, yadda yadda, I wonder if we're gonna address the Great Devourer at some point? Not mandatory, but the reference would be very cool 🤩

Clay's new incarnation is a prince I- *hyperventilates in awe*

Nya playing dumb lol, I don't know if that's personal experience as she used to get kidnapped a lot in the past or she just have too many idiots in her life 😂

ALSO ANOTHER BEST GIRL'S SMIRK

NYA YOU'RE TOO MUCH ILY ❤💙❤💙

Jay I love that you're so worried about Nya but maybe try NOT TO DIE? YOU'RE WITH LLOYD AND ZANE YET YOU'RE THE ONE GOING FOR THE SACRIFICE WTH?? 😱 But he's worried about his cool GF I kinda get it, also he didn't do it so good...

WHAT. THE. HECK.

WHO ARE YOU OH MY FIRST SPINJITZU MASTER YOU'RE ADORABLE I WANNA KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT YOU YOU ABSOLUTE CUTIE 🤩🤩🤩

So Giles is doomed to voice LEGO characters with daddy issues 😂 That being not having a dad at all or having one that is... a good guy? Idk he seems chill with the surface at first glance, I wonder what's the story of this family

Maya reminds of my mom, she also mentions her work a lot and I study the same thing. But she doesn't want to brag, it gets annoying but she just wants to give me advice. It's nice to see actually 👍 Also Ray reference NEAT ❤❤❤

Wow, if any child-parent couple of this show was doomed at going semi Emperor's New Groove style, I would've bet on Ed and Jay honestly 😅

Oh HECK yes I knew that with my water girls things were BOUND to get cool 😎 ... yeah I know where the door is *goes away*

JAY NO WHAT DID I TELL YOU ABOUT TRYING TO DIE STOP DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING!!! 😱😱😱

My GOSH that scared the crap out of me 😅 Jay honey we have too many deaths in this team, you're not helping... BUT YOU POWERED AN ENTIRE SHIP BECAUSE YOU LOVE NYA AND YOU DIDN'T DIE AND I LOVE YOU SO MUCH BLUEBELL 💙💙💙

They were all so worried, I love this ninja family so freaking much 💜💜💜 Also better not tell this one to his GF 😂

And Bluebell?

Welcome to the "change eye color because of elemental power" team! WE GOT ANOTHER ONE I LOVE WHEN IT HAPPENS!!! 😍😍😍

Awww, Zane letting Jay be the captain, that was so cute of him 💕

Another great episode! Doing great so far but I still wonder if we got into the main story. Feels like there should be more, well we got time! Next one! 😊

LONG LIVE THE KING

Sooooo... that's one very telling title 😅 If we're going full Lion King on this one, I think I know where this is going 😵

Maya: Don't they know that metal taste terrible?!? (Again feels like Kai could say something like this 😂)

FINALLY NYA USING FREAKING WATER POWERS UNDER THE SEA!!! Thank you Maya for saying out loud what we were all thinking 👌👌

NINJA TO THE RESCUE!!!

Pff, okay, the fact that Kalmaar is all evil and cruel and then he gets startled like that, it's kind or adorable! 💕 Honestly Giles got such a deep voice, with Clay it was firm warm and reassuring, here we got plain devious and I ADORE it 😍😍😍

Maya come on don't doubt your daughter 😅 But I like her, and if she knew Nya they way we all do she wouldn't doubt that she could make it every time 😎

Yeah I was right, the king seems chill... oww I fear what's coming then 😳

Okay, so Kalmaar thinks that the world should go back to be lead by them like in the past, while the king just wants peace with the surface. And as we know, no drama no season so...

Yep, saw the death coming 😅

WHOA DID NOT SEE THAT LITTLE BLAME ACT COMING KALMAAR IS SO EVIL!!!... with a glorious voice but still (Rose focus on something that is not that godlike voice, you can do it 💪💪)

THE OLD ONE TWO I LOVE THIS SO MUCH COMBO ATTACK!!! 🌊❄🌊❄

Awww Benthomaar is actually really cute, he's so worried about his father 😢 And he's adopted apparently? I wanna know the story!!! 🤩🤩

Yep, there's the reason why Zane got a mask even though he doesn't need one, it completes his attire 😂😂😂 My gosh how I love this nindroid ❄

Did... did Jay just say phooey? Dude Ducktales ended a while ago but I'm still not over it 😭

I said it once before I'll say it again, Ninjago is really REALLY good at making death scenes. Like, omg, I genuinely felt sorry for them 😢😢 I also really liked that the king didn't ask to be avenged, he still wanted peace and he asked his son to protect the ninja and he cried actual tears...

MY HEART WTH 😭😭😭 So we're adding this to the real tears moments of the show, with Jay crying over pie, Zane with the flashback of his dad, Jay crying over Nya and Lloyd thinking the ninja are gone... my world this show is angsty 🙂

Third startle for prince Kalmaar, I love the gag 😂 Oh wait, king Kalmaar 🤷‍♀️

Okay, we got a coup, the ninja running away because they got framed, Benthomaar is most likely going to join them or at least help them, I guess Wojira will come out at some point while... Kai, Ray and Cole are still playing videogames? 😅

THIS IS GETTING COOL I WONDER WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT AAAAHHH HECK YES THERE IS THE HYPE!!! 😍😍😍

Although I hope we get more stuff with Nya and Maya, that's what I like 🤩

ESCAPE FROM MERLOPIA

I'm good at English and I can follow most of it, but the fantasy names are tricky so I didn't get before that this was the name of the place 😅 It's nice, at least it's not another Atlantis 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

LLOYD I SWEAR TO YOUR GRANDPA IF YOU TRY TO DIE AGAIN 😱

NYA YOU ARE NOT A GOOD SUBSTITUTE NONE OF YOU ARE OMG 😱😱

Ah, there he is, my new son Benthomaar 💙 He is so lovable already, I know nearly nothing about him and I like his character already a lot! He could relate with all of the ninja really, but maybe with Jay the most? They were both adopted after all 🤔🤔

*scribble note for a fanfic for later if this doesn't come up in the season*

Alright moving on 😗

I am so happy Nya gets a season, Kelly got a great emotional range that doesn't come out often in my opinion, but with a full introspection of water goddess we are all blessed by her voice acting 😍

Gotta say, admitting that Bentho didn't have to help them to answer the usual 'Can we trust him' question is pretty reasonable, like, better than other stupid answers 😅

Also don't mind me

Just screenshotting by ship 💙❤💙❤

Somehow lately we are letting Jay do the talking and I both hate and LOVE the fact 😂😂 Plain Bluebell nonsense, heck yes that's my jam👌👌

MAYA IS SO COOL OMG 🤩🤩

I literally can't not laugh at the startle gag with Kalmaar 😂

LLOYD WHAT DID I JUST SAY ABOUT SELF SACRIFICING!! PLEASE IT'S NOT EVEN YOUR SEASON!! 😱😱😱😱

Aww Jay is still the Captain, nice! Wonder if it's giving him Skybound flashbacks... I hope not considering all he went through that time, poor Sparky 😅😅

ARE THOSE LITTLE WU ROCKETS?? 🤯

Can we skip a season and hang out with Pixal one time? I really wanna know how she organizes her free time to create these things 😍😍😍

THANK YOU LLOYD FOR NOT DYING ONCE AGAIN, MUCH APPRECIATED!!! 💚💚💚 My green bean needs a vacation... they all do 😅

THEY ARE

SO BEAUTIFUL 💙🌊💙🌊

Alright, back to the island hoping Kalmaar will not track us and follow us so he can get to the place and discover the amulet 🙂

Are we not calling the others? I miss my flame babe and Rocky ❤🖤❤🖤 Also RAY WATCHA DOIN I WANNA KNOW EVERYTHING 🤩🤩

THE TALE OF BENTHOMAAR

Wait what? Shark boy backstory? SHARK BOY BACKSTORY?!? 👀👀👀

Wow, I see that Kalmaar didn't change a thing growing up, still the same gonna-be-a-villain 😂 Of course his voice got a lot deeper and cool and okay you know I love his voice moving on

I find it kinda funny that Kalmaar is so focused on royal blood and superiority, while Clay was basically a farm boy who worked his way up. Giles knows how to get the character no matter what 😍

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH

BABY BENTHOMAAR AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH 😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍💙💙💙💙💙💙💙

The king seems like such a good pers- fish- creature 😅 Now I'm double sad that he died, my world, why do I always care so fast, it's not healthy in this show where everyone could die 😰😰

I'M SORRY IS THAT KAI'S HAIR??? 😂😂😂 I LITERALLY CAN'T LOOK AWAY WTH I DON'T KNOW HOW I FEEL ABOUT THIS

Literally every frame of Benthomaar makes me love him even more 😢

Interesting that we got an academic villain, he kinda reminds me of Clouse in a way, maybe even Harumi since she studied her way to her plan as well? I like that we got a bit of personality too!

Using your little bro for your own purpose... it's very evil but kinda also brotherly like 😂

Benthomaar really gives me that very PRECIOUS vibe, kinda the perfect son but also a naive and unaware BABY 💙

LEGO HUG 🤩🤩 Not exactly reciprocated but still 😅

Ooohhh, so this is how he found the temple! I like this, it shows that Bentho is most likely physically stronger than Kalmaar, while evil brother is focused on brain and studies. They are planned differently, I like it! 😚😚

Ouch, peer pressure... sibling pressure? Eh you get what I mean 😂

POOR BENTHO 😭😭😭 YOU GOT THE NINJA NOW DON'T WORRY WE'RE NEVER GONNA LEAVE YOU ALONE YOU PRECIOUS SHARK BABY!! 🦈🦈🦈

Bentho: will I really fit in with you guys? Do you really understand how I feel?

Lloyd: Jay was adopted, Nya's parents were gone most of her life, Zane lost his father while mine turned evil

Bentho(tearing up): yeah that can work

Okaaaaayyyyy, I like that we got a bit of backstory for Bentho too! We didn't get much for Vanya in Master of the Mountain, which is the only thing I was sad about (very little detail, AMAZING season 🖤🖤🖤), nice to see it here!!

But I really want more Nya and Maya interactions, I hope we'll soon get to them again!! 😍😍😍

Alright, getting somewhere here! I'm very curious about what's next 🤩🤩

73 notes · View notes

omiramotakiart · 3 years ago

Text

Extremely rough draft just to get some thoughts out on my Van Helsing headcanons (wanna still add to the 19th century literature crossover and so far have only managed to link him to the Baron from Carmilla, open to suggestions for more books that take place from the early to mid 1800s):

"We were friends, you and I," said the cornered figure of eyes blazing like the fires of Hell and sharp gleaming teeth, "We were kindred souls of scholars and yet you have forsaken me," the monster added, "You have forsaken me when I offered the gift I posses, Abraham Van Helsing."

My knife was close to his throat, the other to his heart, I could've done it and none would've had to suffer from the recent events. Yet I didn't, was it because of my naivety and false hopes of redemption? Was it sheer stupidity? I do not know, I was young back then and the count we all come to hate so much was no more than a man whom I called friend.

He was my friend, my brother even, before that I didn't have much but a name and memories of foster homes until the Baron took me as a child and from the moment I saw him taking down the vampiress from Stirya I knew I had found my calling. And what I called lonely calling, if it wasn't from the occasional work colleague I would've gone mad during those years. And this old man who was not so old back then had the luck of meeting the loveliest of irises. I had loved my beloved Agatha since the day we met and I was the happiest man with our small Hugo and Ilse.

Why was I so foolish to think I could simply forget my duties and dedicate myself to academics and trivial matters? Why was I so foolish to the point I couldn't notice the monster who called himself a friend of mine? I have no excuse, a man who simply was another seeker of knowledge whom I let inside my house, near my children, my wife, even the yet to be born member of our family, I was foolish enough to let him in and place my trust on his wretched hands.

And he knew that I had fallen into his trap? Have I ever wronged him? Maybe. Was it just his nature? Maybe. The count couldn't make it easier, not for me, no, he took the man I had called father as his puppet who lacked the same meticulous nature as him and on that wretched night he took away all that mattered to me. My sweet Agatha wouldn't speak a word from her brilliant mind anymore, my dearest Ilse would never sing and laugh and my boy Hugo could never play with the street cats nevermore. Our unborn child didn't even get a name. Even the Baron who had been the one who put me into this path, I found him a shadow of his former self, a mindless beast whose strings were moved by someone who had betrayed me, a creature full of the blood of those I've loved and devoid of anything proper of him.

I will never forget when I had to hold him down and spare him from a fate worse than death. I wept more than I ever had in years that day. I wept until it hurted, until I could no longer sleep or breathe.

And revenge?

They were not coming back, my family was killed in an instant and my mentor had been saved from the curse that plagued him, at least they could rest in peace and that was my only solace. My mentor had taught me that revenge should never be the motive, and I am not a vengeful man, this was not a matter of revenge, however, but a matter of justice. I was going to drag my broken body to the count if I had too and do what I must. If not for them or for me then for everybody else, but how could I think of anybody else when my world had crumbled to dust before my very own eyes.

And the monster had the spine to enter through my door as I prepared my tools and spoke his poisonous words to me.

"Allow me to bring you a new start in these times of hardship, my friend, place all your grief on my shoulders and abandon this mundane life of limitations, you and I can be the greatest duo—."

How dare he call me friend? Brother? How dare he come into my house and act as if nothing had happened.

How didn't I put the pieces together earlier? All the signs were there and yet I was blind to them?

How dare he offer me his hellish gift after all he did?

I wish I still had the same strength I had that day, the same speed, the same bravery that made me able to knock him down that day, the one that made me burn his skin and draw blood from his filthy veins.

Among tears I was only able to ask him why.

Perhaps that was my downfall.

"You'll have me die by your blade?" Had asked the monster.

He didn't even deserve my blade and that is all I could tell him. He didn't deserve my effort and I was stupid, weak enough to hesitate. And I knew he saw me doubt, mere seconds was all it took for him to kick me away and make me pass out thanks to whatever trick vampires have.

It took me months to go back to my previous life. Years to get any semblance of normality. I was a doctor, I was a professor, I had a class to teach and achievements to show off, I had gone back to Amsterdam and was renown among my peers and yet despite me growing older, I was never able to quit the life of hunting down the creatures that cause nothing but harm to innocent ones.

Even when I was able to enjoy any bit of my job, of my life, I could never get the image of my long gone beloved ones away, I could never shake the guilt I felt.

I will carry that guilt until my dying days, I will carry it until I know I did the right thing.

My beloved Agatha, my sweet Ilse, my dear Hugo, my precious child, forgive this old man for failing you.

I had a job, my dearest friend John had called and I had taken the now doctor under my wing when he was but a student. I crumbled alone in my room when I saw what Mrs. Lucy was suffering, I crumbled down when thinking of what she must be going through and having to inform all the people who loved her, I crumbled down when my suspicions were proven to be true and when I failed to save her on time.

All wounds were opened once more with the diaries of Johnathan Harker. I couldn't tell them of my past failures, no, I had to keep the hopes as high as my old and tired heart could manage.

Even when the wonderful Mrs. Mina had been attacked by the same wretched creature.

I am thankful for their bravery, their hope, their strength, I am thankful that they all managed to overcome all challenges and I can only hope my services were of any help.

But even then, the monster had to claim one more life. We will all make sure Quincey's sacrifice shall never be forgotten.

Him and Johnathan struck the final blow, Quincey Morris and Johnathan Harker did what I failed to do decades ago. Did it bring catharsis? Did it bring closure? I do not know, I can only hope this old man can move on now, regardless of how many years I have left on this earth.

#abraham van helsing #dracula #fanfic #dracula book #19th century literature #gothic literature #dracula fanfiction

8 notes · View notes

sandsofdteam-moved · 2 years ago

Note

Do you mind me asking more about the grave you are working on?

Archeologie sounds so interessiting, getting a glimpse at the lives of people from a time long gone.

So much is different, but there is still so much that is similar

(Why did this turn out so dramatic xD)

yaaa no mind at all! I'm going to be a little vague because a tad bit of sleuthing could give u my actual irl info if I go into detail, but with that being said:

I'm currently on a research trip sponsored by my school to excavate what's thought to be a cemetery, but there's technically no historical record of it, so we don't really know much about the site. By major (and prior research experience) I'm a computational biologist/geneticist, so going into this I had no idea what to expect, but it's been so much fun!

We've found many graves so far, with skeletons ranging in age from an unborn fetus to what was preliminarily assumed to be an old lady, and we've spent the last 3 weeks excavating a large (about 10m x 7m x 1.5m) pit and taking those bones out from it! This week, we have an osteologist (a person who studies bones) who's flown in and so today I was shadowing her and learning how to put together some bones and what things are important to look for when analyzing them. Something I learned today is that the reference population/numbers that the osteologist normally uses isn't really applicable to the skeletons that we've found here because those are for white people in Europe, whereas here it's a lot more diverse in terms of where in the world people were essentially imported from for cheap labor in colonial times, so we need to figure out a different method of calculating the living stature of the man that we found. This is our last week of work before going home, so I'll (hopefully) be working with the osteologist to process all of our skeletons :D My primary interest isn't in osteology, but rather ancient DNA, so I'm looking to maybe be involved in the process of analysis of samples from our skeletons so I can get a full look, from start to finish, of excavating a body, handling it with care both physically and culturally (for example, we had a panel of religious leaders come to survey and essentially give the ok to excavate since we aren't totally sure of the buried peoples' religions, so we wanted to give them their deserved respect by covering all the possible religious beliefs we could), sampling from the skeleton (which is a rigorous and extremely precise process), and then doing the lab work to purify, sequence, and analyze those samples. Right now, since the bodies have literally been taken out of the ground in the past week and a half, we don't have a lot of information but hopefully that'll change as the research process progresses further!

I would highly suggest taking a look at archaeology if you're interested, it's a lot of fun! There's honestly something for everyone: like I said, I'm primarily a biologist but ancient DNA is a great way for me to merge it with my other academic interest in colonial history. Other people I've met with have combined it with management, history, computer science, English, human biology, political science, and so so so much more. It's such a wonderfully wide field that even if you're not a big fan of the physical labor that comes with fieldwork, there's something that you can do to contribute!! I've said it before but little me would've been really fuckin happy if she saw that I was essentially doing the job of a paleontologist but with people, because I can contribute to understanding the very convoluted history of places like where my mom's from, somewhere that has been fucked up by British colonialism and where social tensions run high—there is a shared history between the contending groups, and archaeology can give the unifying history a research-based backing :>

#asks with anon #thank u so much for asking!! feel free to ask more questions #I'm still like. an extremely amateur person though so I can't guarantee I know a lot but I can try #lyss's life #long post

0 notes

darkestwings-hellishsoul · 5 years ago

Text

This isn't an additional point but it's something I have to say.

I got a full ride based on academic merit to my school of choice. Even so. I had to go into debt. My scholarships were not enough to cover everything, despite it being a "full ride" and my not taking more than required, as far as classes, books, even housing. If I had been able to go to college FOR FREE. Actually for free. I would have a degree right now. I would have a bachelor's degree and no debt. I would've finished school because I wasn't under the ever present and anxiety inducing reminder that if I didn't work, I couldn't pay my way, but if I worked, I would fail classes. Especially as a disabled individual. So, my last class... I flunked out. I haven't been able to go back because I owe the school $4k, and I owe even more in student loans.

I didn't even want to go to college. I didn't feel I had a choice. I want to be an artist for a living. Write my novels. I don't need a degree for that. but here I am, nearly 10k in debt because my "full ride" fucked me over. I'm a slave to corporate whims and I can't take care of my ailing body because I literally cannot take the time I need for myself. can't afford to not work. It's killing me. If I had gone for free, I wouldn't have any of this bullshit to deal with today. I might be happier. Could afford to see my doctors and therapist. I could live. like a regular person. But here I am.

#long post #rant #my shit #sorry bout this im having a day

80K notes · View notes

relatewithrelations · 6 years ago

Text

Throw Back - An Honest Assessment

This past weekend I had to whip together a paper to complete my study abroad credit required for my major. Essentially they want Global Studies students to explain how studying abroad being required for our major helps us in the long run.

The main prompts were :

How and why did you choose your program location?

Did you also complete your Global Studies internship while you were studying abroad?

Please review your study abroad learning goals with me. To what extent did you manage to achieve these goals?

What were some strategies that you used to adjust to the culture of [study abroad host country]? Did you find that you had to adapt or develop new skills in your academic, personal, or professional life?

Do you have any advice for other students preparing to study abroad?

Now that you have returned, what do you want to do with the experiences you had while studying abroad? Has studying abroad changed your personal worldview

I realized while writing this paper, 2 hours after it was due, that there were two points missing. The first being honesty, because there’s a lot of things that I left out due to this being an academic paper. The second is that it was impersonal to my journey abroad. I realized that I often talk about “being gone” but the average person has no idea where I went. So for post 3 I guess it’s time to start over, and be honest. This is going to broken up into a summary of what I was doing abroad and then my most asked questions.

Summary

Between June 2018 through December 2018 I was gifted with the opportunity to work and study in the beautiful country of Spain. And when I say gifted, I mean I worked my actual butt off and had about 32 mental breakdowns to go to Spain. I find the idea that I have to grateful for some “divine right” of being given a visa kind of ridiculous. As I was the one that found the job and school program. I was also the one that filled out all the paper work, found my apartment, and acheived the required grades and work experience. But I guess I was lucky my plane didn’t crash and I made it there so I’m blessed but I digress. I spent the first 3 months in the hustle and bustle of Madrid which I followed with 4 months in the serenity of Sevilla.

As a quick over view, I had 5 main goals while working and, eventually, studying abroad:

Learning general business management skills

Gain experience in online marketing

Gain experience working with multicultural clients and leads

Develop an understanding of Spanish business culture and operational practices

Further develop language skills - specifically by working and living in Spanish

More or less I was able to achieve these goals by doing the simple thing of showing up. I went to work every day and put myself out there to meet new people. My boss allowed me to work on a case load basis. This meant my schedule depended on how efficiently I worked. This is the best type of work for me because I like to power through a few days with long hours and then have more time free. I’m, by nature, an efficient person and prefer to work smarter not harder. Along with that being able to work with a small start-up meant that I was very hands on within the company from day one. I was able to build and execute full campaigns and services while most interns got coffee. This made my experience unique and I enjoyed every minute. I had a lot of very different and amazing days at work. My most memorable day was when we got to visit the headquarters for Santander. If you’ve spent any time with me in person I’ve probably mentioned this HQ many times. It is a whole self sustaining ecosystem within the name of headquarters. There was a hotel for guests, a water park, soccer stadium, golf course, full conference center, and loads of self sustaining buildings for the workers. Honestly, I’m awestruck thinking about it.

After my whirlwind summer in Madrid I moved to Sevilla, which is in the southern-most autonomous community of Spain. Ill plop a map below to show where I lived and I’ll star other places I’ve been to or visited. Sevilla is the hottest city in Europe and did not let down on this claim. I would say nearly the entirety of the first month or so maintained a steady 100 degrees. This was one of the reasons I actually chose Sevilla when looking for a place to study. I was taking 3 classes at El Universidad de Pablo de Olavide and 2 courses within my program house at CEA. IT was pretty cool being able to go to school with actual Spaniards. My only complaint being I never actually interacted with them. The greatest downfall of this trip is that my university went to great lengths to alienate the Americans from other students. I don’t know why they did this, but had I known I would’ve gone to the other university option.

In reality, Sevilla wasn’t my favorite place on earth. It wasn’t anything against the city in general, because it was beautiful and the people were kind. I’m a city girl deep down and 200k people isn’t enough for me, especially after being in a place as big as Madrid beforehand. But the biggest experience in Sevilla was actually how often I left. In my time abroad I visited 9 other countries besides Spain and 7 other cities in Spain. I was bouncing around almost every single weekend of my time studying. It was tiring and by the end I was so sick that one of my first visits once back in the USA was Urgent Care. I know, poor me getting sick because I went to too many countries. It is something to consider though. The human body isn't made to be on a plane 3 out of 7 days a week for 4 months straight. I hit most of the continent and one country in Africa so I’m 4 continents down and 3 to go (I think I see Asia in my near future). I know I would’ve enjoyed Sevilla more had I given it the chance, but I didn’t have the time. There's also the chance had I done the reverse order of trips I would've liked Sevilla more. It also would've meant my entire experience would be different. I needed to be in the places I was at the times I was there because that’s what was written for me. Someday I’ll be back Sevilla, I promise. NODO is written on my heart forever.

Questions

How did I choose Spain?

It was pretty simple to be honest. I knew that I wanted to go to Europe because one of the biggest points to studying abroad is that ability to travel while abroad. By choosing Europe I would have that opportunity because traveling is cheap and every country is so different. I also knew that I wanted to study in a country where I could practice my second language skills. Once I decided Spain was where I wanted to go, I needed to find which city in Spain I wanted to go to. There were four options for Spain through my business program: Madrid, Barcelona, Sevilla, or Granada. I knew that I didn’t want to go to Madrid or Barcelona because I had already lived there at some point. This made the final two choices either Sevilla or Granada. Really the deciding factor was that Sevilla offered an excursion to Morocco. Having that extra excursion was so enticing I couldn’t miss the opportunity to say I was in Africa.

How did you adjust? / Weren’t you nervous about being alone?

These two question kind of tie hand in hand. I believe this because no matter how a person words these two questions what they’re trying to say is “I’m too scared to do this so why are you different?”. A few years ago I was listening to a Simon Sinek talk about performance under pressure (I’ll link it below). He made an interesting point to how every Olympic athlete is asked whether they were nervous. What's interesting is that they all say “no I’m excited”. The human’s reaction to the fear and excitement is exactly the same and it’s all in how you interpret them. I have been working ever since hearing that to tell myself that "no I’m excited" when I start to feel fear bubble up. But if that doesn’t work, I say ‘ok I’m scared’ and then I do it anyway. Everyone fears the unknown, but great adventurer embrace that and go anyway. I want to be a great adventurer so I venture on.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBF9xXhSFRc

Second, my lack of fear about moving far away is a direct correspondence to how my parents raised me. When my mom was 18 years old, she packed up all her stuff and moved 2,930 miles to Milwaukee, Wisconsin from Honduras. Then many summers later, my parents packed up all my stuff and shipped my brother and I 2930 miles back to Honduras. We weren’t raised to be afraid of not being home. Home is where I am. This mind set means I’m pretty much comfortable wherever my feet land. I know that if I am comfortable with myself, I will be safe in my environment. That is something I thank my parents for instilling in me everyday.

Now when it comes to adjusting, everyone handles it different. Most people in my program were very into the “I’m an American, and if you dont like it you can get out…oh wait…well yeehaw anyway”. That’s not my style. I try to completely immerse myself wherever I am. Even if it was for a weekend. I did have the advantage that I had already lived in Spain 2 years prior as an Au pair. I had a general idea of what everything was going to be like and was already used to the culture. But I had the MAJOR advantage of, for the first time in my life, I looked like the people I was surrounded by. I didn’t stick out as someone who was super different once I got over the different style choices. I mainly had to worry about adapting in my personal and professional life. The relationships in Spain between people are different, more personal, and it is very easy to know a lot about the people you surround yourself with. Even at work, I knew my superiors in a more informal life than I would ever know an American boss. Friends and family often live close to each other so it’s common to see them a few times a week as opposed to a few times a month. Personal space doesn’t exist in Spain. In both the literal fact that Spaniards are always touching each other. But also in the fact that they know a lot about the people they associate with. I had to work hard to break out of my shell in order to assimilate to their close knit society.

My second way of adjusting was that during my time in Madrid, I had 0 American friends. If I even heard an American accent I would turn the other way and walk out. It sounds harsh but it’s true. If you want to assimilate to a new society you can’t be by the norms of your own. My two closest friends spoke English fluently, but most of the other people in my life spoke English as a second language or not at all. You are forced to adjust when you aren’t given a choice. Advice my mom gave me once was, “go on lots of dates, but dont date anyone”. It sounds weird but that was super helpful. I’m not ashamed to admit I went on dates during my time abroad, and it was never with Americans. There is no better time to practice your second language than when you’re trying to impress someone. The most important part of a relationship is communication so I had to be on my toes. I was also able to see what dating culture was like in another country, which is super fascinating. Interacting with only Spaniards and a few other people from other European cultures also made me a better person. It helped me see how others viewed America and why. Many times I was able to dispel stereotypes or rumors, but sometimes I had to face the fact oh wait that is true. It’s not always fun, but I do know I’m more aware of my actions now because of it.

Finally, if you want to adjust somewhere new, do some research! I watched so many kids in my program struggle with simple things that could be solved by typing ‘Spain’ into google. I did some research before moving to Madrid and Sevilla about what the culture was like there. I tried to adjust myself to their eating style and life time tables prior to moving. It's the smallest things that make the biggest impact. Already adjusting to things like eating at 10pm meant that it was easier for me to meet people right away.

What advice do I have?

I get asked a lot if I have advice for people interested in traveling or studying abroad. It’s a weird question because I definitely do, but it’s not like you’re actually going to listen. My biggest advice is that if you’re going to do anything in life be all in. Don’t go abroad to hang out with American’s every day and do everything you do in the USA, that’s a waste of your time and money. It’s also disrespectful to the people you’re living around. I will never understand the people that never even tried to make Spanish friends or do anything within Spanish culture. Why did you even come?

My second piece of advice is fall in love. No, I don’t mean with your soulmate and get married type of fall in love. I mean fall in love with where you are and where you live. Fall in love with the nuances of everything surrounding you. Fall in love with who you were yesterday, who you are now, and who you will be tomorrow. Fall in love with the friends that come into your life and why they’re important. Fall in love with the fact you aren't home. Fall in love with fear. If you want a great experience you have to strive for it. You have to know that not every day is going to be sunshine and rainbows and love that.

Finally, be knowledgable. The saying goes “no one likes a know-it-all”, but I’m suspicious of how many people enjoy incompetence too much. Being knowledgable about something isn’t lame or weird. It’s actually helpful and I hate this stigma of “oh I’ll wing it”. You waste a lot of time and energy doing that when simple preparation could’ve been done. The amount of times I seemed like a PhD historian because I had bothered to look up what a castle was or where a good place to eat was is unbelievable. I’m not crazy smart, and I dont have a photographic memory. I have access to a smartphone and use it to be smart. Shocking. So be intelligent. Look things up. Know what’s going on even if it’s the basics. I rather be a know it all that understands my surroundings than someone who has to rely on others. You need to learn how to survive on your own if you want to be an adult. Google is an amazing service you can use. Be open to learning new thing and meeting new people. It’s okay to think something is better somewhere else besides the usa. It doesn’t make you unpatriotic, it actually makes you a better citizen.

Enjoy this pic of my amazing roommates:

#blog #weekly thoughts #spain #study abroad #faq #summary #abroad #internship #long post #throwback

0 notes