#in this the bishops keep some of their abilities even with their connection to the crowns completely severed

[auduux]

I'm writing a cotl swap au so here's a cotl non-swap au

I'm not sure what i'm calling this but it's centered around the bishops of the old faith a lot. It's also centered around the new crown bearers (the goat will make an appearance in this but they are not the bearer of the purple crown in this timeline, they're from an alternate timeline). The swap au I'm writing is also leshycat not narilamb if anyone was wondering. (There will also be a bit of leshycat angst in this because my yellowcat was saved from darkwood after their village was burned down and family sacrificed)

There is no art and will never be art because I cannot art :(

The crown bearers are as follows: Lambert (Red), Thena (Blue), Tretyna (Yellow), Breno (Purple), and Jano (Green). Lambert is a lamb (obviously), Thena is a dama gazelle, Tretyna is a mutated geep (sheep/goat hybrid) with two heads, Breno is a yak, and Jano is a greater kudu.

If anyone's wondering about pronouns Lambert uses he/they (he preferred over they), Thena uses she/her, Tretyna uses they/them, Breno uses he/him (transmasc), and Jano uses they/she (they preferred over she). And yes, all of them are named after my fallen cultists except Lambert.

Out of them all, Jano is the largest height-wise. Breno is the largest stature-wise, then it's Tretyna, then Thena, and then it's Lambert. Most of the modern crown bearers did not know each other but they stay moderately friendly with each other and their cults.

Tretyna was not killed because they're largely goat-passing. And heretics avoided them.

Very small interaction between Lambert and Leshy inside Darkwood after Jano took over it under the cut.

LE: "I do not smell anything...where are my flowers? Where is the dirt underneath my feet? Why can I not smell anything at all?"

LA: "The flowers have been gone for a while...and everything else. Well, not the dirt of course, it's just mostly ash now." LE: "Ash...? That fool turned Darkwood to ash? Is this what our ancestors wanted to happen? For our forests to be turned to ASH?!"

[tmntkiseki]

So this is one thought that has rotated in my brain ever since I watched through the entire 2003 series for the first time, but as much as I love Donatello and consider him my favorite turtle, there is one not-so-tiny thing that bugs me and that's the fact that he does probably go through the least character development of the four turtles despite going through some genuinely terrible shit.

When I think of some of the stuff Donatello goes through during the series, the stuff that makes me think "Good lord, WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO MY BOY," the three incidents that stick out the most are the Triceraton Mind Probe from the Space Invaders arc, the entirety of Same As It Never Was, and the Outbreak Saga/Good Genes Arc. The Triceraton Mind Probe scene is one that is physically painful to watch. Don is writhing and screaming the whole time as the probe rapidly picks through his memories trying to find information on Professor Honeycutt's whereabouts, and it's clear that at one point he becomes so scared that he begs for help from his father. Fortunately, his spiritual connection with Splinter allows him overpower the device and short circuit it, but if he hadn't had such a strong bond with him, who knows what would have happened.

Same As It Never Was... what needs to be said at this point? Donatello gets transported to a bad future where the Shredder rules the world, Splinter and Casey are dead, and the turtles have disbanded after their version of Don disappeared 30 years prior. Donatello watches all three of his brothers die protecting him, and at the end of the episode laments the fate of his poor brothers and just how nightmarish the world is before he's warped away. And that's just the tl;dr version.

Good Genes arc, though, oh my god. I feel a major reason why this arc is so good is because it plays on an idea presented on Same As It Never Was--that is, Donatello, with his level head and ability to come up with ingenious solutions to problems the turtles encounter, is what's keeping the team together. As a result of the Outbreak virus, Donatello undergoes a secondary mutation that turns him into a violent, aggressive monster and it's stated because of reactions with the Utrom mutagen already in his blood, his body is breaking down; if he's not cured, he will die. The knowledge that Donatello may perish if nothing is done is bad enough, but even just not having their brother there mentally is enough to mess up the entire team dynamic. In their desperation to save him, they go so far as to make a deal with Bishop, who Leonardo openly compares to the Devil himself, and their actions ultimately lead to the events of the Ninja Tribunal arc the following season. It was the single most dire situation the turtles were in since Exodus, and it wasn't even an entire galaxy at stake; just their beloved brother.

But despite all that, Donatello doesn't actually change much as a result of these events. That's because, more often than not, the stuff that happens to him is more used to fuel his brothers emotional reactions and development than his own. Good Genes is probably the best example of this because even though Donatello is the one physically suffering during the arc, it's Leonardo, Raphael, and Michelangelo who get all the interesting emotional reactions to their present situation; Leonardo finds himself almost completely lost on what to do without Don, and Raphael and Michelangelo, who are absolutely devastated over Don's transformation, spend much of the arc eerily quiet when compared to their usual selves. The only thing we get in terms of Don is the fact that he doesn't remember what happened while he was "sick," and is thus frustrated by how much his brothers end up coddling him in the wake of the incident (which unfortunately isn't all that important since we're about to enter the Ninja Tribunal arc.)

It really is unfortunate that Donatello doesn't go through much development because I otherwise love everything about him. Besides his intelligence, techno savvy, and ability to quickly pick up skills that might be useful to the team (I'm also very biased towards his Bō not due to its strength as a weapon, but it's amount of utility both in and outside combat), I'm absolutely floored by just how nice and gentle he is. He's still got plenty of sass hidden in his shell and can be quite snippy when he's annoyed, but he shows a lot of emotional sensitivity and is very empathetic; this is especially shown in his sibling dynamics with Raphael and Michelangelo, whose relationships tend to be the most...tumultuous? Of the turtles. I don't have a better word for it.

As an aside, I genuinely feel like The King doesn't get enough credit where it's due because yeah, it's a touching tribute to the late Jack Kirby, but it's important as a Donatello-focused episode because it's not focused on his status as the genius inventor of the turtles; instead, we look at his nature as a kind, friendly individual who is very sentimental and doesn't take loss very well. He quickly strikes up a friendship with Kirby, who is one of the few humans not to reject Donatello just because he's a 5'2" mutant turtle, and they end up having a fun adventure in the alternate dimension where all of Kirby's drawings end up disappearing to. Unfortunately, Donatello is unable to pull Kirby back through the portal in time as it's closing; the alternate ending, which is closer to original Mirage issue the episode is based on, really hammered in just how deeply this affected Don, since he absolutely refuses to talk to Raphael and walks off to be by himself, gazing solemnly at the drawing Kirby was able to send through the portal. "Life at best is bittersweet. Take care of yourself."

God damn it, my poor son.

[mildy-vibing]

So I made a loose AU on the little cult game.

Though, I must give ample warning. There is the canon-typical blood and violence that is associated. Though, if you're into this game, I can assume you're used to that sort of violence by now.

Allow me to present what we call 'Trapped Crown'. So, manage through the idea me and my friend made over lunch like a week ago and continue to flesh out.

So the Crown is simply named 'Red'. Sentient, and surprisingly not as connected to The One Who Waits as one might expect. I don't remember if it was explicitly said, but it is implied there were other bearers of the Red Crown (Ex. Ratau).

First digital design of Basile made by me.

So the idea was "What if a previous wearer of the Red Crown got trapped in it and is forced to help the current lamb?" And here we are. This AU is actually inspired by the many discord calls of my friend and I playing the game. She helped me plan some of the more intricate bits of it and Basile's (the player lamb) personality based off her reactions while playing the game for the first time around me, someone who is on day 273 on a maxed out cult.

This AU is Basile the Sacraficial Beast experiencing cult leader life for the first time whilst an ancient soul within the Red Crown is forcibly there to keep her company.

Basile is what we lovingly call a "golden retriever" given how we both came to the conclusion that she is optimism incarnate. A big heart and always caring for her people. She considers them close family, and is too scared to let them down. However, She is too scared to face the bishops, having to have been convinced by Red to even confront Leshy at the end of Darkwood and further convinced to crusade into Anura.

'Red' is an ancient wearer of the Crown. Having lived at least 850+ years ago. They were the first to be given the crown to raise a cult and free to One Who Waits. Now, they are forever trapped inside by the One Who Waits for failing that task. Red is a more pessimistic, "soggy black cat" (my friend, 2024), that is also a sarcastic but loyal companion to the new cult leader.

I do want to make more content for the little AU because my friend and I actually love writing and drawing for it. Though, the only thing stopping us really is our ability to keep up with our own plans. So, this may be it, or more may come out. Who will know?

[csyched]

Since some people seem to like my QDS rambles i think i will keep going… :>

Did you know i really love QDS Gale? And I will tell you everything I love about how he was written and how I have analyzed him after being into QDS for over a year. Mind you, spoilers for volumes 1+2, though it's only regarding Gale himself and nothing else, and I try to keep the big moments vague. Also, this is a long post.

First off, I think Yu Godai does a fantastic job writing her own interpretation of Gale. Since he wasn’t an original character of hers, he’s quite different in the novel series, yet I would argue that his character arc is written better and of course, more stretched out than it is in DDS. There is more of a slow-burn in terms of his development, and even if you can’t read the later volumes apart from the summaries available (I had to machine translate the entirety of vol. 5 lmao), you still can see how he changes throughout the series, and it’s really nice to see it through.

In QDS, rather than having an instant awakening, Gale has to grapple with difficult emotions like anxiety and frustration a bit more slowly as things in his environment begin to change. Another different component is that because of changing conditions of the world, he is denied of his role by Serph and is stuck back at base for many missions, hence his developing frustration. Thus, he starts to question his worth within the Junkyard, and because of the "thought conditioning" that he and all other bishops in the Junkyard were put through, it’s even more difficult for him to try and rationalize these unfamiliar emotions. (At one point, he even tries to run an internal diagnostic check because he's so confused about what he is feeling). For him, someone who has been born to act as an obedient machine, emotions are unnecessary and an obstacle in his job. Additionally, it's clear the sudden change is something he is not designed to handle. This leads to him repressing his feelings as a defense mechanism. It ends up protecting him as intended later on (ooh does that part get interesting by the way!), but it leaves him struggling to connect to the people around him. Most people brush him off as cold and uncaring with his nature of relying on logic for strategy.

Clearly though, Gale does care, and he is self-aware. He just has no idea how to express it all.

Gradually, Gale does begin to break, starting with the unease he feels with his unfulfilling role. He isn't allowed to fight alongside his comrades, nor do normal bishop duties (everything in the Junkyard is breaking), and he's essentially being grounded like a child, his ideas very often dismissed. With the weight of this and confusing, contradicting orders from his leader, we get to see Gale crack under all of this pressure. There is an expectation for him to be a bishop and listen to orders obediently, but to also change and adapt and understand everything like everyone else, including complex emotions. It’s a ridiculous expectation, of course, which leads me to a bit of an off-tangent point.

As an autistic person, reading and focusing on Gale’s perspective felt… painfully familiar. Sure, there are obvious things like his monotone voice and low variety in facial expression, things I also have. There’s also his hypersensitivity, something he is equipped with due to being a bishop. Additionally, there is a certain level of infantilization I think he is treated with, made more noticeable by the fact that he is the oldest in the Embryon. But something I also recognized as relatable was that inherent and instant expectation for Gale to quickly grasp the intentions of others and the nuances of their emotions and perspectives. In response, Gale begins to develop an ability to predict how people will react (e.g., he develops a tactical plan according to how he thinks Serph will like it and will respond to the current situation, his commanding style being of slight irrationality and emotional ��hunches” that Gale doesn’t understand, but tries to) and he really does try to empathize with his comrades out of his own concern... it's just hard. And he isn't given much patience with it, clearly.

Additionally, he misses “obvious” social cues, yet is hyper-vigilant, or very self-aware in how he talks to people, to the point of fearing rejection or punishment. For example, he:

Thinks he's in trouble and being detained when Sera holds his hands when he goes unconscious, and is then assumed to be ungrateful

Misses sarcastic jokes by Cielo

Provides prolonged explanations that are usually unprompted, at least not to be in such high detail

Immediately assumes punishment from Serph when failing a certain responsibility he was given

I believe these are things that some, or many autistic people have experienced in their life. For me, I was recently diagnosed as an adult, and understanding the way I interact with others is eye-opening, yet frustrating and painful since it’s taken so many years of utter confusion to get here. Many of us grow up with a distinct feeling of "what is wrong with me?". I believe that Gale truly deserved some grace, but nothing ever goes well in QDS, sadly. I can promise you however, that Gale gets to learn and grow a lot in the series.

And if you want to know more about Gale in QDS, I'd be happy to share more. These novels deserve a lot more spotlight.

[blurryfce300]

i had several thoughts while driving so here those are:

blurryface and ned’s connection

this started with me noticing a weird pattern in my blurry glasses (official merch btw) and it reminded me of another character, ned. it looks like green and purple waves or almøst glitchy? anyways it reminded me of what we saw ned’s vision look like in chlorine.

(legitimately the only place i could see the pattern was in a bathroom stall i have no idea why)

ned’s vision is blurred arøund the edges, which isn’t all that interesting but what is intriguing is how ned’s vision has a chromatic abberation filter on it (its kinda glitchy.) blurry’s glasses even løøk like ned’s eyes, or i guess ned’s eyes look like blurry’s glasses, with the white rim and huge black circular lenses.

visual similarities aside, ned and blurry have deeper ties to one anøther. firstly, what they were born out øf.

blurryface is a being created as a physical manifestation of things such as depression, anxiety, self-døubt, negativity, and møst importantly to this discussion, insecurities. the areas øf blurry that are painted black have meaning, and his hands specifically are representative of the insecurity related to things that tyler creates. ned on the øther hand is a being made to represent creativity and the ups and downs of the creative process. ned stands for neuro expansion device, too.

blurry and ned are created from the same things, but from opposite ends of the spectrum when it cømes to those things.

lore-wise, they’ve got søme connections tøø. there are nine bishops and nine neds. we’ve seen 8 of them, with keons holding the antlers of the ninth one. with keons’ death, there are 8 bishops too. however, with the disappearance of the ned who gave tyler his antlers in the outside, there’s once again øne fewer ned than bishøp. but initially, there were an even amount øf neds and bishops.

bøth blurry and ned have somewhat similar writing/typing styles, with blurry’s all caps and weird spacing and ned’s all caps writing and incorrect spelling/missing letters.

they were also introduced in similar ways. we met one first (one singular blurryface entity in his era and one ned in chlorine) and then were introduced to eight more in the following era (the nine bishops in trench and the øther eight neds in the outside.)

———————————————————————————

this is where i get into more theory-ish territory. we never see blurry use antlers to control anyone. now maybe they just hadn’t created ned or laid out the specifics of psychokinesis at that point, or maybe blurry døesn’t need the antlers to use psychokinesis. maybe that’s just sømething he can do naturally without any help. the bishops need the antlers. they cannot use psychokinesis on their own.

given the connections blurry and ned have, is it possible that they came from the same place? or that they were once part of the same being? when trench was created, and when blurry was put into that world and split, was he split even further than i had previously thought? was he not just split into nine bishops who hold the title of blurryface and represent the same things he døes, but also split to create nine neds?

or were the neds created as a respønse to blurry’s split into the bishops, taking some of his abilities (namely his ability to use psychokinesis without antlers) and giving them to a new type øf entity to keep the power out of their hands? this clearly didn’t wørk as intended, and wøuld that be yet anøther instance of a bishop or the bishops as a whole trying to regain sømething they lost from when they were blurryface?

(the first instance being nico calling himself blurryface i made a whole post about that already so tldr nico wants to høld øntø the past by using the name blurryface because thats what his song, stressed øut, is abøut)

[cyberneticatoms]

no way is that LYOSHA TORRES..they’re a 27-year-old HUMAN notoriously known for being SELF-DESTRUCTIVE & RESERVED but there are some people who have seen them being DETAIL-ORIENTED & PRACTICAL. if you ask me, they remind me a lot of ink bleeding into paper, the ticking of the clock, and drops racing down a window, but that could just be because they’re considered the LOST SOUL around town. just keep an eye on them  &  see if their true colors shine through..

↳ 𝚀𝚄𝙸𝙲𝙺 𝙵𝙰𝙲𝚃𝚂

NAME: Aleksei Bishop Torres NICKNAMES: Lyosha DATE OF BIRTH: March 5th (27) HEIGHT: 5'10 AFFILIATION: Skyport Mafia OCCUPATION: Paralegal at Bishop and Associates FACECLAIM: Nico Greetham

TW: child abuse, mutilation, murder

↳ 𝙱𝙰𝙲𝙺𝙶𝚁𝙾𝚄𝙽𝙳

❖ Lyosha was the only son, to an accomplished neuroscientist and her husband, the pregnancy wasn't planned but like most things she was quick to devise a plan. Growing up he was close to his father, who while skilled in his own field in engineering, had never been as ruthless in his ambitions. His father passed away when he was still young, barely 4 at the time. ❖ After that he was left alone for long periods of time, occasionally with a nanny. Though it wasn't long before his mother made him her latest project. The first step being controlling when he'd speak, not wanting to deal with a noisy child. She had his vocal cords surgically removed, an implant was placed inside his brain that connected to a speaker box he wore. His mother was able to turn it off whenever she'd prefer him to be silent. ❖ His education was a mix of private tutors and schools, rarely given time to socialize though that felt too awkward at times. The excuse usually given for being mute had been that he'd been ill much the same way his father had been. The expectation was that he didn't need a social life, he'd one day become his mother's assistant and help her move her career forward. ❖ He was in the middle of his degree in university when he met Connie Bishop, now he knows she'd been searching for potential recruits to the Skyport Mafia or for her more legitimate legal practice. At the time though she'd simply been a woman who seemed interested in his intellect. ❖ While the prospect of joining her firm had been enticing, even debating switching majors, going against his mother wasn't something he thought himself capable of. At least not until he was finally able to confide in Connie all she'd put him through. He wasn't sure what he expected her to do, but when she said they could take care of it, if he'd trust her, he found it hard to argue. ❖ Murder wasn't something he'd ever consider himself capable of, but with Connie and Cassie, it been fairly simple. And while it wasn't asked of him, he split her life insurance money between the three of them, and officially joined the Skyport Mafia. Now he works under Connie in both the Mafia and at her practice, staying close to his new makeshift family and doing everything he can to be useful to them.

↳ 𝙼𝙸𝚂𝙲

• Connie offered to help Lyosha get surgery done to regain the ability to speak. However he politely declined, there was a likelihood it wouldn't work or be too painful on his throat. • She also offered to invest in a speaker box that could have more than just a neutral monotone. He again declined, having grown attached to the voice he'd programmed into it, even if it is monotone. • When he wants to be more expressive he opts to use sign language, it's also an easier way for him to communicate quicker with Cassie.

[dailycharacteroption]

Engineer (Investigator Archetype)

(art by James Ng from jamesngart.com)

  I’ve ragged about the book on and off ever since I read it, but Construct Handbook continues to frustrate me. This time, it isn’t even my favorite complaint about the lack of options for characters that want to build constructs, rather than destroy them, but rather, that today’s option already has a similar counterpart in another book that arguably did it better!

Today’s subject is the engineer, an investigator whose profession is specifically a builder of machines and mechanisms. They have an array of neat little gadgets and spare parts that they can use to make useful little devices.

The only issue is, the scavenger investigator already does that, but arguably better since their gadgets are their reflavored extracts, whereas the engineer converts their inspiration pool into gadgets which they can then hand out. Hell, scavenger even gets craft construct and bonuses to crafting magic items.

However…

I can’t rag on the engineer too hard. After all, we’ve had plenty of archetypes which cover the same ground to varying degrees or more, and these archetypes can coexist in the same place, with one having a greater focus on gadgets and constructs than the other, and aside from the mechanical benefits of the scavenger’s gadgetry, there’s no reason you can’t reflavor the engineer’s extracts as gadgets too. (Sadly, the two archetypes cannot be stacked since they have overlapping ability replacements)

Indeed, the engineer, as we will soon see, might just be perfect for a low-tech take on the steampunk aesthetic.

 The defining feature of these engineers is their ability to spend inspiration and about a minute’s work to cobble together a small device that can help them with an upcoming task. Normally these last for a few minutes before the delicate mechanisms have to be recycled if they are not used before the point, but as they grow in skill eventually they can make them last hours. These mechanisms can take many forms, such as perhaps an inflatable ballast for swimming, or a mini-grapnel to assist in climbing. They can even be used to aid in combat, though it costs more inspiration to do so. What’s more, while these devices can be handed out, a person can only reliably hold and utilize one at a time.

Beyond this, these engineers have a greater understanding of constructs and more mundane works of engineering.

It’s a simple archetype, but if you wish you could share your inspiration pool with others, this archetype might be for you. No matter what build you go with, you should probably make some room for increasing the number of uses of inspiration you have, so that you can keep handing your allies little buffs here and there throughout the day. Again, however, if you want your character to have more direct connection to constructs without spending feats, you’re better off with the scavenger archetype.

 Having a gadget for every situation is always fun, regardless of whether it gives a bonus or emulates a spell effect. With this archetype, however, you may have to use a bit more creativity to articulate exactly what the device is and how it’s providing the extra dice to a roll.

  Though an eccentric man, the many inventions and keen mind of Dr. Balcanas often see him called in to investigate many strange events. One such case is the sudden uptick of the nearly-skeletal halfling mortics known as jitterbones. What has led to so many of them appearing? Were they there all along? What does all this portend?

 Kavasi the tinker fills her shop with all sorts of wonders, ranging from simple windup toys to useful, well-engineered tools. However, there is something that she hides behind her new life here, for she is in fact a vishkanya assassin, taking her extensive knowledge of simple automatons which she once used to end lives.

 A bishop has been found murdered, and the fragmented remains of some sort of spring-loaded device was found beneath the open window of his room. The only person in town who deals with such devices is a local tinkerer, but he denies all knowledge of it. It will be up to the party to find out what is really going on.

[emfunerals]

Orthodox Burial Customs

In the orthodox faith, there is a strong belief in eternal life. This is evident throughout the funeral and church service.

Mourners receive lit candles upon entering the church. They keep them lit during the entire service. The priest or bishop will lead mourners through prayers, readings and rites, and may even provide Holy Communion.

Caskets

The casket is a very important part of an orthodox burial customs. In addition to being a place for mourners to pay their respects, it is also where the deceased’s robes are placed.

It is common to see a Christ icon or the cross on top of the casket. It is believed that this will guide the soul to heaven.

A wake or viewing is usually held the night before the funeral, which is an opportunity for eulogies and the Trisagion Service. The body is washed and dressed before being placed in the casket. Embalming is permissible, but cremation is not. The Church does not condone suicide, and it may refuse to hold a Church funeral for someone who committed suicide. Mourners are encouraged to kiss the casket before saying goodbye.

Graves

According to the prepaid funerals, a person's body is "the temple of God" and must be respected. Cremation isn't practiced, and the body is buried in a casket.

Following the funeral, there's a Makaria or "Meal of Mercy." This can be held in the Church hall, a restaurant, or in the family home. It's a time to share memories and offer support.

Typically, people view the body before burial and pause in front of the casket. Those of the Greek Orthodox faith often bow and kiss an icon or cross placed on the casket. It's also acceptable to call, visit, or send a card to the bereaved to express your condolences. Food isn't considered an appropriate gift, though. Many mourners avoid social gatherings for 40 days after death.

Candles

During the funeral service, mourners receive lit candles which they hold throughout the service. They are a symbol of their faith in God and their hope for His help in time of need. Candles are also used in church as a sign of worshippers offering themselves to God.

They are a common feature of Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and some other churches. Worshippers hold the candles during readings from the Gospels on Holy Friday, during Lamentations on Holy Saturday, at funeral services, and memorial services.

People may also carry candles to their homes as a sign of their love for the dead. They are also believed to bring blessings and protection to the home. People sometimes even believe that candles have magical properties, such as having the ability to make rain fall.

Koliva

Koliva, or kollybos in ancient Greek, is a dish made of boiled wheat with a mixture of nuts and honey. It is brought to the church during funerals and memorial services, which take place at various intervals after a person dies and twice a year on Saturdays of Souls.

This ritual food is an important part of Orthodox burials, as it reminds mourners that life is cyclical and that death is not final. It also serves as a reminder of Christ’s promise of eternal life.

It is best to prepare koliva the night before the memorial service, but you can assemble them on the day of the service as well. Just make sure that they are well covered and kept in the fridge. This way they will be able to maintain their shape.

Crowns

The ancient Greeks saw marriage and death as a wedding of mortals with gods, which carried over into modern funerals. The connection between death and marriage is symbolized by the crowning of the head with wedding crowns, called stefana, that connect with one another with a ribbon.

The priest exchanges the crowns three times to signify that the union between a man and woman is sealed. The koumparos or best man brings the crowns, which are usually made of embroidered white cloth blossoms.

After the graveside service, mourners gather for a luncheon. This meal can be held at a family member or friend's home, a restaurant or event space. It is often referred to as a “Meal of Mercy”. This event helps families and friends connect, remember and heal.

[lazyvase]

TMNT 2036 Season 1

Ok so. I've laid out all the big players for my iteration. While there are still a few characters I want to go over, I think now I can actually go over some of my ideas for episodes, plotlines, and arcs. (Arcs will last around 13 episodes).

? Guide: One question mark means I don't know the order. Two question marks mean I don't know the order and the title. Three question marks mean I have a vague concept.

Arc One: Father Bother

As the turtles begin to explore the surface, an overbearing Splinter accompanies them. We set up the key players here.

Episode 1: "Welcome to Stockman Industries." On their 15th birthday, the turtles finally get to accompany Splinter to the surface. After some brief shenanigans, they are caught by MOUSERS. They are locked up, with Splinter being separated from them, and are planned to be experimented on. Local hacktivist April O'Neil, after discovering some shady things during her internship, attempts to expose Stockman Industries. She gets caught. To avoid leaving evidence, Stockman attempts to have her be eaten by the the turtles. Fortunately, they don't (though Raph is tempted). The turtles and April team up to escape and rescue Splinter. They take on WRATHS and MOUSERS. Bebop and Rocksteady easily overpower the turtles. April frees Splinter and he easily overpowers Bebop and Rocksteady. They all escape. Concerned with the Toe Clan's abilities, Stockman calls Shredder.

Episode 2: "Back to the Sewers". We explore the turtle's lair. The turtles and April try to convince Splinter to let the turtles back onto the surface. After an attack from some MOUSERS, Splinter agrees, for his family will never be safe until Stockman is stopped. Also, getting out of the lair would help prevent it from being discovered. Shredder reviews the footage of the turtles sent by Stockman, and sets his sights on them.

Episode 3: "The Technodrome". The Toe Clan and April go to the Technodrome, the coolest arcade in NYC. Shenanigans ensue. Stockman and Chaplin hack the robotic employees to attack the Toe Clan. At the end its revealed to the audience that the manager, Craig, is some pink, squishy brain thing. He plans to keep the turtles quiet at any cost.

Episode ?: "Misstep". Upon discovering the connection between the Foot Clan and Stockman, April O'Neil does some investigation and discovers the Foot Clan's criminal activity. Splinter, in disbelief that the Clan would go down this path, leads a mission to confront the Foot Clan. It's in this episode that we learn Splinter's pre-mutation backstory. We hear the greatness of Oroku Saki. Ironically, the Toe Clan has their first fight with Foot Elite. Note: Sometime before this episode (or maybe even in this episode) I want the turtles to tell April each of their conflicting ideas about Splinter's origin. Leo believes Splinter was once human and a respected ninja master, who was turned into a rat mutant by his fallen pupil. Raph believes that Splinter was once a famous action movie star, who spent years fighting in a death arena full of monsters. The exposure to gallons of monster blood slowly turned him into a rat mutant. Donnie believes that Splinter is the only successful attempt at a government project aimed to resurrect history's greatest warriors in order to create an unstoppable army. Mikey says a rat was accidentally enrolled in a dojo. The rat was later struck by lighting and turned into a rat mutant.

Episode ?: "A Day At The Aquarium". The Toe Clan and April go to the aquarium. They discover that it's a front for the Black Dragons Gang. They fight the Black Dragons and their gang leader, Xiomara Montes.

Episode ???: Introduce Hun and The Purple Dragon Corporation.

Episode ???: Introduce Bishop and X-Triad Agents. Supermarket set.

Episode ???: Mutant of the Week

Episode ???: Comic con adventure (subject to be moved).

Episode ? ?: "Wyrm Removal". The Toe Clan and April try to save the mutant worm, Wyrm. He doesn't make it easy.

Episode ?: "Unfriendly Competition". The turtles and April are trying to get enough Technodrome Tickets in order to get a limited edition Genghis Frog action figure. Unfortunately, some of April's bullies are after it too. Note: Karai and Casey (and Natsu?)

Episode ???: Leatherhead returns to the turtles. Splinter is not happy.

Episode 13: "Wrong Foot Forward". The Foot Clan and Stockman Industries enter an official partnership in order to take down The Purple/Black Dragons and The Toe Clan. Splinter breaks his leg. Note: Well, Splinter actually doesn't break his leg, Foot Elite breaks it. You see Foot Elite has a power-level of 4 turtles, meaning that really only Splinter can go one on one with him. At first, Splinter is going all out on him. However, during the fight, Foot Elite's hat and faceplate is knocked off, revealing that he's Oroku Saki. This is a shock to Splinter and the audience. Well, maybe. Even as the Foot Elite, Saki still uses his vambraces. Meanwhile, Hattori Tatsu as Shredder uses only a sword. Now that Splinter knows he's fighting his former master, best friend, and brother, he starts holding back. This held him open to a devastating attack by Saki. Note 2: The partnership results in Foot Tech Ninjas and prototype Footbots.

Arc Two: Bad Friends

Episode 14: "First Steps". Wanting revenge, the turtles attempt to take the Foot Clan head on and sabotage their deal with Stockman. But without Splinter leading them, the mission faces major setbacks. Meanwhile, Splinter tries to join the boys despite his leg. A mysterious figure makes this even harder. Note: It's The Rat King. And he's gonna be with Splinter for the rest of this arc.

Episode 15 "Rat Cage": The turtles do everything in their power to make sure Splinter stays put and heals. Escapades ensue. Meanwhile, Donnie gets an online girlfriend. Note: This is mainly so we have time for "Metalhead2021" to be regularly mentioned throughout the latter half of the season. This is a surprise tool that will help us later.

Episode ???: Turtles learn Craig's true identity: Krang. Note: Must come before "My Lab Teacher's a Monkey"

Episode ??: Bishop is forced to team up with Zog. After an "accident" with her breathing apparatus, the turtles get their own personal Triceraton Warrior.

Episode ???: Meet Nobody

Episode ?: "My Lab Teacher's a Monkey". April is stuck with Casey as a lab partner. Krang gives the turtles special holographic technology to look like humans. They attend school with April. An accident results in the mutation of April's science teacher, Dr. Rockwell.

Epsiode ??: Bishop leads an all out attack on Krang.

Episode ???: Foot Tech Ninjas

Episode ???: Mutant of the Week

Episode ???: Protoype Foot Bot

Episode ??: Thinking that his brothers aren't doing enough to stop the Foot, Raph becomes the vigilante Nightwatcher. He meets the vigilante Skullcrusher, and the two become a force to be reckoned with.

Episode ??: Donnie finally meets his online girlfriend face to face. His brothers are incredibly suspicious.

Episode 26: "The Gauntlet". With Stockman's new mech suit about to be unveiled, The Toe Clan springs into action. Splinter has a rematch with Foot Elite. The Turtles face the Shredder. Everyone faces the Stockman Pod.

[magicbutsevenofit]

Chapter 31: Hausen House Part 3

Haruken, hanging out with Castor, flirts with Razette. He's about to ask Castor where he met her before they're interrupted by Labrador's apprentice, Wida, who's running around looking for him. Castor tells him to look around tree roots and lo and behold, that's where they find him.

We cut back to the Hausen House in a flashback where Seilan finds Xianglu's impaled body. We then somewhat confusedly immediately cut back to the present where a butler tells Xiangli that Teito knows his food was drugged. Xiangli coldly asks him that, should they murder him, how do they expect to explain it to the bishop that came with him? The butlers apologize, saying they had to act because there's a chance that they are true travelers of Seele. Xiangli responds by saying if that's the case, they need to strike more carefully...

Later, Seilan quizzes Teito on what he learned about the Houses of God before asking him, if he knows how important they are, why is he so casual towards them? After all, the head of the House is chosen by the Pope who is equal to the Emperor. Teito, in shock, asks if that means that the First District's House of God is the Imperial Army. Seilan confirms that it is, specifically the Barsburg Family. But that's not important: Seilan is pissed that Teito is acting improperly in front of the master. Teito asks if he has a lot of respect for the Houses of God. Seilan says yes: the master took him in when he was a kid and treated him like family so he won't forgive him being disrespected. Teito says he's jealous of how Seilan is able to protect the ones he loves. Seilan then tells Teito that the mission of the Sixth District's House of God was to assassinate those who threaten the prosperity of the Empire. He tells Teito to be careful because of that. Teito says he'll be careful...as he goes into Xianglu's room to look for clues pertaining to the assassin.

The guy from yesterday had an interest in those clothes so it makes sense for him to look inside, right? If Seilan doesn't let him in, he'll just find another butler...Seilan then reluctantly sneaks him in. Teito sees some dolls and assumes they're connected before he spots a family portrait. Master Xinglu...looks exactly like Castor.

Seilan says Master Xinglu was young but he had the abilities of a genius. But he was still young so there were many who wanted to take his position away from him. Xiangli himself was very cold towards him. Only his mom was allowed to be nice to him. He never opened up to anyone. He had a hobby of making dolls to keep himself occupied. All of his dolls looked like his mother. His mother belonged to his father so he decided he would make a mother for himself (Yeah, even Seiland had make a paging Dr. Freud joke there...). He hoped that by making a doll so perfect, he would experience a love that would change his life. One day, an organization planning the assassination of the king of Raggs was completely wiped out by Xinglu and his boys. Then in the building's walls, they hear a song. Xinglu goes over to a room and finds Razette singing. Entranced, Xinglu takes her back to his mansion to bathe her and she falls for him hard. Her singing healed his lonely heart...so naturally, his father notices him slipping and calls him out on being too distracted to get stronger. Xinglu takes Seilan out back, showing him a tree he planted when he was a child. He says if anything happens to him, it's Seilan's job to take care of that tree.

Xinglu would go back to see who the ringleader of the organization left behind. It was the women and children who killed themselves. Xinglu bemoans to himself why innocents have to get involved in this. He's a part of a House of God but shit like this keeps him from believing in God at all. Razette takes his face and smiles when he gets back but Xinglu is just depressed he can't even recognize the expression. He can't even smile.

Razette teaches him how to and Xinglu started making dolls based on her. Because he wanted to make friends for her, according to him. The date of his inheritance was decided but he doesn't want to become head of the family. He wants to be a puppet master. He wants to sing, perform on a stage and travel the world with Razette at her side. And they can search for Razette's homeland together.

So then the Raggs War began and the land fell to ruin. The families on the side of the Raggs Kingdom fought the Barsburg Empire and fell in battle. To save their families, the families agreed that they will give the Empire the head of their true master. Xingli confronts Xinglu, saying he can't give his son's head over because he's the one who has to carry the burden of this family. So he tells what he has to do instead: have Razette change her head into his and take his place. Xinglu freaks out but Xingli embraces him, saying he's his son and he wasn't going to hand him over to anyone. Razette walks in and Xingli strikes...but Xinglu jumps in the way, smiling as he's killed. The chapter ends with a member of the Seven Gods descending upon his corpse...

[hyaenidaed]

Development. Small misc headcanons about the twin verse

He’s in Scarbia, he’s kind of like Jamil’s back up when he gets his hands too full. Bishop is pretty easy to deal with when you give him something he wants (money, food, jewelry, etc). He occasionally does chores for the other Scarabia members in return for some extra cash or class notes.

I wouldn’t say he’s friends with anyone in Scarabia though, he’s probably closest to Jamil but thee both of them are aware the other are a fucking snake so they keep eachother at arm’s length. (and then there’s Kalim who thinks he’s friends with everyone, and Bishop occasionally entertains this). He doesn’t have any friends at all, tbh.

He’s the younger twin.Ruggie is older by like a minute or two. But he doesn’t like being treated like a younger sibling or anyone who needs to rely on family. Kalim has a habit of treating him like a sibling and Bishop hates it. And this makes Ruggie’s attempts to connect with his younger brother a little difficult.

His hair is long, a little bit past his shoulders, he keeps it up in a high ponytail.

Abit of a flirt, Pansexual and proud. Though most know that he would only seriously date someone rich.

He’s demi/aromantic. He doesn’t really think romance exists but hey if someone can prove him wrong, he wouldn’t mind.

Kalim forced him to join the Light Music Club since he was refusing to join any club at all, and turns out that Bishop is actually a very good singer. But he refuses to do anything live, so he mostly just does the mixing/set up for Lillia, Cater, and Kalim. He explained the only reason his voice is good because he would practice for street performances and get money that way. When the three have their escapades out of the classroom, Bishop stays behind and makes it seem like the room is still in use so the club doesn’t get in trouble. This is normally when he practices his own singing, when he’s alone.

His unique magic is called ‘Sleeping in the Elephant Graveyard’ and with it he can fake his own death. He cannot use this ability on anyone else. He can snap out of it with a kind of trigger that he sets up beforehand (an alarm on his phone, for example. If he hears it he’ll wake up). If he doesn’t set up a trigger, then it’s possible he’ll be out for a whole day. While he’s under the magic, his pulse completely stops, his eyes are unresponsive, and he stops breathing. When he awakens he feels a bit nauseous and is normally physically weak for a few hours as his body catches up with being alive again. As a last ditch defense mechanism incase someone really thinks he is dead and moves his body, he will automatically be woken up if something sharp punctures his skin, so stab him to make sure he’s really dead, I guess.

He faked his death during the Chapter 4 bullshit so he could escape being mindcontrolled by overblot jamil. He sit the trigger as someone taking a blanket off of him that he hid himself under - so when they were cleaning up the next morning and someone found him, they pulled back the blanket and screamed and slowly Bishop woke up after Kalim and Jamil appeared - thinking he was actually dead. That’s when the dorm found out about his unique magic. Kalim clung to him and cried alot after finding out. Jamil was just glad he hadn’t actually killed anyone.

Like my canon verse Ruggie, Bishop doesn’t have a tail and wears a fake and hopes to get a prosthetic one day. He hasn’t told anyone how he lost it, especially not Ruggie.

Ruggie might have a good work ethic but Bishop is a sleezeball. He’d rather cheat his way to the talk then work hard. Hence why he doesn’t have part time jobs like Ruggie. He normally has scams set up or does stuff in the town near the college like street performing or something of the like for extra money. Also it helps being in a dorm with Kalim cause if he asks for a few bucks for something, Kalim will just give it to him. But even Bishop has SOME manners, and doesn’t take advantage of Kalim unless he really needs to.

[mayans-sauce]

Virgin🖤

Gif Credit: @thedevilsmoonshine

Pairing: Bishop Losa x Reader

Word count: 1.6K

Warnings: NSFW, 18+, virgin reader (also yes she is on the pill), a bit of swearing

Request by @sweetestreyes Heyyyy! I have a request for our presidente, maybe some cute smut like the reader confessing Bishop she’s a virgin so he’s all romantic and careful with her? Thanks a lot corazón 🖤

A/N: thanks for the request! I’m sorry it’s a little late but I hope you like it❤️ I think you can tell that I was in my Bishop feels while writing this! I went all out and I really put all my English abilities that I have into this! Like I REALLY wanted you to feel like this was your first time with him. And also Bishop calling reader sweetheart is my fucking kink *heart eyes*

Let me know if you want to be added to the taglist or join my ❗️group chat❗️ if you want to get notified when I post because the tags can be broken sometimes❤️

💖Main Masterlist💖 💖Bishop Masterlist💖

Thank you so much for reading and supporting! It really means a lot💋 I love you all😘

You had been together with Bishop a little over two months now. Those two months were the best you have had in a long time. He was sweet and caring to you. Sex hadn't really been discussed yet. When he mentioned it you always came up with an excuse like that you were tired or just wasn't in the mood. You didn't want to tell him the real reason yet as to why, and that was that you were still a virgin. You never felt that he pressured you when you were having a late night make out session on the couch and his actions got a little bit rougher. He always stopped and asks if it was alright. When you told him that you weren't really in the mood tonight he just nodded his head and cuddled you instead.

Nights like these happened a lot and you always felt bad that you weren't taking this big step with him. Bishop didn't seem to mind. He always told you that he would wait until you felt ready, having no clue that you were keeping a big secret from him.

—————————

Tonight was the night you were going to tell him and hopefully have him take your virginity. As always after a long day at work for you and him at the clubhouse, you found yourself tangled against each other on the couch. Lips moving against one another as his hands explored your body. Yours around his neck to keep him to you. The movie that you had put in for movie night completely forgotten.

His lips felt so good against yours. His hands roaming your curves made your whole body tingle in delight. You wanted to go even further. You so wanted to take the next step with him. But you were scared. What if he rejected you? Didn't want to be with you when you told him that you were a virgin? You knew that he would never think that but your insecurities took over. You stopped him when you felt his arms pulling you closer to him, his lips getting a little bit rougher against yours.

“Bishop wait”. He pulled away from you, looking at your face. “What is it sweetheart?” his hand coming to rest on your cheek. “I.. I.. um”. “You can tell me anything you know that..”. Alright here goes nothing you thought.

“I'm a... virgin”. You looked down, almost as if you were ashamed. His fingers grabbed you chin and pulled your face to look at him again. “Why didn't you tell me?” “I was ashamed that.. you didn't want me”. “Didn't want you?” He shook his head at that, letting out a laugh. “I want you so much baby. I was afraid that you didn't want me.. but now I know why. I'm sorry if you have ever felt pressured to have sex with me. I never ever want that”. You gave him a sweet kiss on the lips. Those were the exact words you needed to hear. To make you confident to ask him to take it to the next level. “I've never felt pressured Obispo. You've always been nice to me”. He brought his lips to your forehead leaving a lingering kiss. “How about we just cuddle for the night yeah?”

You shook your head no, bringing this lips to yours for a needy kiss. You wanted him. You needed him now. “What are you doing?” “I want you Bishop. I want you so bad.. please”. “Are you sure? We don't need to if you are not ready baby”. “I want to.. so bad.. please”. He made you straddle him. Your lips kissing the flesh of his neck, leaving light marks, while he picked you up and carried you to the bedroom.

Laying you both gently down on the bed. You loved the weight of him on top of you while he kissed you so good. He removed his shirt and pants until he was only in his boxers. He then proceeded to help you with your clothing. Groaning out when he took you shirt off. Your beautiful, naked torso laid out in front of him. “Fuck.. you are the most beautiful woman I have ever laid my eyes on”.

Giving you a quick kiss on the lips before his lips started to wander down. Leaving sloppy, wet kisses on your tender neck, sucking on your sweet spot. Down the valley of your breast and stopping to give some love to both of your nipples. Your back arching at the wonderful feeling.

His lips came to a stop at your covered core. He was looking up at you. Taking in the beautiful girl before him. “Can I taste you?” You frantically nodded your head at him, wanting him to continue.

Hooking his thumbs in the waistband of your shorts and panties he pulled them down you legs. He licked his lips when he saw your pussy. Already wet and ready for his waiting mouth. Spreading your legs as far as they could go to get a complete view of you. “So beautiful”. He started with kisses on your inner thigh and worked his way to your waiting core. Looking up at you to take in your reactions at what he was doing. His tongue licked up a broad strip across your centre. You let out a gasp at the feeling. Throwing your head back while one of your hands found their home in his hair.

“Fuck.. Bishop.. please”. His lips wrapping around your bundle of nerves. Switching between sucking and licking your little pearl. “Fuck that feels so good”. “Yeah you like this querida?” “Yes.. god yes..”. Your senses was overwhelmed with pleasure. You were going to cum soon and Bishop took notice and pulled away from you. Letting out a frustrated groan as the pleasure was taken away from you.

“Mmm.. you taste so sweet baby. As much as I would love to feel you come undone on my tongue, I really need to be inside of you sweetheart. I want us to cum together”. Leaning down to kiss you. Lips moving desperately against each other to try and savour the flavour of one another. Taking his boxers off and taking himself in his hand to pump a few times. Your mouth hung open at the sight of him. You just wanted to feel every inc of him inside of you. Rubbing the head of his cock against your folds to coat himself in your juices. His tip at your entrance as he looked at your face for confirmation to continue. “I'm ready Bishop”.

He slowly pushed inside of your tight walls. You let out a whimper at the slight pain. “Are you alright? Do you want to stop?” “No.. please keep going”. When he was fully inside of you he took his time to kiss all over your face, making you giggle out. His little journey of kisses ended with a sweet kiss on your lips. “I love you”. That was the first time he has ever said that to you and it made your heart almost burst out of your chest. “I love you too. Now please move. I want to feel you”.

He pushed himself out until only his tip was inside of you before he pushed in again. Doing this a few times to get you adjusted to him. “Please Bishop.. faster”. He let out a throaty groan and buried his face in your neck at your commands. Picking up his speed. Not to fast but not to slow either. Just enough to make you both climb closer to euphoria. “Fuck you feels so good sweetheart” he said against your neck. Sucking and licking the soft skin. You let out sweet whimpers and moans that Bishop took notice off. If he could he would only listen to those sounds for the rest of his life.

He brought his forehead to yours. Looking into each other's eyes as your release came closer and closer. Wrapping your arms and legs around him to keep him as close as possible to you. He supported himself on one elbow while his other arm went down to where you were connected to circle your bundle of nerves, making your whole body tingle in delight. “Fuck.. fuck I'm almost there Bishop”. He picked his pace up, wanting you to cum for him. The thought of that he was going to be the first man to ever make you cum like this had his head fucking spinning.

“Cum for me sweetheart. I want to feel you”. That was all it took. Your walls pulsating around him as your pleasure took completely over your body. Head thrown back as your saw stars in your eyes at the amazing feeling. One last thrust from him and he spilled himself inside of you. Coating your walls with his warm seed. Burying his face in your neck again to conceal his moans of pleasure. He continued to thrust himself inside of you to ride out your high.

Once you both slowly started to come down from the sky he pressed his lips to yours. Pulling you on top of him while he was still nested inside of you. Listening to his calming heart beat as he stroked your hair lovingly. None of you speaking for a moment. Just enjoying each other warmth and touch as you calmed down.

You were the first one to speak. “That was incredible. Thank you for being so sweet and caring to me”. “Always sweetheart and do you know how hot it is that I'm the first man that has ever made you come undone like that”. You lifted your head to look at him. “Really?” He nodded his head. “Well lucky for you, you are the only one that is allowed to make me cum like that for the rest of our lives”. “Oh I'm counting on it baby”.

“I love you Obispo”.

“I love you Y/N”.

[homeformyheart]

everything - adam du mortain x f!detective (twc)

day 7 - pain

author’s note:  i’m trying to keep the prompts for this month relatively light and it took me a while to think of something for ‘pain’ that wasn’t angsty, so i hope you enjoy!

copyright: all characters, except my oc detective, are owned by mishka jenkins @seraphinitegames. series/pairing: the wayhaven chronicles – adam du mortain x f!detective (regina bishop) rating/warnings: 16+; swearing, pregnancy / childbirth word count: 1.9k based on/prompt: day 7 – pain from #28dateswithunitbravo challenge by @wayhavenmonthly summary: regina goes into labor while adam is away on a mission.

everything

regina stepped back to admire her handiwork with a satisfied smile, farah standing next to her with an arm around her shoulders.

“it looks really good, don’t you think?” she mused, taking in the soft lavender walls of the nursery decorated with plants and baby animals.

“you know adam’s going to kill you when he finds out you did any sort of physical labor while he was gone,” farah said, helping regina move the ladder and paint supplies to the corner of the room.

“you’d be surprised what i’ve been able to get away with,” regina shrugged, rubbing her large belly. “besides, by the time he comes back, the baby’ll practically be here.”

at thirty-eight weeks, she couldn’t see her toes and had adopted what she affectionately described as the “penguin waddle.” she groaned as she lowered herself on the couch, motioning to farah to help her settle her feet on top of a cushion.

“is that why you insisted he go on this emergency mission? so you could finish decorating the nursery on your own?” farah asked.

regina smiled smugly as she turned on the television. “about that emergency mission…”

farah turned to look at her. “don’t tell me…?”

“he and nate were getting on my nerves with all their fussing! so i asked rebecca if there was a low-risk assignment out of town she could give them that wouldn’t raise questions,” she said with a shrug.

her jaw dropped. she was both surprised that regina would mislead adam given how worried he’s been the past few months, and proud of her audacity.

“i’m guessing they’ve been getting on her nerves too. or maybe my dad was the same way. either way, she agreed in a heartbeat,” regina said.

farah shook her head fondly. “oh, i knew there was a reason i liked you,” she said, chuckling.

regina felt a sharp kick in her stomach and rubbed a hand soothingly over the spot. their son was due any day now and she was incredibly excited to meet him. it took a while for adam to come around to the idea of being a father, more so because of how it represented her human mortality more than anything else. even though the concept of family had taken on new meaning when she met unit bravo, she still felt like something was missing.

she had always wondered how different things would be had she gotten to know her father. or if her mother had been around more. they always had a good enough relationship, but it didn’t make up for the fact that for most of her upbringing, she didn’t really feel like she had a family.

and she wanted that so much for her and adam. even knowing how he felt about humans and about her mortality, it was still something she had hoped to have one day. multiple children preferably, since being an only child was incredibly lonely. it had taken a long time for adam to come around to the idea.

if she was being truly honest with herself, she wanted him to have a family line again, one that he could look after if she chose to stay human. they hadn’t talked about that possibility yet, and she certainly hadn’t thought about it too much, but she knew they’d have to decide eventually.

a sharp pain in her stomach made her gasp loudly. farah’s head whipped toward her.

“what’s wrong?”

regina just shook her head and pressed her lips together, squeezing her eyes shut until the pain had passed. “i think it’s just braxton hicks contractions. i’ll be fine.”

farah’s brow furrowed in concern and she didn’t look convinced. “maybe i should call adam. or maybe we should get you to the hospital, just in case.”

“let’s not worry him yet,” she said, wincing as she tried to stand up. “i’ll walk around a bit and get some water, that should help.”

farah leaped up from the couch and gave regina her arm for support. she rolled her eyes but took it anyway as they walked to the kitchen, glad that she wasn’t alone right now.

* * * * * adam wiped his hands with the towel nate had handed to him after they secured their charge in the back of the suv. he thought it was odd that agent bishop would assign them a mission as simple as transporting a rare supernatural breed back to the facility, but he wasn’t one to question orders. the mission wasn’t as simple as they all thought it would be given the creature, which on the outside looked like a hybrid sabretooth tiger and panther, had large wings that could send any one of them flying.

they were able to sedate the creature before it had a chance to escape, but adam made a mental note to recommend the agency build stronger cages for transporting such creatures. he was relieved that they were done with time to spare and he was hopeful he could be back with regina before the baby was born.

the ringing of his agency cell phone broke through the quiet of the car. at the sound of farah’s panicked voice, his grip on the phone tightened, the plastic beginning to crack.

“what? when? where? i’ll be right there!”

nate looked over at adam with concern, sharing a knowing look with morgan, who stepped out of the car.

“go, we’ll finish the mission and meet you at the hospital,” nate said, squeezing adam’s shoulder reassuringly. “you’ll be faster on foot.”

adam gave nate a relieved nod and stepped out of the car. morgan slid into the driver’s seat, adam disappearing before she could even turn on the ignition.

* * * * * rebecca had used her connections to make sure that regina had a private room to herself as they waited for adam and the doctor to arrive.

“where is he?” regina whined, wincing at the next contraction that hit. rebecca handed her more ice chips, which she took gratefully.

“on that mission you sent him on?” farah teased, pacing around the small room, choosing to ignore regina’s glares and rebecca’s pinched sighs.

“just breathe, regina,” rebecca said in her best soothing voice.

regina was getting really tired of being told to breathe. “can someone just call him again please?”

adam stormed into the hospital, slowing his pace so as not to arouse suspicion. he barely noticed the blinding, fluorescent lights, given he had only one thing on his mind.

“where is my wife? regina bishop-du mortain. she’s in labor,” he said brusquely, to the receptionist on duty, who raised an eyebrow at his tone.

he mumbled an apology before sprinting to the room they told him to go to, only letting out a sigh of relief once he opened the door and saw that regina was fine.

well, as fine as she could be given the amount of pain she was in.

“no one told me this would hurt this much!” she cried, feeling overwhelmed as the contractions began to come stronger.

“i’m here,” he said quickly, giving her a kiss on the forehead and grabbing her hand.

rebecca gave him an understanding nod and stood up from her seat, motioning for farah to follow her out. “i’m going to go get some coffee and check in with the team.”

“i’m sorry, i came as fast as i could,” adam murmured, wincing at the sound of regina’s cries as another contraction hit her.

she gripped his hand tightly and he was thankful that his vampire abilities allowed him to withstand her crushing grip. he was pretty sure a human could not handle being a pregnant woman’s stress ball. nate and morgan walked in, faces pinched at the sterile smell and fluorescent lights, just as regina let out another pained gasp.

“i’ll take getting stabbed with needles by murphy over this. please make it stop!” she whined, tossing her head from side-to-side as adam tried to mop the sweat from her brow with a towel.

morgan scoffed. “you don’t remember shit from that night, do you? we all thought you were done for.”

regina glared at her. “have you ever pushed a bowling ball out of your body? no? then shut up!”

nate covered up a laugh with a cough, smiling as morgan let out a huff and stormed out of the room.

“if i could bear this pain for you, i would in a heartbeat,” adam murmured, drawing soothing circles on the back of her hand with his thumb.

“while i appreciate the sentiment, that doesn’t help me! where is my doctor?!” she snapped, trying to take deep, calming breaths.

“i’ll go find out,” nate offered, eager to avoid the pregnant woman’s ire.

it didn’t take long before the doctor arrived and announced that she was ready to head to the delivery room. she held adam’s hand tightly on the way to the room, grateful that the doctor and nurses insisted that everyone else needed to stay in the waiting area. she didn’t think she could even handle rebecca being in the room.

the amount of relief she felt instantly evaporated once she was told to start pushing. if it wasn’t for adam, holding firmly onto her hand and distracting her with stories from the most memorable missions he led before arriving in wayhaven, she was sure she would’ve passed out from stress and exhaustion hours ago.

“i don’t think i can do this,” she whispered, tears in her eyes, as the doctor encouraged her keep pushing.

adam wiped the sweat from her forehead and leaned in close. “yes, you can. you have survived a blood transfusion, multiple kidnappings, and protected everyone around you time and time again. you are stronger than you give yourself credit for. you can do this.”

regina nodded weakly, but with a renewed look of determination on her face. she gave everything she had in one final push and instantly fell back in exhausted relief at the sound of the baby’s cries echoing throughout the room. she cracked open one eye to see adam cradling their son close despite the smells and sounds that must be overwhelming his senses.

by the time she was back in her room, she was feeling a little more like her normal self. adam kept saying how proud he was of her and how amazing she was, and she was just happy to finally have the family she always wanted. she didn’t bother to hold back the tears that spilled when she held her son for the first time, or seeing the overwhelmed look on rebecca’s face when she got to hold her grandchild. each member of unit bravo took turns holding their son, and even morgan’s grumpy demeanor softened at the new addition.

“i was thinking we could name him jacques rook du mortain,” she said softly, leaning into adam’s side as he wrapped his arm around her, having perched himself on the bed to keep her close.

he looked down at her, eyes shining with unshed tears, moved by the significance of her suggestion.

“thank you,” he whispered, leaning in to give her a kiss. “for giving me everything and more, my love.”

* * * * * permatag: @kelseaaa; @kat-tia801; @anotherbeingsworld; @crackerdumortain; @pearlsandsteel; @gloynporslen; @sosolenoo; @alyssalauren;  @wayhavenots; @gingerbreton; @takemyopenheart​; @writer-ish; @fhauvilles;

[thorne93]

The Stars Made Us (Part 7)

Prompt: In this world, you’re one of the “lucky” ones who got a soulmate, but what if the universe gives you more than you bargained for?

(Prompt challenge – You live in a world where your soulmate can write on their skin and you will get the writing on your own and vice versa. Where they can wash away the ink on their own skin, however, the writing is forever scarred onto your skin until you meet face to face)

Word Count: 2438

Warnings: angst and language throughout

Notes: This was supposed to be for @sorryimacrapwriter​​​​  and their challenge like a year ago, I think? I still loved the prompt though and have been working on this story for quite some time. This aesthetic was made by @dontshootmespence​​​​, thank you so much! Beta’d by @like-a-bag-of-potatoes​​​​, couldn’t have done it without you, as well as @carryonmyswansong​​​​ and @arrow-guy​​​​ and @mrs-dragneel-stark-solo​​​​

~~~~~~~~~~~

Also, I’ve never really liked the whole soulmate AU thing idea, but this felt so right and it was amazing to write. I hope y’all love it too!!

The next morning, you were about to meet Hank after the routine you’d set up when you saw Charles make his way towards the alcohol in the study. 

“No,” you said sternly, following him in and taking the bottle from him. “No alcohol before noon.” 

“I beg your pardon? This is my house. You are a guest here, and if I want to drink from sun up to sun down I bloody will,” he said, anger clear in his tone and frown as his eyes raked your form.

“Just until noon,” you repeated calmly. “Surely your serum will hold out until then? Why don’t you go set up a game of chess and I’ll be in the library to meet you shortly.” 

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were trying to distract me,” he noted, his face a mask of humor. 

“Good thing you don’t know any better,” you teased with a tight smile. “Please? I know it’s a passion of yours and I’ve always wanted to play.”

“Wait, you’ve never played chess?”

You shook your head, innocence wrapping your face and gesture. “No.”

“Why not? Hasn’t everyone?” 

“I was much more of a gin rummy kind of girl,” you explained. 

“Ah, I see. Not in my wheelhouse but I could give that a go,” he offered. 

“I’d love to show you… So, uh, off to the library then?” you asked. 

He smiled and laughed. “Yes, I suppose we are meeting in there. Five minutes?” 

“Sounds perfect,” you said with a smile. 

He swept around you and as soon as he was out of sight you broke out into a sprint to find Hank.

“Hey, where’d you disappear to? I’ve started on extracting the--”

“I can’t help. Not this morning.”

“What? Why not?” 

“Charles was going to start drinking and the only thing I could think of to divert his attention was a game of chess so… we’re playing chess.” 

His eyebrows shot up. “So while I’m in here, you’re going to be playing a game?” 

“I know, I’m sorry, but you want him to get better right? Maybe it’s best he has some company with humans rather than with a glass and a needle.”

Hank’s face fell. 

“I’m sorry, Hank, I know you’re doing the best you can. I just… We need to keep him focused and away from the alcohol. Think you can work on this without me?” 

“Yeah, I’ll do my best,” he said, a touch of disappointment in his tone. 

“Thanks, you’re the best. I’ll try to be back as fast as I can.”

“Don’t worry about it,” he sadly replied. “Just… go keep him company.” 

An expression of sad sympathy colored your face. All you did was nod before dashing off to the library. Charles was sitting on the right side, a small table set up with chess as he sat there staring at the board. 

You were surprised at how your heart felt every time you laid eyes on him. Even in his worst state, this man made you feel… grounded. It was as if you were walking around half-empty, then you got close to him and everything felt right with the world. Even if he was drug and alcohol dependent and a bit of an asshole, just being in his presence, everything was okay.

You walked in and sat down across from him, honestly a little nervous. Knowing this man through a screen was one thing, but sitting down across from him, it was an entirely different feeling. A different dynamic, especially since it had been a year since you’d even spoken. 

How much had he changed? How had you changed? Talking every day with one person, you knew what to expect. He was in grad school, you were in residency. He was working towards teaching, you were dealing with patients. It was a no brainer. You swapped stories of graduations, accolades, promotions, and victories. What stories would you swap now? How his adopted sibling had abandoned him, his spine neglecting his ability to walk, his school ripped away from him, not a friend in the world except the two people in this mansion with him. What kind of stories would those be?

“Alright,” you started cheerily, “how do we play?”

“So you’ve really never played?” he asked with a bemused grin. 

“No. I started to learn the rules once, from my uncle, but the idea of losing pieces just to win an endgame... “You shook your head. “It seems barbaric.” 

He laughed gently. “There’s nothing barbaric about it. It’s a highly intellectual game that involves strategy and knowing your opponent.” 

You looked up through your lashes as you glanced down at the board. “And you think you know me?” 

“I’d like to think I do, after ten years.” 

You made a noise of contemplation. “Hmm, I was under the impression you didn’t remember a thing about me.” 

“Wanting to forget you and forgetting you are two vastly different things, Y/N.” 

You smiled. 

“You’ve never said my name before,” you noted quietly, your heart fluttering and warming. He might not think it was important, or nice at all, but you’d waited a very long time to hear this. 

You were on a very different side of this romance. It appeared Charles wasn’t ready for it, but you were very much prepared to jump right in. Every little sentimental action he did, every little way he tilted his mouth, the way his eyes penetrated your very soul, the way his accent fell off his lips -- it was practically intoxicating. Here you were, swimming like a school girl like the night you found out you had a soulmate; yet it seemed for Charles you were just a guest to interact with, to mildly entertain. 

It tore your heart asunder. 

“I’m slowly learning to right some of my wrongs,” he said in a soft voice. “Alright, let’s see, so you have the pawn and the pawn can move like this, see?” he began and he took about ten minutes explaining the game to you, being very patient. 

“You ready to begin?” 

“Sure.”

So the two of you sat, playing chess, not saying a word for about twenty minutes, only halfway through the game. 

“So, did you play this when you had your powers?” you inquired cautiously. 

“Actually,” he began, making his move, taking your rook, “I did.” 

“Did you use them?” 

“I tried not to,” he explained, “but it’s like music playing in the background. You can pick up on things people are thinking if it’s loud, distinct, or stands out. So sometimes I would hear what they were thinking, sometimes I didn’t. I tried to ignore it.” 

“How did you learn to control them?”

“Practice. Quieting them was...is… the hardest part. Once that’s done, I can do the rest easily.” 

“And all the other… facets, like accessing memories, how did you learn how to do that? On a girlfriend or?” 

He laughed, his eyes never leaving the board as you studied your moves as well. “Are you trying to probe to see if I had a girlfriend previous to our… relationship?” 

You gave a quick half smile, filled with amusement. “I wasn’t consciously, but I suppose it slipped out. You’re avoiding the question, should I assume I’m right?” 

“You know, Dr. Y/L/N, not everything or everyone has to be psychoanalyzed,” he countered teasingly. 

“I know, I know. I just… I’m curious about that part of your life, that’s all.” 

“For your information, I didn’t test on my girlfriend. I actually used my step-brother. When he bullied me, afterwards, I’d probe his mind. I realized I could access memories, get into his head, and learned in there. At first, it was an accident, and I couldn’t break the link… but then when we went to sleep, it broke. Later, I purposely tried to connect, disconnect, and read thoughts. Until his father died, and they moved out that is…” 

“Did Raven ever meet Cain?”

“No. No, Raven came to us a few months after Cain’s father died and he moved away to live with his aunt.” 

“I see. So you practiced on your abusive step brother?” 

“It was all I had. Doing that to my mother felt wrong, Raven asked that I never do it to her, and with the kids at school I couldn’t tell if I was reading memories or fantasies. Your move by the way.”

“Oh, yes, right,” you said, snapping out of your sympathy induced trance. You made an arbitrary move before getting back to the conversation. “So no girlfriend?” 

“Like a dog with a bone,” he muttered.

“I prefer the term persistent.”

“No, no girlfriend in the picture. Not for some time. I dated briefly, just after Harvard.” 

“So… when you were seventeen?” 

“Mhm. She was an undergrad. She wasn’t very mature though, so it was over before it began. I knew I wouldn’t find anyone on my level. I couldn’t even legally buy cigarettes but I had graduated college, so… the odds of me finding anyone worthy of my time were slim. Of course, that was before your scribbling showed up on my arm.” 

“That wasn’t scribbling,” you accused with a laugh, fake offense in your tone. “I put a lot of time, thought, and effort into that, thank you.” 

“If that’s your example of a lot of time and effort then maybe I still haven’t met my intellectual match, hmm?” he joked. 

You narrowed your eyes before taking his bishop. 

“Maybe you spoke too soon,” you challenged as he glanced up at you and you raised an eyebrow. 

“Perhaps I did. And you?” 

“What about me?” 

“Did you have a highschool sweetheart before you knew about me?” 

“Oh, well… I don’t really see how it’s relevant--”

“Double standard, Y/N. That isn’t very nice. I was probed about my entire romantic career but I can’t get so much as a--”

“Fine. Yes. I dated. Two guys in high school. One lasted about eight months from January of sophomore year to the beginning of junior year.”

“And the second?” 

“Four months of junior year.”

“No one dazzled you senior year?” 

“Just you,” you hummed, not thinking before you answered. 

“Oh, just me?” he asked, catching your little slip up. 

Your cheeks heated before you smiled. “Yes, if I’m being totally honest.”

He was looking at you, curiosity and merriment burning in his face. He’d only glanced at you three times during this whole game. In a way, you were thankful. When he gave you a direct look you felt like you always had to overshare. When he was looking down at the board you could focus on answering carefully, filtering. When he was staring at you, it was like truth serum. 

“So what happened with the other two?” he questioned as his attention drifted back down to the board. 

“One was determined that I follow him, you know, go to the college he had his eye on, despite what I wanted. So we parted ways.” You made a move. “And the other liked a friend of mine more so we mutually ended things.” 

“Sounds like you haven’t had any bad luck with men, so that’s good.” 

“Sounds like you haven't had any luck with women. One woman throughout your whole life? You’re thirty-two.” 

“Yes, so?” 

“Well, if you only dated at seventeen--”

“Y/N, I met you, my soulmate, at twenty-one. I didn’t date after that, so, most of my life, has been with you… Romantically, that is, if that’s what you want to call this.”

“You swore off dating for me?” 

“Of course,” he said as if it were obvious, “didn’t you do the same for me?” 

“Yeah without question.”

“So why do you find it odd that I did the same?” 

“Well,” you started, nervously wringing your hands, “you’re you, you know? Handsome, accomplished, driven, confident.” 

“And you’re just a wet rag? Or what am I missing? You’re all those things as well, except handsome. I’d choose a different word.” 

“And what word might that be?” 

“Nothing short of stunning.”

His words made you blush quickly and smile to yourself. 

“So tell me, why did you commit to us but were worried I didn’t?” he wondered.

“You just have so much more going for you than I do.” 

“That’s not true. I know quite a bit about you and you’re quite the catch. Not to mention, I’m not like that. I was dedicated to you the moment we encountered each other.” 

“I’m glad to know you felt the same about this.” 

“Of course,” he concurred before the two of you finished the game, with him beating you easily. 

“Ugh, see that’s why I don’t like that vile game.” 

He chuckled. “It’s a fantastic game. You did quite well for your first time. I bet you’ll beat me next time.” 

You couldn’t help but laugh, loudly. “Not likely.”

“You should believe in yourself more.” 

“I believe in myself plenty, except when it comes to strategy games.”

“But you play gin rummy?” 

“Well that’s entirely different,” you assured with a smile as the two of you cleared the chess game. 

“Is it now? Well let’s just see. I’ve got some cards in my desk drawer there. Show me how to play  and we’ll see if it’s all that different.” 

“Okay, sure. You got to show your prowess, I’ll show you mine.” 

“There’s that feistiness I missed,” he cheered as you got up and got the cards, his words making you stop for half a second. 

So he did miss you...

“Okay, so the game is easy, especially compared to that mini war game we just played,” you joked and he smiled. Knowing you could do that to him lit you up inside. 

You explained the game, all the rules and played. He caught on quickly, which didn’t surprise you - he was practically a genius. What did surprise you however, was that he beat you at your own game. 

“How the hell did you--?” you started, flabbergasted, staring down at the table. 

“All strategy games are the same, Y/N. I’ve been playing them for a while.” 

“But this is my game and you, you just beat me.” 

“Oh, don’t be a sore loser. You’ll do fine next time.” 

“I should’ve done fine this time,” you mumbled. “Well I need to get dinner made, so I’ll be off. See you for dinner?” 

He nodded and smiled and you left, reflecting on the good bit of information you’d learned that day. And focusing on how this might not be as bad as you thought.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[the-girl-in-the-box]

Not Today VI

A/N:  This is another longer chapter, but one I've been really excited to share since I wrote it a couple days ago! Strangely enough, it's beginning to seem that writer's block leads to very long chapters... But! I’m also excited to have made my first Saturday night update. Until Wednesday then, I hope you enjoy! Skål!

Summary:  When Ivar takes the throne of Kattegat, Lagertha flees to Wessex along with Björn, Ubbe, Torvi, and the Bishop Heahmund. There, they seek the aid of King Alfred. This aid comes in the form of his sister, Aethelind, who agrees to travel to Kattegat and try to reason Ivar, who she spent some time with during their youth, when her grandfather King Ecbert hosted Ragnar Lothbrok in their castle. Now, she is the only hope for Lagertha and her supporters to retake Kattegat from Ivar the Boneless.

Masterlist

--

A few days passed once the feast ended, and the Vikings had all gathered in one of the large rooms of the castle, one which was often held for war meetings. Aethelind and Alfred had met them there, and they all now sat around a large table. Alfred, as King, sat at the head, with Aethelind at his right. Beside her was Björn, then Lagertha to his left, Heahmund to her left, then Torvi, and finally Ubbe at Alfred’s left. In the middle of the table, was a map of Kattegat, provided by the Vikings theirselves.

“So,” Alfred said, officially beginning the meeting. “What… How much of a plan have we actually got?”

The group looked between theirselves, trying to decide who should speak first. Eventually, Aethelind began. “Ivar the Boneless has taken Kattegat,” she said, drawing all attention to herself. “We need to take it back. So… how do we do that?” She took a deep breath. "As you all likely know by now, I don’t wish to see brothers fight for a throne. We need a way to take Kattegat without causing a war, if it can be done. This is… where my plan comes in.

“It is my belief, after all I have heard about Ivar, that he can, in fact, be reasoned with. This is why I wish to go to Kattegat, and try to do so. I am aware he is very unpredictable, as has been told to me by… many of you.” She looked to the Vikings, and also Bishop Heahmund. “The predicted response was that Ivar would have me killed, whether on my arrival or later, or that he wouldn’t listen to a word I had to say on this topic. But, if he is as unpredictable as I’ve heard, then it stands to reason this is not the response Ivar will have. The only thing is, I can’t go and just… tell him to hand the throne to Björn, or Lagertha, or… really, anyone. I can’t tell him to give the throne up, and expect him to listen then. I have to gain his trust before I bring something of this nature up to him. So, we need a way to excuse my presence in Kattegat so I can work on this.”

“Which, I have come up with."

Aethelind lost the attention as Alfred picked up from the unintended cue, and her brows lifted a bit. “Have you?” she questioned. She hadn’t even though he would agree to send her, truthfully.

“I have,” he confirmed. “We are going to send you to Kattegat in order to establish a good relationship with King Ivar, and his people.” Aethelind looked at him with lifted brows, wondering if he had anything in addition to that. “I am sending you there to improve relations between our kingdoms, and to negotiate on his land for peace between our people. This will give you the ability to write to me without raising suspicion, and keep you meeting with him, if you can drag it out.”

“I can do that,” Aethelind said, nodding. “I’ll be sure negotiations don’t go quickly. Difficult enough that it’s not easy to come to a perfect agreement, but easy enough that he wants to keep trying, hm?”

Björn groaned.

“If this works, it will be a good plan,” he said. "If it does not, then it will be a bad plan." Aethelind narrowed her eyes at him, her brows creasing a bit as her mouth hung slightly open.

For a moment, it seemed she struggled to come up with what to say, her lips forming words, without giving voice to them. Alfred recognized this as confusion in his sister, though until she actually spoke, he would have no way of knowing what had confused her.

He didn't have to wait for long. “Any plan that works is a good plan, and... any plan that doesn't... is.. a bad plan?” she pointed out, and Ubbe chuckled.

“What my brother means to say, is he agrees,�� he told her. “This will keep you close to Ivar, and if you can find a way to get closer to him, then he may even begin to take your advice on things. When that happens…”

“You will tell us, and we will come,” Torvi said. “When you believe he would be open to peace, most open, we will come, and prepare to fight for Kattegat. That is when you will put to him the suggestion to negotiate with us for peace. If you have gotten close enough… You may even be able to convince him based off the effect it would have on you, to see him go to war with his brothers.”

Aethelind nodded. So far, each addition to what she had planned was a good addition, one that would work well in her opinion. “Then we have a plan to bring him around,” she said. “How we negotiate him to peace, that will be up to you all. Once I am there, he will need to believe I’m firmly on his side, even once the peace talks begin. I will advocate for you as best I can, but if he for a moment suspects anything…”

This time, it was Lagertha who interrupted. “You stand chance of being attacked,” she said. “This is why, regardless of official reason to be sent to Kattegat, you must know how to defend yourself properly. Torvi and I, and Bishop Heahmund, have already agreed to train you. But I think-”

“I will also assist in her training,” Ubbe cut in, and Aethelind’s eyes widened as she turned to him. “You will need all the help you can get, to go from Princess to Shieldmaiden.”

"That is good, but she may be attacked at any given moment,” Björn pointed out. “I do not yet feel convinced this is a wise decision. If we send her, and something happens to her, how many of you will feel glad we did it, instead of going to war, when she is sacrificed and we go to war anyway? Hm?”

“Björn…” Aethelind said, turning to him. He looked down at her, determination clear in his eyes. “I will go. Everyone here is prepared to prepare me, so I have the best chance at success on this mission. And I want to go. With or without this help, I’m going to try. If your conscience will not be clean, should you agree to send me, then vote against this. But I believe you would feel better sending me, knowing you have assisted in my preparation, than taking no part in this, and simply hoping for the best results. And if I am sacrificed in the pursuit of peace, would you not rather know you did all you could to give me better odds of survival, than realizing you had decided to have no part in it, and with your assistance, it may have made enough of a difference that things would have gone another way?”

His eyes turned back to the table, unwilling to meet hers.

“You know I will go with or without your support of this. A unanimous decision is not required, and so neither is your permission.” She put her hand on his arm, and he looked back to her once more. “But I would like to have your support, and your assistance. Please, Björn. Let this victory be another in your legacy.”

Björn didn’t stop watching Aethelind, looking into her eyes that pleaded with him to agree, as he considered what she had asked of him. Everything she had said about his struggle, the decision he was having to make, was accurate. She was wise, far more wise than he would have expected upon their first meeting. Her mind would be an excellent asset, assuming all went according to plan, and her heart in this, her desperation for peace, was going to drive not to stop until she was satisfied she'd done all she could. There was no doubt in his mind that, were there no threat of physical harm to her, she would be able to do this. Her charisma and charm was natural, and she'd already had a connection with Ivar in the past. She would easily slide back into his good graces, and she would become his advisor, maybe even his wife, if the desire struck him and she agreed. Either way, if Ivar wasn’t married by the time she arrived- and who was to say? Björn certainly wouldn’t know if he had married- she would easily become the most powerful woman in Kattegat, perhaps the most powerful person in Kattegat.

After all, he knew well that being King was one thing, but it was truly the person who influenced the King, who was his most trusted council, who had the most power.

And Aethelind… Ivar was fond enough of her to speak of her when he returned from England, even in the wake of their father’s death, and of his mother’s. If Björn felt she would be safe, then he would have absolute confidence that the rest of the mission would be a success. So, the question remained:

Would he ensure her safety, or content himself with her going to Kattegat, unsure that she will be safe?

“I want another vote when it is time,” Björn said. “I will assist in your training as well, and when the time comes to send you, we must all agree that you are ready. That vote must be unanimous, or we will wait. I am a patient man, I will see that you are properly trained before you go to Kattegat.”

The way she lit up was almost worth the risk itself.

“Thank you, Björn!” she near exclaimed, and Alfred, watching this interaction, was stunned that she didn’t simply embrace the Viking there. Were this not such an important meeting, he thought she might have, so powerful was her joy at this outcome. “You will be glad you agreed, I promise you.”

“I hope I am, and I hope you prove yourself right, Princess,” he told her, and she chuckled.

“I have told you, you can call me Aethelind. The formalities are not necessary,” she protested. Now, it was his turn to chuckle.

“Who said it is a formality?”

Everyone’s eyes but his widened, though it was only her cheeks turned the slightest shade of pink, and then she smiled.

“Oh,” she managed, before letting out a slightly… stunned, really, as that was the only way it could be accurately described, laugh. “Your meaning is understood.”

Lagertha watched this with a knowing smile, her lips pressed tightly together, as her eyes met Alfred’s across the table. Ubbe and Torvi shared a knowing look, and the former leaned over to whisper to his wife, “I would not be surprised if a marriage was part of his terms to agree to send her, when the time comes.” The way Torvi lifted her brows and nodded toward Ubbe revealed she thought the same.

“Then are we all agreed?” Alfred said, clearing his throat a bit and hoping to bring the conversation back to the topic at hand. Lagertha chuckled a little at the awkwardness with which he did this.

“We are,” Björn said. “Unless there are any objections?” Silence filled the room, and so he nodded. “There are no objections, and so we are in agreement, King Alfred,” he said, and turned his head to look at the King.

“Excellent,” he said. “Then that’s the end of this matter. Aethelind, you may go and tend to anything you need or wish to, as you need not be involved in any other conversations here unless you wish to be.”

The Princess chuckled, and shook her head. “I have had enough of war meetings for the day,” she quipped. “So, if you’ll excuse me, I think I may go and ride. It’s my belief that I will have very limited time to do so in the near future, as well as in the distant future, so I’d like to enjoy it now, while I still have the time.”

Alfred chuckled, and nodded to acquiesce to this decision of hers. “Very well,” he said. “Then we shall all see you, if not sooner, for supper this evening.” She smiled and nodded.

“Indeed,” she said. “Until this evening, then.” She stood, looked around the room, and gave a small bow. “I wish you all wisdom and discernment in… whatever it is you must now discuss, and I hope for smooth discussions, and quick decisions to be made. Excuse me.”

Aethelind slipped out of the room, and started down the hall toward her own chambers to change into her riding habit. But, before an inconspicuous time had passed, Björn was up as well, and leaving the room. A silence took its remaining occupants, as they shared knowing looks with each other.

She heard the door open and shut once she was well beyond it, and turned to see who had followed her out. At the sight of Björn, she smiled, seemingly unsurprised.

“Something tells me you aren’t quite satisfied,” she commented, and he sighed, shaking his head as he approached her.

“In truth, I am not,” he confessed. He took her gently by the arm, and led her to a quieter part of the hall, where guards weren’t standing right over their shoulders. If he had had her attention in the meeting, he now had her curiosity.

“I worry about sending you, but you know this,” he said. The way her eyes darkened with concern, and her brows drew together, comforted him slightly. She wasn’t so headstrong- though she was still very much so- as not to listen to whatever he had to say. “I want you to know you can back out of this. Ivar is a dangerous man. You have not been prepared for this for your whole life, not in the way we have been, to deal with men like him. I know you and… all of those in that room believe you have figured him out, but I do not believe his unpredictability is only in the logic with which he approaches things.”

Before Björn had a chance to move on from that idea, Aethelind requested, “Would you elaborate on that?”

He nodded, and did so. “He reacts unpredictably. There is typically much logic in how he approaches strategy, much as you have, but… My brother is quick to anger, explosive rage. He killed our brother because of it. I do not doubt, if he believes he is betrayed by one he trusts, one he even cares for or loves, that he would kill that person regardless of how he has felt for them in the past. There is little room in Ivar’s mind for any grey area, for any mercies. Sigurd was a very talented fighter, but nothing prepared him for an axe being thrown into his chest, in the middle of a feast.”

The Princess winced, swallowing hard at the image put in her mind. She didn’t know anything about Sigurd Ragnarsson, but she pictured a boy who looked something like a younger Björn, mixed with Ivar as she remembered him, and a touch of Ubbe as well, a few of the features she vaguely recalled from Ragnar Lothbrok himself, with... an axe buried in his chest. The betrayal of a brother, the rage that must have been on Ivar’s face- though it was hard for her to conjure up that emotion on him, as calm and collected as he had seemed to her. The quiet shock in the crowd…

“Tell me about Sigurd,” she requested softly, and then began to walk on toward her chambers. She didn’t exactly ask if he would walk with her, but what she was learning of him, she knew he would. She was not wrong.

Björn kept pace with Aethelind, having sighed at her request, though clearly not intending to deny her. “He was a musician,” he commented. “At feasts, people would sit and listen to him play the oud. Sigurd wasn’t the… hardest man. Some become jaded and cynical when they consider war, seem to crave it in their blood, but…” He shook his head, frowning slightly and scrunching his nose the slightest bit. “Not Sigurd. He was as happy with a girl at his side and a horn of ale in his hand, sharing stories of the gods as any warrior would be on the battlefield.”

Aethelind smiled a little at the picture painted for her of the late Ragnarsson. “He seems like a good man,” she said. “He’d have fit in well here.”

Björn chuckled, and nodded a little. “I think he might have,” he agreed. “Ubbe wanted to settle here, in Wessex, on lands your grandfather granted us, and I think Sigurd might have stayed, if Ivar hadn’t killed him.”

“A musically inclined farmer, then, is that what he was?” she asked curiously.

“And a warrior, still,” Björn answered. “He fought with us in the Great Army that came to seek revenge for our father’s death.”

“The very one which killed my grandfathers, hm?” she questioned, looking up to Björn, and he nodded.

“Yes,” he confirmed. “They called him 'Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye'.” This clearly earned Aethelind’s curiosity, her brows lifting as she heard that name. Björn expanded before he was asked to. “He was born with the image of Fafnir, killed by his mother’s father, who he was named for, in his eye.”

“And who was Fafnir? A snake?” Aethelind asked. He shook his head.

“A dragon.”

Her eyes widened once more, and she gaped. “I had no idea such things really existed,” she confessed. But, there was a smile on her face. The idea intrigued her.

“If you listen to the right stories, they do,” Björn said. “But… Sigurd was also jealous of Ivar. When Ivar was born, he got most of their mother’s attention, and Sigurd was only months older than him. Sigurd never really forgave either of them for it.”

Now, Aethelind frowned, and said, “How could that have been Ivar’s fault? He would have been a child, the same as Sigurd. I don’t mean to speak ill of the dead, but… it seems to me that should have been a complaint your brother took up with his mother, not with Ivar.”

Björn shrugged. “Perhaps so,” he agreed. “But he was still cruel to Ivar at times. Ivar did lash out in a rage when he killed Sigurd, but I cannot say it was something none of us saw coming.”

“Still,” Aethelind said. “Cruel or not, I couldn’t kill either of my brothers, I don’t believe.”

“I do not believe you could either,” Björn agreed. “You are saddened by the fighting between Ubbe and I, and Ivar and Hvitserk. You want to see this conflict resolved peacefully, and we are not even your brothers. If you do not want us to fight, how much less would you be willing to fight your own brothers?”

Aethelind was silent for a few moments as they walked, her lips pressed tightly together. “Quite unwilling, I suppose,” she confirmed softly, and Björn smiled a little.

“I think this is not a bad thing,” he confessed. “You are right, in that I do not wish to fight Ivar. He is my brother, and it hurts me to see him stand against me. But it is for my father, and my mother, and my people, that I will fight him. These are the decisions a King must make, and they are rarely easy.”

“And you know why I do not envy my brother, in his position,” Aethelind said. “I would not want the throne of Wessex, nor yet of England, for the fact that I doubt I have the constitution required to make such decisions.”

The pair soon came to Aethelind’s chambers, where she stopped, and turned to face Björn at the door. Realizing they had come to their destination- or at the least, to her destination, Björn also stopped. She took a breath, then let it out slowly. “I appreciate you making it clear, I can change my mind at any time,” she told him. “I don’t believe I will, but… if I wish to, I will do so.”

Björn nodded a bit. “I am glad to hear that,” he said. “Consider it carefully, perhaps during your ride. We will begin your training tomorrow, I am sure. Until then, enjoy yourself, and rest. You will not have much time for that as we prepare you.”

Aethelind nodded, and smiled. “I will, thank you,” she said. “And thank you for supporting this plan and agreeing to help, Björn. Your support means much to me, I know you’re not sure about all of this.”

“You are right,” he said. “But, you were also right in that I cannot let you go without knowing all that could be done to prepare you- including preparing you myself- had been done. Though, dealing with Ivar…”

“I must say, I believe I am more equipped to deal with men like him than you believe,” she countered. “I have learned to work a court to my benefit since I was a young girl. How much more difficult can one man be?”

Björn considered this, and sighed. “Stay on your guard,” he warned. “Do not get overly confident in your dealings with him, and you will have a better chance.”

“At convincing him?” she questioned with a smile, but his answer made her smile fall.

“At surviving.”

Aethelind swallowed, and chuckled nervously. “I hope it doesn’t come to that,” she said, and he nodded.

“As do I. But, until this evening, I am afraid I must leave you to return to that meeting.” His eyes widened, and he made a face as if to say, ‘Save me.’ This earned a small giggle from the Princess.

“You have my condolences,” she said. “I can’t stand the things. You’ll note I slipped out the moment I was no longer needed, and have chosen to go riding instead.”

“I envy you,” Björn said. “I would far rather go riding, instead of talking over plans in there.”

"Then I hope you have the time soon,” she told him with a small smile. “When you're not training me, of course.”

Björn chuckled at the words, and smiled a little. “We will prepare you well, Princess, and you will have victory in Kattegat.”

“For the third time now, Aethelind is perfectly appropriate,” she reminded him, smiling in an amusedly exasperated way, and he smirked in response.

"And I heard you each time, Princess,” he said. “I will see you this evening.”

Her eyes widened and heart stopped as the Viking leaned in to kiss her cheek, before pulling away, and walking back toward the meeting he’d left to accompany her on her walk. Once he rounded the corner, she felt her heart start to beat quickly, and she shut the door, turning to press her back against it as she grinned.

“Lord help me,” she whispered, and laid her head back against the door.

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[aurelie-celine]

Mi Alma - Part Five

A few years ago, Miguel, Lina, Nestor, and you were laughing together in a restaurant in Florence, Italy. Back then, you thought you would have many other happy moments with them. But then everything changed - was it for the worse, or for the best?

Love, Murder, Friendship, and Trust.

Mi Alma, a story with Miguel Galindo, Nestor Oceteva, Lina Brayer (OC) and Aurélie „Elie“ Gaillard (OC)

Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four | Part Five

Warning: smut

Words: 1983

London, UK – Present

As soon as you open your front door, you see Nestor jumping from your sofa and walking toward you. Without saying anything or giving you the chance to walk away, he kisses you passionately. You take a few seconds to process before kissing him back. His reaction and his words are still hurting, but you also really missed the feeling of his lips and his arms around you. This kiss leaves you breathless, and when he pulls you in his arms, you are burying your face in his chest.

"I'm sorry, Mi Alma. I'm sorry for not believing in you. I'm sorry for thinking that you were playing with me. And I'm sorry for comparing you to Lina. Miguel explained to me why he was here as soon as you left!" he says while tightly his hold on you.

"It was 3 weeks ago, Nes ..." you say while trying to pull away to look at him.

"Yeah, I know ..." He whispers while letting you step back a little. His hands are still holding your waist, ready to pull you back if you decide to reject him.

"So why did you not come sooner?"

"I struggled a bit to process the fact that Miguel could have a Female friend."

You couldn't help yourself but smile at that statement. When Nestor sees it, he leans again to kiss you. It's a lot softer than earlier. He knows you enough to understand that you will not reject him now.

The alarm of your oven interrupts you to signal that the diner that Nestor prepared is ready. While he is dressing the plates, you open a bottle of wine and pour some into two glasses before placing them on your dining table.

As soon as the diner is finished, you basically jump on him. He catches you without any effort and takes you to the bedroom. You strip each other of your clothes. He sits against the head of the bed and pulls you on top. He grabs the back of your head to bring it toward him and kiss you with such a force that you know your lips are going to be swollen tomorrow.

You try to roll, but he holds you tight and whispers: "Ride me."

You grab his hard member and slide down, taking all of him inside of you. A moan escapes your both months at the same time. He seems bigger than you remember, and you have to stay still to get used to the feeling.

Seeing you almost in pain, Nestor cups your cheek and make you look at him.

"Maybe we should do a bit more of foreplays next time," you say softly while kissing his hand.

He was about to say something when you start to move your hips in circles. The feeling makes him pull his head back immediately.

You now bounce on him, his hands running on your thighs until they reach your ass and give you a small spank. You moan at the feeling and close your eyes. He gives you a harder one, and you fall back on him.

"You like that?" He asks you while placing his arms around your waist to hold you tight. He doesn't give you a chance to reply and start to thrust deeper and faster into you. You come almost at the same time, screaming each other names.

----

It is now eight months that you and Nestor are together. Most of the time, you see each other in your apartment, but he manages to organize a few weekends in remote places in Europe. Even if it's not like if the location matters really.

You spent more and more time on foreplays, and you could stay hours in bed with your man. You lost track of the number of beard burns you had between your thighs or bit marks on your chest. You also discover that he is your favorite flavor, and scratching his lower stomach with your nails will always make him twitch deep inside your throat.  

You never spoke about it, but he was already keeping your connection as secret as possible before, so nothing change at that level. Therefore, all the marks you leave on each other bodies have to be in hidden places. You both became really good at that and you are fine with it: you couldn't really go to work with prints of his fingers around your throat. Your waist, was much more discreet.

You were about to enter a meeting still thinking about that when you see an incoming call from a hidden number. As soon as you answer, you smile like a teenager when you recognize the voice.

"Can you take a few days off?"

"Are you organizing another nice weekend?" you ask him playfully.

"He needs you." the seriousness in his voice combined with his words make you shiver.

"I will take the first plane in the morning."

 Santo Padre, USA – Present

After almost a 20-hour journey, you finally reach Miguel's home. You came several times, and even if he always make sure that you feel comfortable, you are still a bit intimated with its size.

Nestor welcomes you at the door and gives you a quick kiss on the corner of your lips. The gestor will typically make you smile, but you can feel that he is tense and looks tired.

"What wrong?" you ask him while taking his hand and giving it a quick squeeze before releasing him. You know most house employees are somehow already aware of your relationship with him, but you also noticed several bikes.

"It's business-related, so I can't give you all the details. He is furious, and none of us can approach him."

"Us?" you interrogate him while following him inside the house toward two men that you never met before.

"This is Marcus, his new advisor, and Bishop, a business partner."

"Nice to meet you, I'm..." Before you have the chance to answer, you hear a loud sound behind the door following by Miguel's voice. You instantly go to the door and enter the room.

"What the fuck are you doing?! I ask that nobody disturb me!" he screams while slapping his hands on his desk.

"Miguel?" you say with a soft voice. When he sees you, he just crashes into his office chair behind him. Any other person over than you will have probably spent a very painful moment for disturbing him, but not you. You are his safe place. You immediately go to him and drop on your knees in front of him. You are putting your hands on his thighs before saying still with your soft voice: "What happen?"

"Elie ... I can't speak about it with you," he tells you while robbing his face with both hands before looking down at you.

"I know, but you can speak with the people standing on the other side of this door. You choose them to be around you, which means that you trusted them and their abilities to do business with you. Is it not the case anymore?"

His features soften at your words. You never push him to tell you about his "job," and you always trusted him. You proved it a few months after what happen in Morocco, in this room.

Gently placing back a lock of your hair behind your ear, he pulls you a bit toward him before leaning down to you and kissing the tip of your nose.

"Thank you."

"That's what friends are for," you say with a smile on your face.

"Yeah ..." he replies while looking at your hands still on his thighs and giving you a wink.

You laugh a bit shily before removing them and standing up. There was never any real sexual tension between Miguel and you; you just happen to be two extremely touchy people. But that doesn't mean that Miguel was not playing with it from time to time, and you have to admit that your hands were a bit too high on his thighs.

After making sure that he was presentable, you ask him if he is ready before opening the door.

"Marcus, come in," Miguels says as soon as you leave the room.

Once the door closes behind Marcus, Nestor comes to you and asks you if you already ate something today.

"Just my usual liter of coffee," you reply with an innocent smile on your face. He breath deeply while shaking his head before bringing you to the kitchen to prepare you a sandwich. As much as he hates when you replace food with coffee, you love when he prepare you something to eat.

"Don't think I didn't notice the bruises," you say pointing at his head and hands. As you say that, you can hear a laugh behind, and when you turn, you notice that the man has some matching ones. Your eyes meet for a moment, and he stops laughing almost immediately.

Bishop walks to you and shakes your hand before saying: "I'm not sure who you are but thank you. It was quite impressive that you manage to calm him so quickly."

"Yeah, she tends to do that," says Nestor while putting the sandwich in front of you. He robs your back discretely so Bishop can't see it and asks you to eat.

You thank him, but before you had the time to say anything else, Nestor asks him to follow him. They go a bit further away to discuss, so you take your phone to check your emails. That was one of your job's advantages, as long as you had an internet connection, you could work from everywhere in the world.

Felling someone looking at you, you check around you and see the man from earlier staring at you. Tall, with tattooed arms, dark hair, and a thick beard, he is a good looking guy, this you have to admit. But you don't know whether you want to hug him or punch him. You see him take a step toward you when Miguel and Marcus get out of the office. They both start giving orders to everyone, and soon after, there is just you, Miguel, Nestor, and Marcus left in the house.

"Marcus, let me properly introduce you to Aurélie. She is one of our dearest friends. Aurélie, Marcus is my new adviser."

"Aurélie? That's an unusual name. Nice to meet you." says Marcus before giving you a quick kiss on both cheeks.

"It's French. Nice to meet you too, Marcus," you reply. You like him; he seems calm and gives you a fatherly feeling.

"How long are you staying?" asks Miguel

"I actually didn't book any return ticket, so I'm not sure yet."

"Well, you know you can stay for as long as you want and use the studio to work."

The rest of the evening is just doing some small talk, but you just want to go to bed with Nestor. You understand he needed to be distant while the other men were still there, but now it's only the four of you. Unfortunately, they still have to speak about some business topic, so you excuse yourself and go to your bedroom. It's not really yours, but you always sleep in this one ever since the first time.