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peachyteabuck · 5 years ago

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enemy of my enemy is my lover

summary: you planned on just going to a meeting with an adversary, hoping to gain more territory in the process. you left with something much, much better.

pairing: mobster!bucky barnes x mobster!reader

words: 3,226

trigger warnings: smut (oral - f recieving and vaginal sex), mob dynamics

notes/other: this was inspired by ask received by @bucky-plums-barnes a long, long time ago about a mobster!bucky headcanon that describes the plot to this fic. while i could not find the exact ask (trust me, i tried), i credit the anonymous genius & gen heavily for inspiring this. thank you both!

ask box / masterlist / commission info / ko-fi

Each step you make is loud, sharp; the sound of heels clicking against the cold, cracked cement of New York City. It’s something, one of the things, that makes you powerful – sends this thick feeling of invulnerability through your veins, as if you’re some deity returning to her alter.

That feeling – one of untouchable power – has always been…sort of…hard for you to conjure. It’s not like you’re not not powerful in this world absent your fantasies. You run the second most powerful mob in the country! You’ve got a large pull in international trade! You’ve got major influence in congress and almost every state senate! You’ve got money, a smoking hot and super amazing boyfriend, and loyal coworkers. What else do you need?

Regardless of all that, roaming the streets at night never fails to send a special kind of shiver crawling across your skin. It’s a particular type of fear, one that makes you pull your steel grey coat closer to you as you roam the street, makes your hand cling tighter to the .45 in your deep, righthand pocket.

As you reach the alley where the deal you’re brokering is supposed to take place, your phone buzzes a few times in a row. You have an urge to check it, to make sure the man you love is okay, but letting your guard down now wouldn’t be wise. You’ve got to keep a keen mental sharpness about you to make sure no one kidnaps you (or worse) or fucks you over at your own deal, but still, the only person who would be texting you at this godforsaken hour is the man you left at home, and in this business you can never be too careful about the ones you care deeply about…

Your thoughts are interrupted (quite rudely, you might add), by the sound of a thick winter coat shuffling – as if someone were to be rolling their sleeves up. The noise of the fabric gets louder as the person – a man, you soon realize – steps closer. A man with sharp cheekbones and a dark beard and beautiful, pillowy lips.

His gaze, even under the dark baseball cap that lacks insignia, seems hauntingly familiar. You can’t place it, and it seems rude to ask if you’ve met before, given the circumstances. Still…something seems…recognizable about this mystery man.

You don’t realize it, though, until the man opens his mouth and asks about the new baby seal in the San Francisco zoo. It’s the right code, that’s not what throws you. Rather, it’s the gravely voice of the man you’ve been dating for years that stops you in your tracks.

“Bucky!?” you call out, completely confused and abandoning the correct coded response. “Why are you out here?”

Bucky, now meeting your eyes, seems just as bewildered as you are. “I, uh…I’m….what, what are you doing here?”

You have no idea how to respond, mind too baffled to form words. “Wh…what…”

You step closer, carefully – as if he was some rabid cat you found behind your apartment building. His beautiful baby blues are wide, eyes narrowed – you gasp when you get close enough to smell the cologne, his cologne, the exact scent you bought him for Christmas the year previous. “Are…are you…you’re…are you the White Wolf?”

Bucky visibly steps back at the mention of the street name – the street name of the guy who runs the mob that (similar to yours) is based in New York and works in black market goods. He tries to hide his shock, just in case what he thinks is happening definitely isn’t happening. In all honesty, Bucky can’t tell which one would be worse. “And, you’re uh. You’re…um…are you….are you She-Devil?”

If you were disoriented before, you have no word to describe how much your brain is short-circuiting at the thought that this man – the man you love, has secretly been running not only a mob, but a rival mob, this entire time.

“Do…wait,” you shake your head to try and collect your exceptionally scattered thoughts. “Are you the guy who wanted to negotiate territory with me?”

Bucky hesitates for a second, body tense and reluctant to say anything. You’re both still, not daring move a muscle and the both of you stare each other down. It feels like an eternity before he does anything, your surprise only growing as a massive, shit-eating grin spreads across his gorgeous, scruffy face.

It’s a look you know well, one you’ve come to both love and despise. It’s the same look he gave you when he told you he wanted to build (not pay someone else to build, build himself) a deck in a house you moved out of two months later, when he almost got a face tattoo, when he sold your house (you know, the one he wanted to build a deck for) to buy one three streets away. That’s the look he get when some grand idea that will probably turn out to be a disaster – the look that says “this may be a disaster, but the only way to see if it is will be to try it.”

In an instant, Bucky closes the gap between you and presses his lips to yours. As he arms wrap around you, you can feel him rub at the small of your back, just as he always does when he’s trying to keep you calm. “Yeah, babygirl. That’s me. I’m the White Wolf.”

You press your face in the warm embrace of his coat, muffling your speech. “But why didn’t you tell me?”

Bucky shrugs as he answers. “Didn’t want you to feel unsafe, I guess. Didn’t want you to worry about me.” He presses a kid to the top of your head. “Better question, why didn’t you tell me?”

You sigh, your small voice becoming even tinier. “I dunno…same reasons as you, I guess. Felt like I’d be dragging you into something you wouldn’t want to deal with.”

Bucky barks a laugh into the night, the sound reverberating off the tall buildings. “Seems reasonable.”

You pull away but refuse to make eye contact as tears well in your eyes and cloud your vision. For a mob leader, you’re very emotional. “Baby, are you sure? Like, are you sure this is okay? I mean, we kept this major part of our lives from each for literal years…like, does that say something about us as a couple? And we’re, like, rivals, we’re supposed to be competing against each other for money and goods and ports and clients and-“

Bucky cuts into your anxious ramblings by pulling you back into a tight bug. “Hey, hey! Baby, listen. This is a good thing! A great one, if you want it to be!”

You wipe at your nose with your hand. “Are you…what do you, are you sure? What do you mean?”

Bucky nods, eyes ablaze with excitement for the future. “Of course, baby, listen. Separate, our mobs are both powerful, right? We can agree on that. But together? With the territory, the influence, us...together, we could rule the fucking world.”

Technically, he isn’t wrong; with your strategy and Bucky’s brutal execution, your combined business could easily become the apex predator of the mob scene within the Western hemisphere. What Bucky had, you lacked, and vice versa. You’d studied his…business…for years (before you knew it was Bucky who ran the Pack, of course) as you climbed the ranks of your own mob. You know they have hands in several international black markets, have relationships with lots of lots of rich people who do lots and lots of bad things and pay lots and lots of money for those bad things.

Oh God, you’d never think being power-hungry and love drunk could feel so good. Your mind fogs over with all the things you could do if you had Bucky and his gang by your side, you could do anything. Simply by territory you’d be outgunning Hydra, let alone the combined wealth and human capital. You’ve never felt this exhilarated before in your life, the freezing night air electrifying your rib cage and-

Bucky and you grin madly. Wordlessly, you clasp hands and walk back to your shared apartment halfway across town. Both of you are silent until you’re safely inside your secured home. As you pull your hair up into a messy ponytail, Bucky began grabbing bowls for dinner.

“You know-” he said as he ladled soup out of the deep red Crock Pot. “Now that we aren’t desperately trying to hide our occupations from each other, we can move into a bigger house?’ Bucky says it like a question, but you know better.

Normally you’d tell him “no, of course we can’t do that, we can’t afford it.” But now that you both know that you’re each hiding hundreds of millions of dollars in offshore accounts, slush funds, and dummy corporations throughout the world…

“Sure,” you shrug. “Why not.”

Bucky grins like a child on Christmas. “If we’re gonna rule, we need the proper palace.”

You forego giving into Bucky’s terrible, awful joke to hang up your studded coat, to take off your business casual navy-blue pants and black button-up in, and change into a pair of workout shorts and some tie-dye hoodie you thrifted about ten years ago. Bucky calls them your “thinking clothes,” attire you wear specifically to center yourself, to clear your mind of everything except the task at hand.

During dinner, you and Bucky begin to plan how you can consolidate assets, personnel, jobs, and everything that comes with heading mobs. It’s a long talk, one that lasts long into the night and ends with hastily-drawn diagrams and maps strewn around your living room.

It takes hours and way too many pots of coffee, but eventually the plan for the merger is laid out in front of you – all the graphs and math and official language handwritten in your neat cursive (along with a few notes scrawled by Bucky) on over twenty sheets of pristine printer paper.

Bucky sighs happily when he sees it all finished. He’s standing, desperate for a bird’s eye view of the entire thing.

You, on the other hand, are much too tired to stand. You settle for, “How does it look, babe?” as you draw two lines for each of your signatures below both of your full names.

When you look up, you see Bucky – eyes twinkling with joy. “It looks…,” he sighs, happily. “Amazing. I love you so much.”

You giggle, drawing lines for a few witnesses (you’ll make a few of your associates sign tomorrow). “I love you, too, babe. Now, you still got that champagne from our visit to France?”

Somewhere between the front room and the wine fridge, Bucky had you pinned against the wall and was cupping your clothed pussy.

“While I think you look great,” Bucky murmurs against the hot skin of your neck. “You’re wearing just a little too much for me.”

In an instant he tears the skimpy shorts from your body, the sound of ripping fabric making you moan;

“Fuck,” you gasp as one digit, then another enters you. “Holy shit that feels good.”

Bucky pulls away enough to look you in the eyes, smiling as he watches your jaw slacken from the pleasure. “Yeah? You like that?”

If you could speak you would, but each word just comes out as a breathy moans. Your first orgasm hits you like a wave, Bucky pulling it from you with crooked fingers and his lips on yours.

When you come down Bucky carries you to the bed, undressing himself as you do the same.

He pulls you to the end of the bed by your ankles, pushing your legs up to your chest. He enters you easily – bottoming out within a few thrusts.

You and Bucky moan into each other’s mouths as he fucks into you.

“Oh God,” he groans, moving to kiss at your neck. “Holy shit!”

He rubs at your clit with the thumb of one hand as he bites bruises in your collarbones, desperate to hear the symphony of sweet sighs and deep moans as you near another peak.

“Come on baby,” Bucky murmurs into your lips. “Come on, cum around my cock for me.”

It doesn’t take much after that – a few more circles around your clit in time with his thrusts and soon you’re scream and nearly tears the sheets from how tight you’re gripping them and your whole body convulses from pleasure.

Bucky finishes himself onto your stomach, head thrown back in pleasure as he does so.

He takes a minute to collect himself, still panting as he grabs a tissue to clean you off.

After water and a snack (two granola bars you had stuffed into your bedside drawer an unknowable amount of months ago), you curl into Bucky’s chest, tracing the litany of tattoos there. “Weren’t we supposed to drink to celebrate?”

Bucky lets out a full belly laugh. “Probably. But the alcohol is all the way downstairs. Plus, I know something else I can drink to celebrate?”

You wrinkle your nose. “Only you? Why don’t I get to get drunk?”

Bucky just smirks, moving you off of him. You’re about to protest but begin to understand once he pushes the covers off the both you to make room for himself between your legs.

“Trust me,” he tells you, leaving kisses on your skin between every few words. “You’ll love this a lot more than any old champagne.”

And, of course, he was right.

The next day, you meet with your closest adversaries. While you two wait in the conference room in the building Bucky took over after it was condemned a couple years back, you can feel your heart ram into your ribcage. It’s less from anxiety and more from anticipation, knowing you might face major backlash from the people you trust the most.

The first to arrive is the woman you trust the most in this world: Natasha. She doesn’t move towards the table, simply stands just inside the doorway while staring you down. She doesn’t recognize Bucky, but doesn’t enjoy being below the eyeline of a man she’s never seen before.

“Natasha,” you say, desperate to remain calm. “This is Bucky. We’ve been together for five years. And he’s the leader of the Pack.”

In a fashion much atypical for Natasha Romanoff, her eyes widen slightly. “Oh…” she says after a long while. “Okay then.”

She promptly sits down with no further questions.

As with many business, heads and second-in-commands of mobs rarely come face to face. They have goons, messengers that do their footwork. Descriptions of the faces belonging those in charge pass around akin to rumors, only whispered quieter.

Which is why, when Steve comes in, he has no idea what to think until Bucky introduces you and Natasha.

By the time Bucky’s finished talking, Steve’s beat red. “Buck, what the fuck is this.”

“Just,” Bucky sighs, worried about his phrasing and angering his best friend on the face of the planet (whether that be Steve, for reasons that feel obvious, or you, for reasons that feel even more obvious). “Sit down. We’ll explain-“

“’We’ll!’” Steve nearly screams.

Bucky is the only one who flinches at the sudden loud noise. You finish his sentence for him. “Yes. Bucky and I will explain.”

Steve doesn’t like it, doesn’t like taking orders from a rival. Still, he sits at the large, oval conference table opposite Natasha.

The last two people to come in are the head of you and Bucky’s legal departments. Wanda gives you a single nod before sitting next to Natasha, a man Bucky addresses as “Tony” sits next to Steve.

You exhale deeply once the metaphorical dust settles, encouraging Bucky to begin the spiel he had prepared last night been orgasms four and five.

“Alright. We have,” he sighs. “We have decided to combine our two…” Bucky struggles to find the right word. He worries for bugs and secret agents and misunderstandings, brain always struggling to remember that this is sacred, secret business. Any crack in any of the numerous protective facades could mean its downfall, along with the loss of billions of dollars and his life.

“Entrepreneurial endeavors,” you finish for him.

You hear Natasha snort, amused by the avoidance of saying gang and mob and illegal distributor of goods. The rest of your cohort are silent, unsure of what to say next.

Each beat of verbal inaction leaves you more fearful than the last, your heart getting louder and louder in your ears.

For what feels like forever, no one says anything.

Though, with the pounding of blood in your ears, they could be screaming obscenities at you and you wouldn’t be able to hear them.

The only thing that seems able to quiet the noise is Bucky’s fingers intertwining with yours.

Only then do you hear Wanda speak, her accent tinging each word. It’s comforting, to hear something so familiar.

“I assume you both have drawn up something that,” she eyes the man across from her with a look dusted with disdain. “Tony and I can look at.”

Bucky slides the thick document, held together in a beat-up binder you found under a bookshelf, across the table. Wanda is the one who stops it and looks into it first.

She says nothing, holding her tongue as she allows Tony to eye the document. He’s wearing dark sunglasses and pushes them to the corner of his nose as thumbs through it, looking bored and tired.

“Yeah, this shit looks good,” Tony says quickly, shoving the dark glasses back over his eyes. “Can we leave now?”

The resounding silence continues until you break it yourself, attempting to detail for Steve and Natasha what it all means. They listen diligently and sign where needed, Natasha being decided on as the most likely to type it up into an official document and send it to the necessary parties.

Once it’s all over, you and Bucky ride down in the big, glass elevator together – excitement electric in the air.

“How’re you feeling?” Bucky asks. It doesn’t seem to be out of concern, even if tears of happiness are pricking at your eyes.

“God,” you tell him, voice breathy and ecstatic. “I don’t even know how to describe it. I just, I don’t know. I’ve been so terrified I’d have to hide this forever – or that you’d find out, or that someone would figure out who you were. And now…I just,” you wipe at your eyes, and Bucky pulls you into his chest. “I don’t have to worry about that anymore. I know you’re protected. And I don’t have to hide this from you. And I’m so fucking happy about it.”

Bucky kisses the top of your head, tucking you under his chin. “Oh, baby. Darling I’m so sorry you had to go through all that.”

The two of you stand in silence, holding each other until you have to exit. Neither of you say anything until you’re both in the car, safely on your way back to your shared home.

“We’re in this together right?” you ask, looking at Bucky as he keeps his dark eyes on the road.

Regardless he smiles, moving his right hand from the wheel to rest on your knee. “Always, baby. Always.”

#mobster!bucky barnes #mobster bucky barnes au #winter solider #bucky barnes x reader #mobster bucky barnes x reader #lukis writes things #fun fact this drafts is almost 2 years old #and i kinda hate it but listen its done and its on the internet now

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irwinkitten · 5 years ago

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new kitten | poly!kayshton

request from anon: mom listen!!!! secretly getting a kitten you found in the rain and hiding it from poly! kayshton because you think they'll be mad but they're sold to the idea of the tiny fluffer becase shes so fucking tiny and you LOOK so cute singing to it in the night ya thats all notes: so are we surprised??? no. don’t like it? don’t read it. it’s all soft i promise. warnings: none word count: 2.7k will i ever not go overboard with them?? the answer is no

donate to my ko-fi here

It had been a long day. The wind had been howling and then the rain followed.

You’d been stuck at work, finishing up and sighing at the fact that you were going to get soaked.

Normally it wouldn’t have bothered you, you could’ve just ordered an Uber. But with your phone on minimum battery and only a jacket to protect you, you knew that you were going to have to walk. So you fortified yourself and began the thirty minute journey home, the cold water seeping through your jacket.

You were halfway home when you heard a noise of distress, making you pause. You heard the noise again and began to move towards it, only pausing to judge where it was coming from.

And then you came across the most heartbreaking sight. It was a black kitten, clinging to the body of its mother and crying out as their cardboard shelter became decimated by the rain.

Without even thinking, you reached out to pet the small thing and it moved closer to the little warmth your hand emitted. Part of you wondered how long the kitten had been out there, crying.

It was easy to see that the kittens mom hadn’t survived, so you plucked it up and tucked the small protesting animal into your jacket. The protests stopped once it realised that it was being sheltered in warmth.

You hesitated for only a moment before making the decision and continuing your journey home.

Ashton and Kaykay were both away on business trips. So you decided to house this kitten for a couple of nights and see if you could find a new home for it.

Once you were inside, ditching your jacket to rest over the radiator, you headed upstairs, kitten still clutched to your chest to raid the airing cupboard for warm towels.

The purr you got in response made your heart soft. You were quick to grab your laptop and phone charger heading downstairs and settling on the sofa. The laptop was perched on the coffee table and your phone plugged in and charging.

Immediately you began to google, reaching out to the various animal rescuers you followed on Instagram. They were sympathetic and kind, offering tips for the night. You immediately texted your assistant manager and asked her to cover your next few shifts.

You noticed that there was an emergency vet, so once you had enough charge on your phone, you took one of the rescuers advice and made your way over.

The vet on call was kind to your practically clueless state.

“It happens more than people think. But I’ll give you a quick crash course once we’ve checked over our furry little patient.” The kitten let out a meow as the vet petted it.

“My partners and I, we discussed getting a pet but I don’t think they envisioned it to be like this.” You murmured wryly and the vet laughed.

“Oh it never is. If you need any help to find foster families if your partners aren’t up for handling this little fluffy monster, I can always pass on your details.” You nodded in understanding.

“So you’ve got a beautiful female here. It looks like she may have been there a day, maybe two at a push. Otherwise she’s healthy. She’s vocal, which is good.” Almost as if to support the vets words, she meowed again, followed by a series of chirps.

Your resolve to find her a family was diminishing.

The vet instructed you on the best way to feed her, and when she would need to get her vaccinations. Nodding in thanks, you paid before taking the small bundle home, her purring loud yet already comforting.

“Man, Ash and Kaykay may or may not be pissed about this.” You murmured to the small kitten. “And we need to give you a new name.”

On the journey home, you stopped for supplies, thankful that stores were open late and by the time you got home, you could see that Ash was FaceTiming you.

You hit the decline button, the regret almost instant as you made your way to the living room and began to set things out for the kitten.

For now, she was happy to snooze in your lap, her purring loud and amusing.

Ash called a second time and you hit accept.

“Catch you at a bad time, little one?” The screen was split into two and you felt your chest grow heavy.

“Just a bit. You mused, wondering if they could hear the purring kitten. If they did, they didn’t comment on it.

“Want us to call back later, angel?” Kaykay’s eyes were concerned, but you shook your head. You’d lost enough time with them as it was. The different time zones made it difficult. With Kaykay the other side of the country and Ashton in Europe, you could see his tired eyes clearly.

“How’d your days go?” You belatedly realised that your hair was still soaked and wondered if they were going to ask.

“It wasn’t so bad. We’ve started shooting over here but there’s been a few changes. I might not be home by the end of the week.” Kaykay admitted and you poured, earning a chuckle from Ashton.

“None of that now. We knew it was possibly going to happen.” Ashton chided and you stuck your tongue out almost childishly. Kaykay grinned.

“What about you, Ash?” She asked after a beat. You refocused on him and he smiled.

“It’s all good. We’ve got those handful of shows tomorrow so I’m gonna most likely be performing when you guys are about.” You just smiled.

“That’s what we get for having an international rockstar boyfriend Peach.” You sighed dramatically and she giggled. Ashton rolled his eyes.

“You gonna try and act up little one?” The warning in his tone was clear and you beamed at the screen in return.

“Nope. Gonna be good.” You knew that sneaking a kitten into the house without their knowledge wasn’t good but there was still a part of you that said the kitten would be gone before they got home.

But that part was getting quieter with each time the kitten snuggled into your lap.

You talked for another hour and you were partially wondering how long you could keep going until you needed to feed the kitten.

Kaykay unintentionally granted you your escape.

“Ashton it’s late. You need to rest for the shows tomorrow.” Her tone brokered no arguments and Ashton simply smirked in return. “And you, angel, need to eat. We’ll have time tomorrow night to call.”

You pouted but didn’t voice your protest.

“Alright Peach. Get some rest yourself sweetheart and text when you can. Same to you little one.” You felt the heaviness in your chest return and sighed.

“I will. I love you both.” The words were quiet but they knew why.

With another round of ‘I love you’s’ exchanges and the call cut, you tried to fight the heaviness off as you glanced down to the kitten in your lap who had woken up but was silent.

And then it chirped before trying to climb up your top, making you laugh.

The next few days were crucial as you continued your care for the kitten and she responded positively. You’d texted your assistant manager what was happening and she’s promised that the shop could run with just her and the other members of staff.

You silently thanked whichever deity blesses you with them.

By the end of the week, you returned to the vet with her and the vet had declared that she was healthy. The offer was made that the vet could find foster homes but you shook your head.

“I think she was meant to be in my life. I can’t let Moonlight go now.” The vet didn’t hide the amused smile. They understood and talked about a care plan for the kitten.

Once things were in place for the shots and checkups, it was time to let the cat out of the bag to your partners.

When you returned home, you saw Kaykay’s car in the driveway and you felt your stomach drop. Moonlight, who was perched on your shoulders, seemed to sense the change in your mood and meowed softly, her face pushing against yours.

“Can’t hide you forever, can we?” You murmured before making your way in. You could hear Kaykay clattering about and so you shut the door loud enough to hear her.

“Angel, why are there cat-oh.” She’d stepped from the kitchen and spotted you with Moonlight resting on your shoulder.

“Uh, I found her on the way home last week when it was storming and I had to walk home.” You admitted softly. Kaykay’s face gave nothing away as she stepped closer and held her hand out to Moonlight.

You’d already let her roam through some of their things and you silently hoped that the scenting thing would work.

To your relief, she purred and butted her head into Kaykay’s palm and you watched your girlfriend melt.

“She’s so cute. Why didn’t you tell us?” You allowed her to pluck Moonlight from your shoulder and carry her into the lounge, with you trailing behind.

“I guess I thought she would be gone by the end of the week so it didn’t matter. But, I can’t let her go. I was going to talk to you and Ash about it tonight.” You admitted and Kaykay smiled gently, kissing your lips gently.

“Even though Ash is more of a dog person, you know this cute baby will win him over. Does she have a name?”

“Moonlight.” You both settle on the floor, your body resting on Kaykay’s as she played with Moonlight. Unable to help yourself, you took a video of the two, your heart feeling like it was going to explode at the cute sight before you.

“Ash won’t be able to say no to all three of us, especially when this one works her magic. Does this mean your title of kitten is going to someone else for the time being?” She teased and you gave her an outraged look before clocking the smirk.

So you pouted at her instead.

“No fair.” You muttered as she laughed and kissed you.

When it got later in the evening, Kaykay disappeared for a shower, you made your way up with Moonlight singing softly as you got ready for bed.

You missed the shower stopping and hadn’t paid any attention as you fussed with Moonlight, the smile on your lips impossible to stop as she seemingly settled in the spot on your pillow. You’d laughed the first time but now you were used to it.

Kaykay sauntered in with a smirk and you felt yourself freeze before rolling your eyes at the giggle she gave off. You’d settled as close as possible to her, relishing in just having her next to you.

Both of you were woken by Moonlight, determined to parade around the bed and find a new warm spot. You’d cozied yourself closer to Kaykay who in response had held onto you tighter. But then you knew you needed to feed the kitten, so you extracted yourself from Kaykay’s arms and scooped Moonlight up, heading downstairs to feed her.

Once you had crawled back into bed with your girlfriend, she groaned.

“It’s like taking care of a child.” She sighed and you grinned as you pressed your face into her neck.

“Said child is being occupied by cat toys.” You breathed and she didn’t hesitate to roll over, pinning you down. Her eyes were tired, hair in disarray but she still looked stunning as her lips met yours.

—

The following day, the both of you had been taking turns to look after Moonlight. You’d gone upstairs to nap, Moonlight in tow when Ashton had come home.

“So, angel kind of ended up getting a surprise for us. One that you might need to adapt to.” Kaykay started off, her tone hesitant and Ashton gave her a curious look.

She said nothing else but motioned for him to follow and curiosity pushed him to do so.

The sight they came upon, melted his heart.

You were fast asleep on top of the covers, a small black kitten nestled against you.

“So we gained a pet?” His tone was teasing and Kaykays shoulders relaxed a little bit, a grin tugging on her lips.

“Apparently. Angel was worried about telling us because, well it had been assumed that the kitten would be gone before we both got home.” And Ashton held back a laugh.

He was well aware of the heart that resides in your chest, how it was so big that you would not deny any kind of love to a willing creature.

“How about we let them wake up. I’ll be fine with the kitten in the house.” He murmured, pulling Kaykay away from the cute scene, but not before taking a photo.

When you’d woken up, you could feel the heavy sleep pulling at you, but a paw that kept tapping your face kept you awake before you finally giggled.

Moonlight seemed to take that cue and jumped, making you laugh tiredly as you scooped up the kitten, unable to resist singing ‘soft kitty’ at her after having rewatched The Big Bang Theory, as you made your way downstairs.

When you went into the lounge, you froze at the sight of the TV paused and Ashton lounging around, Kaykay resting against him, both of them wearing fond smiles.

“So we have an interloper?” His voice was gentle and you shyly made your way to the open spot next to him, giggling as he pulled you in, his lips finding your neck which made you giggle.

Moonlight protested being jolted and he chuckled as she squirmed free to investigate the new person. You happily rested against him as Moonlight sniffed and explored, clambering over Ashton before spotting Kaykay and ambling over time her, making you laugh.

“You’re not mad?” You finally whispered and he shook his head.

“I wish you would’ve spoken to us, but Peach explained that you hadn’t expected the kitten to be staying?” You shook your head at his question.

“I thought I’d be able to find a home for her, but she just grew on me and I couldn’t let her go. I was going to call you both about her yesterday but Peachy got home and she said about waiting till you were back today.” The words were shy but he shifted you, pulling you so that you were straddling his lap.

“I’m almost certain that she’s found her home here.” The two of you glanced to Kaykay where she was cradling the kitten with a grin on her face, shifting herself so that she was pressed against Ashton.

“Not to mention, you two are stupidly adorable together. Honestly I think I turned to mush just hearing you sing to her.” Kaykay pointed out and you ducked your head in embarrassment.

“It’s nothing to be embarrassed about sweetheart.” Ashton murmured and pressed a kiss to your lips. You responded with ease and he smiled into the kiss.

“So we’re a family of four now?” Kaykay questioned innocently and you laughed, arms tightening around Ashton as Moonlight began to explore once more.

“And anyway, she’ll be good company for me when you two have to leave.” You murmured and Ashton nodded.

“Oh absolutely. Duke is gonna be unimpressed with you though when we next go around.” And you grinned unrepentantly.

“I’ll still be his favourite next to Cal.” You retorted childishly as you slid from his lap and Moonlight took residence.

“So you’re officially a cat dad now. How does that feel?” He realised an eyebrow at you and Kaykay snickered.

“I thought I already was one, kitten.” His tone was a warning and you grinned in return.

“Officially. I don’t count.” You hummed and he laughed as he pressed a kiss to your forehead, an easy smile on his lips

“Well looks like we’re starting parenthood easy then.” And both you and Kaykay laughed as you settled down to watch, feeling a level of contentment that you didn’t think was possible as Moonlight settled in his lap, purring.

if you wanna be tagged in a poly!kayshton specfic stuff, hmu!

@sexgodashton, @loveroflrh, @sc0ttish-wildfl0wer, @iovehemmings, @cashtonasfuck, @tobefalling, @wokeupinjapanisabop, @converse-luke, @itjustkindahappenedreally, @cal-puddies, @hemmingsmendess,

#ashton irwin fic #poly!kayshton #poly!kayshton x reader #poly!kayshton blurb #poly!kayshton fic #ashton irwin blurb #ashton irwin blurbs #ashton irwin fics #my writing

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monstersandmaw · 5 years ago

Text

White tiger rakshasa x female reader (sfw) - HAPPY BIRTHDAY TRAVELER!

Edit which I’m including in all my works after plagiarism and theft has taken place: I do not give my consent for my works to be used, copied, published, or posted anywhere. They are copyrighted and belong to me.

So it’s @thetravelerwrites‘ birthday today, and she deserves all the love in the world. Thanks for being a really great and supportive friend, Traveler. This is all I can do for you from the other side of the world! Have a wonderful day, and some fluffy rakshasa snuggles. I don’t normally do aesthetics anymore, but I wanted to include one this time.

No warnings, except perhaps for excessively sweet fluff. :)

___

Since today was, in fact, your birthday, you decided that you deserved ice cream and were going out to get it, despite the fact that it was now after sunset. The weather was perfect for an early August evening, clear, calm, and still, and there was this gorgeous place just round the corner which sold the most beautiful gelato you’d ever tasted. It also didn't help that the guy who served it was gloriously handsome…

The rakshasa had the colouring and appearance of a white tiger, with ice blue eyes and a rich, purring voice, and when he saw you step inside his rounded ears pricked right up and his whiskered lips twitched into a smile. “Hey!” he called. “Haven’t seen you in ages!”

You made a little side to side motion with your head. “Been trying to be good. It’s hard though, knowing that this place is a stone’s throw from where I live though…”

“Being good, eh? Well, it shows - you look fantastic. I have to ask though; what’s the occasion?”

He was leaning on the counter, resting his lithe, muscular body on his forearms, and you glimpsed his thick tail all puffed up behind him.

“Well…” you blushed. “It’s… It’s actually my birthday. I thought I’d treat myself.”

“Your birthday!” he exclaimed, pushing himself upright. And then he eyed your purse in your hand. “Put that away!” he laughed, pointing at it. “You’re not paying for your ice cream today! Anything you’d like, and it’s yours. Come on,” he said, moving round to the refrigerator full of sumptuous flavours.

“You’re too kind,” you mumbled.

With a tilt of his head, he purred, “Please, if I knew you better, I’d get you a gift myself, but… I only see you when you come in here so this is the best I can do.”

That drew you up short and you looked up at him, a question in your eyes. “You mean…?” you began falteringly.

“That I’d love to get to know you? Yes,” he said. “But I don’t want to be pushy. I know I can come across as a bit… ‘much’ sometimes. I didn’t want to scare you off.”

Smiling, cheeks still warm with his words, you bowed your head and then met his gaze again. “I’d like that.”

“You would?” he beamed, all his white whiskers standing right up off his face, his fur bristling and fluffing up all over with glee. “Oh wow. Let’s work something out, but first: ice cream!”

Laughing, you picked out your favourite flavours and he handed it to you, still insisting it was on the house. You swapped numbers and arranged to meet for drinks later in the week, and you had just left the gelateria with a huge grin plastered across your face, when you heard him calling after you.

Frowning, a small shot of adrenaline zipping through you as you couldn’t help wondering if perhaps he’d changed his mind, you turned and saw him haring down the road after you.

“Everything ok?” you asked, puzzled.

Laughing and a little out of breath, he nodded. “Lemme walk you home?”

“But what about the shop?”

“I’m the boss,” he grinned, flashing his big canines in a wide smile. “I can close up whenever I like, and I’d rather walk you home. If that’s ok with you?”

“More than ok,” you reassured him.

A few paces down the road, an idea occurred to you and you scooped out a big spoonful of ice cream and held it up to him. “Want a try?”

A purr rolled out of him before he could stop it and his ears swivelled back, embarrassed.

“I think that was a yes…” you smiled and he nodded.

“Yeah. Cats and cream…” he snickered. “Thanks.” His rough tongue lapped the ice cream off the little wooden spoon, and his ice blue eyes rolled closed for a moment. “Damn,” he said. “I sell good ice cream…”

“Why do you think I kept coming back?”

He chuckled. “I had hoped it was for the handsome cat behind the counter,” he said.

“Yeah, that didn’t hurt,” you admitted and he flashed another smile at you.

You paused in the little park not far from your house to finish your ice cream on a bench, looking up at the stars through the leafy branches above you.

“Tell me something?” he asked after sitting in companionable quietness for a little while.

“Sure.”

“Did you have a good birthday?”

You thought back to the rest of the day and shrugged. “Ice cream and a date? That’s got to be a pretty good birthday.”

Purring like an idling motorbike, he reached his fluffy white arm around your shoulders, looking at your face for permission and when he saw you smile up at him, he brought his nose to your cheek and nuzzled you there with gentle affection in the way of all felines, from house cat to rakshasa. “Thanks for giving me a chance,” he said. “I’ve wanted to ask you out since the first time you walked into my shop, but… I didn’t know if you liked… you know… Well… not all humans are interested in non-humans…”

Half turning to look up at him, you smiled. “You’re very beautiful,” you said, laughing softly as his ears pulled back again in embarrassment. “And very expressive…”

He distracted you for a moment by rasping his rough tongue delicately across your cheekbone in a tiny, shy kiss.

“I’m glad you asked,” you said quietly before turning your gaze back up to the stars. With a gasp, you pointed, “Shooting star!”

“Make a birthday wish…” he whispered.

It wouldn’t have taken a genius to figure out your wish…

---

Happy birthday, sweetie!! Hope you have a wonderful day.

________

And don’t forget to reblog, folks, if you did because it really helps out authors/content creators on this website!!

For all early releases, character art and bios, upcoming story info, and much, much more, join me over on Patreon!

You’ll have access to stories before anyone else, and you’ll get instant access Patreon-only content as well, including polls and an exclusive monthly story for those on the Pixies and Goblins tier or higher!

________

#rakshasa #male rakshasa #exophilia #rakshasa x reader #monster x reader #reader insert #exophilia reader insert #birthday gift #sfw #fluffy #so much fluff

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lovelylapins · 5 years ago

Note

Dialogue prompt 31 with marichat?

“I can’t keep kissing strangers and pretending that they’re you”- Marichat #31

(i went a bit overboard with this… like… 1.1k overboard with this sorry whoops- requests are closed btw! sorry!)

ao3 ko-fi

“I can’t keep kissing strangers and pretending that they’re you,” Marinette tells him. It’s hot outside, and by the sounds of music playing down the street, it seems lively all around, but the atmosphere between the two is none of the sort. It’s cold and tense, and every second spent waiting for Chat Noir’s response is another second she feels her hopes fall.

“Marinette, I…” he manages to start with, and Marinette can’t stand to face him any longer, turning her body around.

“No, forget it Chat,” Marinette says, looking down at her feet. “Just, forget it.”

Getting off the railing, he reaches a hand out to Marinette but stops, unsure if that’s what she wants or needs right now. Struggling for words, Adrien picks one thing to ask.

“You… You’ve kissed strangers?” he chooses to question, wondering when that could’ve happened. Nino had told him Marinette went on a few dates recently, but he hadn’t really thought about it, too busy trying to connect the dots of his Lady and his Princess, too busy waiting for the clues to fall into place he hadn’t realized what was truly going on around him.

“Well, only two,” Marinette says, voice low. “Only, they weren’t strangers, not really. They were friends. Good friends. But I just needed to try and get it all out, before I got too frustrated.”

“Get out what?” Adrien asks. He feels his heart beating wildly, but still can’t comprehend what she’s saying, what she’s meaning. Hope soaring in his chest, he wonders if it’s what he really wants to hear, the three words he’s spent so long dreaming about.

Marinette ignores him. “I thought that if maybe I had someone else, it’d be different. But it wasn’t. I just kept thinking about… you.”

“Me?”

“Yes, you. I… I tried everything I could to get you out of my head and ignore all of this. Nothing worked. Nothing, Chat.” A hand flies up to touch her face, and Adrien hopes it’s not to stop any tears. God, he wished Marinette would turn around so he could see her face, see her. He could cool all her emotions and her ramblings and declarations in just an instant if Marinette gave him the chance.

“Why are you telling me all this?” he asks, trying to get her attention. And, he does. Turning around, Marinette finally looks at him.

“Because I like you, you dummy,” she says, incredulous. “I like you. A lot. Too much.”

“Marinette, I- “ Chat’s trying to near her, but she holds a hand out and stops him in his tracks before he continues.

“It’s okay if you don’t feel the same,” Marinette begins, gearing up for his rejection, “You’re into Ladybug, and that’s fine, and I know it’s pointless even saying this, but I just wanted to tell you as me you know, and to just let you know how I felt, and- “

He reaches her before she can finish, hands coming to her shoulders and pulling her into a kiss. Marinette’s frozen in shock, too stunned by the action to respond back. Her eyes open, Marinette sees just how intense Chat’s eyes are closed shut, mask crinkling around the corner of his eyes. She sees the curls on his forehead and feels the all too familiar touch of his lips. Eyes finally closing, she finally relaxes into it, rising on her tiptoes to meet him. She brings a hand up to pull him more down, intent on enjoying this as long as she could.

“What’d you do that for?” she asks him when they’ve pulled away and she’s got the air back into her lungs. “I mean, the way you feel about Ladybug… I…”

“Marinette. I know,” he says, hand coming up to nestle in her hair.

“Know what?” she asks, furrowing her brow. “Know how you feel about Ladybug, or- “

“I know there’s not much difference between how I feel about Ladybug and you.”

Marinette widens her eyes, gazing at Chat Noir more intensely. “Chat, what are you talking about?”

Adrien takes a deep breath. He hadn’t expected or planned to reveal the fact he knew like this or his true feelings, but felt that the time had come where all plans were thrown out the window. He felt like it was now or never, his one shot at saying what he really wanted. And so, Adrien threw caution to the wind and said,

“Marinette, I know you’re Ladybug.”

She gasps, her mouth switching between open and closed while she looked at Chat. Marinette struggled to find the words summarize what was going through her mind, before finally settling on a simple, “How?”

“How couldn’t I? It became too obvious to ignore after a while,” Chat tells her, hands going down from her neck to her waist. Pulling her closer to him, he bent down and laid another kiss on her, this one shorter than before. When they break, she looks at him.

“Well, what was it that made it clear?”

“You and Ladybug don’t like coconut ice cream.”

Marinette laughed, the kind where her head went back and the sound rang out into the night. “That was my calling card?” she asks, watching at how Chat grins at her.

“There’s only one ice cream shop that serves it, and I’ve seen you turn it down over and over enough times to get the idea. When Ladybug mentioned how much she disliked coconut as well, all the clues just fit together,” Adrien says. And well, it was true. So many things over time added up against her, and finally came to a conclusion when his Lady had frowned, sticking out her tongue and declaring coconut the worst flavor in Paris.

“Well then, I guess you got lucky on that,” Marinette tells him. “A very weird thing to pick up on, but I’m not complaining.”

Hands coming up to clutch at his face and bring his lips back down to her, Marinette feels him pulling at her like he’s the moon and she’s the ocean. She feels her heart soar and fall and crashes over like waves beating at the shore, never-ending. It’s like he’s magnetic, and she’s helplesslyattracted to him.

It’s perfect.

Bonus:

“Wait…” Marinette says later, when they’re leaning up on one another next to the railing and watching the clouds move over the moon, “I just realized something.”

“And what is it?” Chat asks, watching her and eyes softening at just a glance her way.

“If you knew I hated coconut as me, Marinette, and you knew only one place sold it, and you said you’ve seen me turn it down over and over…” She trails off, the gears working.

Adrien gulps, already knowing where she was going. He wondered if a kiss would work again this time, or if he’d need to think of some new strategy.

“You’re Adrien!” Marinette exclaims, the last syllable not even out of her mouth before her lips get captured in another kiss.

#ask #anon #marichat #sentence prompts #sentence prompt #marinette dupain-cheng #chat noir #adrien agreste #miraculous ladybug

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notalwaysthevillian · 6 years ago

Text

Lost and Found (A Sanders Sides Tangled AU)

Warnings: anxiety, manipulative/abusive deceit

Beta Readers: @hi-disappointed-im-daughter @patton-croc-agenda @kilala2tail @solemn-vow

Word Count: 2.1k

Pairings: Prinxiety

Masterlist

Chapter 7 | Chapter 9

Ko-Fi

Chapter 8

A deep chuckle echoed through the trees. Virgil’s blood turned to ice.

“I thought he’d never leave.”

Slowly, Virgil turned around. A familiar dark shape stood in the shadows. His yellow eye glinted in the firelight. “F-father?”

“Hello, dear.” He stalked forward, hood sliding off his head.

“I-I - how -” Virgil stiffened as Dorian hugged him. It felt cold and wrong. “How did you find me?”

Dorian began petting Virgil’s hair. Each pass grew more firm until his nails were scraping against Virgil’s scalp. “Oh, it was easy. I just followed the path of complete and utter betrayal.”

A squeak left Virgil’s mouth. Swallowing his welling anxiety, he took a step back, out of the hug. “Father -”

“We’re going home.” Dorian’s tone left no room for argument. He grabbed Virgil’s wrist in an iron grip and started walking towards the inky blackness. “Now.”

Virgil tumbled forward at the movement, reaching for Dorian’s arm. “You - you don’t understand! I’ve been on this - on an incredible adventure! There are so many things that I’ve seen and learned...I - I even met someone.”

A chuckle left Dorian’s mouth. “Oh, you mean the wanted thief? Dear, I’m so proud.”

Tightening his grip, Dorian dragged Virgil towards the forest once more. Virgil pulled back with a strength he didn’t know he possessed, slipping out of the hold. “Father, wait! There might - I think...I think he likes me.”

“Likes you?” Dorian fixed Virgil with a look that had terrified him as a child. “You? That’s demented.”

Seeing Virgil’s shoulders droop, Dorian took his chance. He began to sing, hoping to get through to Virgil.

“This is why you never should’ve left.” He rested his head against a tree, attempting to calm his anger. “Dear, this whole romance that you’ve invented...just proves you’re too naive to be here.”

A grin crossed Dorian’s face when Virgil jumped at the light touch on his shoulders. “Why would he like you? Come on now, really. Look at you, you look like such a mess.”

He moved into the edge of the trees, extending his arms. “Don’t be a bother, come with father. Father -”

“NO!”

The word rang out, shocking both of them. As soon as he got over the shock, Virgil’s gaze hardened.

He wasn’t backing down this time.

Done holding back his anger, Dorian glared. “No? Oh...I see.”

He stalked forward. Virgil’s fear got the better of him and he scrambled backwards. “Virgil knows best, Virgil’s so mature now. You think you’re in for a kiss? Virgil knows best. Fine, if you’re so sure now, go ahead and give him this!”

Reaching into his cloak, Dorian pulled out the satchel he’d found in the tower.

Virgil’s eyes flew wide. “How -”

“This is why he’s here.” The tiara was pulled out and tossed at Virgil. “Don’t let him deceive you. Give it to him, watch, you’ll see!”

Determination spread across Virgil’s face. “I will!”

“Trust me my dear,” Dorian snapped his fingers, “That’s how fast he’ll leave you. I won’t say I told you so. No, VIRGIL knows best. So if he’s such a dreamboat, go and put him to the test!”

An itching sensation dug under Dorian’s skin. His magic was wearing off. As he sang his final lines, he pulled up his hood. “If he’s lying, don’t come crying! Father knows best!”

Knowing it was dangerous to his health, Dorian flipped his cloak and used his magic to disappear.

If Virgil wanted to be an adult, he’d learn just what that meant.

Virgil was left alone, shaking, staring at the tiara in his hands. Roman would stay.

Right?

“So, can I ask you something?”

Panicking, Virgil hid the tiara once more. He’d find a better time to give it to Roman. A time when he could explain.

Twigs snapped as Roman made his way through the forest, back to the fire. “Is there any chance I’m going to get super strength in my hand? It would really add to the whole dashing hero pers - are you alright?”

The wood clattered to the ground. Roman was at Virgil’s side in an instant, gently turning him around.

Virgil gave him a small smile. “Yeah. Sorry, I was...lost in thought, I guess.”

Disbelief shone in Roman’s eyes, but he didn’t push it. Instead, he began to ramble on about how great being a superhero would be. Virgil was content to listen, the deep rumble slowly lulling him to sleep.

Virgil woke up to Roman screaming. Looking around, he saw Roman being dragged off by the same horse from earlier.

Dashing forward, he grabbed Roman’s arms and pulled back. Roman’s foot popped out of the boot in the horse’s mouth, sending him and Virgil tumbling to the grass.

Shaking off the daze, Virgil’s face burned as he realized they were pressed nose to nose.

The horse whinnied and charged them. Rolling Roman off, Virgil jumped to his feet, holding out his arms. “Woah! Woah, woah, woah! Easy boy, easy!”

The horse looked at Virgil warily, but he stopped trying to get to Roman.

“I hope this works,” Virgil mumbled. “Sit.”

The horse lowered himself, but he wasn’t fully on the ground.

“Sit!”

The horse dropped the ground. Roman let out offended noises behind them. Virgil smiled. “Now drop the boot.”

The horse huffed.

“Drop it.”

Opening his mouth, the horse let the boot drop.

“Aww. You’re such a good boy! Yes you are!” Virgil moved forward, petting his face. “Are you tired from chasing this bad man all over the place?”

“Excuse me??”

“Nobody appreciates you, do they?” Virgil hugged the horse tightly. “Do they?”

The horse snorted, lowering his head and pressing it against Virgil’s back.

“Come on!” Roman called out, not having moved from where he was dumped in the grass. “He’s a bad horse!”

“Oh, hush. He’s nothing but a big sweetheart! Isn’t that right…” Virgil scratched the horse’s chin, trying to read the harness. Something about the symbol seemed oddly familiar. “Maximus?”

“You’ve got to be kidding.”

Maximus looked around Virgil, locking eyes with Roman. Not wanting more trouble, Virgil stepped between them. “Look. I don’t know if you can understand me, but I hope you can. Today...well, it’s kind of a big deal. I know it’s a lot to ask, but I need you to not get him arrested.”

Reaching out, Virgil helped Roman to his feet. “Just for 24 hours. Then you can chase each other all over the world. Okay?”

Letting out a sigh, Roman held out a hand. “You really think he understands?”

The horse looked away stubbornly.

Virgil rocked on his heels. “Please? It’s - it’s my birthday.”

Roman’s jaw dropped as the horse held out a hoof. They shook, somehow agreeing on a truce.

“Great! Now -” Virgil looked past them for the first time, the breath leaving his lungs. “The castle.”

He darted through the gates, stopping just before the main square. Amazed, he went to take another step forward, only to be nearly run over by a cart. He jumped backwards, stumbling when someone stepped on his hair.

Roman ran up, gathering hair as he approached. They needed a solution, and fast.

Looking over, he saw a group of sisters braiding each other’s hair. He whistled, getting their attention, and held up the hair in his arms.

Within moments, they were braiding Virgil’s hair. He couldn’t help but giggle along with them as they ducked under each other’s arms, weaving the braid expertly.

When they finished, the ran around to face him. “We can put flowers in it if you want!”

“You can do whatever you want.” He told them, seeing their faces light up in joy.

If this was how the kids at the orphanage felt, how could the king have stopped going to see them?

“Finished!” They chorused together.

Virgil looked over his shoulder. From what he could see, it looked beautiful. “Ro - what do you think?”

Roman was looking at him with a bit of a dazed gaze. Blood rushed to Virgil’s cheeks.

He really hoped Father was wrong.

“You look amazing.” Roman breathed out. After a moment, he shook his head, trying to clear it. “How about we check out some of the stands?”

“The stands?” Looking around, Virgil realized that there were tons of different stands and booths as far as he could see. Some sold different pastries, some fruits, and some crafts. “What’s all this for?”

“You didn’t think they just let off the lanterns, did you?” Roman walked over, grabbing Virgil’s hands. “It’s a festival.”

The two began to browse various booths. Roman bought Virgil a small piece of fabric with the royal crest on it. It was a beautiful eight pointed star. The silver paint shimmered against the purple fabric.

A few children ran by, holding various colors of chalk. Virgil followed them to a more subdued part of the square to find them drawing on the street.

The looked up as he walked over to them. “Mind if I join?”

A little girl with a torn dress grabbed his hand and dragged him to the pile of chalk. Virgil thought for a moment before grabbing a purple and a gray. He drew quickly and with practiced ease, standing when he was done. He wiped his arm on his forehead before gesturing towards his masterpiece.

The exact replica of the royal crest had all the children in awe, as well as several adults. Roman was shocked at the skill Virgil had. He turned to give praise, laughing when he saw the smear of purple on Virgil’s forehead.

“Let me help you with that.” Roman said, reaching out and carefully wiping off the chalk.

The jingling of guard uniforms had them taking off. They hid in line for cupcakes, grabbing their order and moving to an alcove before they were spotted. The guards passed right by them, making Virgil giggle.

He glanced up to find Roman giving him another fond look. He could feel himself start to blush and opted to hide it by digging into the cupcake. A slight lemon flavor burst over his tongue, making him hum with delight.

After they finished the cupcakes, they decided it would be best to hide out for a little longer. Remembering the few books he’d seen on Virgil’s bookshelf, Roman dragged him into a nearby bookstore. Virgil was in awe at how many books the small shop held.

Looking around, Roman grabbed an atlas. “Care to see the world?”

Virgil’s eyes lit up and he grabbed the book, placing it on the floor. Roman knelt next to him, pointing out the kingdoms he’d read about at a child.

“Over here is Atlantis, though no one thinks it exists.” Roman pointed to a spot in the ocean. He moved his finger across the map, pointing fairly close by. “Arendelle is here. I think they’re related to the current kings. I’m not sure, but I believe the queen is King Patton’s cousin.”

Once they were sure the guards were gone, the two headed back out. Virgil pointed to a stand with fresh cheese. While in line, Virgil looked around at the gorgeous village. Not too far off, he spotted a mosaic of the royal family covered in flowers. Two men were holding onto a little baby with a tuft of gray hair.

A young girl and her family sat in front of the art. The girl held a flower in her hand, placing it on the steps. “It’s for the lost prince.”

Before Virgil could get a closer look at the artwork, some local musicians began playing. The music filled his heart with joy and he started dancing. A little boy looked on in awe, a shy smile on his face. Virgil danced his way over, picking the child up and swinging him around. His shrieks of glee drew more townspeople to the square.

Virgil grabbed a few more people before others joined of their own accord. Soon the square was full of people dancing and laughing. He waved Roman in at one point, only to be denied. His smile faltered until he noticed the horse nudge Roman into the fray of people.

Twirling around, the two reached for each other, only to be pulled away at the last moment.

The dancing continued as the sun went down. As the last beat of the song rang out, Virgil found himself thrust into Roman’s arms. The crowd let out a loud cheer.

“To the boats!” A voice called out. The crowd began to disperse, heading for the bay.

Virgil stepped out of Roman’s arms, watching the townspeople leave.

Sucking in a deep breath, Roman wrapped his arms around Virgil’s thin waist. Warmth bloomed in his chest as he felt Virgil relax into his arms. “Shall we?”

“We shall.”

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#lost and found #tangled au #sanders sides #sanders sides fic #roman sanders #virgil sanders #ts deceit #manipulative deceit #abusive deceit #romantic prinxiety

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freedom-shamrock · 6 years ago

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Tickling the Chat's Whiskers - Chapter 6

Also on AO3

<<Previous chapter <<< First chapter

Marichat May, prompt # 6 Adoption/Family

Chat Noir bounded over the rooftops, careful to stick to the shadows. While he wanted nothing more than to head straight to Marinette's house, he adamantly reserved direct trips for his worst days, when he needed immediate comfort. She was too important, his time with her and her family had to be protected. He couldn't risk someone catching wind that Chat Noir regularly spent his evenings at the Dupain Cheng household, as that would make them a target for Hawkmoth. And he knew he wouldn't be able to keep away, even to protect them, at this point.

Last time he'd gotten to cuddle with Marinette while they watched a movie. He was glad she didn't ask about the movie, because he'd spent most of the time focusing on the way her small body nestled snugly against him and how she smelled. He'd missed most of the plot. He wondered if she'd be up for something similar tonight. Would it be too needy to ask?

When he finally slunk over the top of her roof, landing lightly on her balcony, he closed his eyes and drew in a long slow breath, basking in the scents and the feelings associated with them. Warmth and contentment. He loved it here. He could stay here forever and never leave.

"Hey, give that back, you little rascal." Marinette's voice drifted up through the skylight. "Just wait til your papa gets here." She giggled. "Ha! Take that."

What on earth was she doing? Was there a play at school she was trying out for? Was she babysitting? He tapped on the skylight, knowing she'd warn him off if she couldn't have him here right now.

"Come on in," she called. "It's unlocked."

She usually opened it for him, but perhaps she was busy. Hopefully not too busy for her stray. He pushed up the dome and slipped in. She was under the bed talking in a hushed whisper, and he could practically feel the excitement radiating off her. "Princess?" he drawled, playing along. "Wherever are you, my princess?"

As his boots reached the floor, she jumped out from under her bed, holding a tiny ball of black fur aloft in his direction. "The circle of liiiiiiiife!" she sang.

The ball of fur looked at him and let out a tiny, "Mew" of inquiry.

He gasped, recognizing the kitten as her favorite from the litter she'd helped him rescue just a few weeks past. He'd gotten to see all of them during his volunteer shifts, and this one had had a sold sign on his enclosure since day two. He'd had to stay at the shelter until he'd been properly weaned from his adoptive mama. "Kitten?" He gawked at Marinette.

"Is that any way to greet your son?" she demanded in mock indignation as she drew in her arms to gently tuck the kitten to her chest. She kissed the tiny head. "Don't worry baby," she whispered. "I'm sure your papa is delighted to see you. He's just had a long day."

Chat crept closer, his eyes darting around the room to find kitten toys, a scratching post, and over near her sink, a litter tray. "Papa?"

She grinned up at him and held the kitten right next to his face. "He looks just like you."

"You adopted him? Your parents let you?" Before dropping the litter off at the shelter, he'd mentioned he wished he could adopt all the homeless cats. It was both unrealistic and not healthy for anyone, but he'd settle for just one, hopefully once he got his own place. She said always wanted a pet, but her parents weren't keen on the idea. Yet here she was, with a kitten and all the trappings. Enthusiasm bubbled up in his chest. He'd been happy the entire litter found homes, but he'd known he'd miss them. They were special to him.

"Mama and Papa even paid the fees," she said proudly. "This way you can still see him now that he's strong and healthy enough to be out in the world. And if you'd like, he can come live with you when you get your place."

He gawked at her.

"When I visited the shelter, they said that black cats don't get adopted at the rate of the others." She frowned, her whole face sad. "I'm very fond of black cats." Her eyes darted toward him and then away, and he was pretty sure he could see a hint of pink blooming in her cheeks. "So I asked if I could get him."

"May I hold him?" he asked, eager enough that he could feel his tail wriggling with excitement. "What's his name?" She gently transferred the kitten into his capable paws, and he could hear the instant purr through the suit.

"I couldn't name our son without your input," she said, aghast. "You play with him while I go get snacks. Then we can find his name."

Check out chapter seven >>

30-minute sprint

And if you’re so inclined, feel free to support me over on Ko-Fi

#Miraculous Ladybug #fanfic #my writing #Marichat may #Marichat May 2019 #marichat #Tickling the Chat's Whiskers #Marinette #Chat Noir #Fluff #Mlfluffiction

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shurisneakers · 6 years ago

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espresso [4]

Summary: In which your best friend’s brother begins to set you up on dates when you mention that you haven’t been in a relationship in years, but things don’t go as expected.

Warning: swearing, dating, anger issues

A/N: this is my entry for the beautiful @bithors writing challenge!

hey hey big shoutout to @samingtonwilson because every time she betas this and sends me the revised copy im like!!!! a QUEEN!!!! holy shit!!!

here’s my ko-fi if you’d like to support my writing <333

Previous part- Part 3 || Espresso Masterlist

“No. Fucking. Way.”

“Yes fucking way! Ain’t she beautiful?” Bucky beamed, running his hands gingerly over the door of his new ride. An old muscle car, a sleek black with a few scratches and dents, but proudly glinting in the moonlight.

You let out a low whistle, glancing up at Bucky as you crouched beside the car for a better look. “Gorgeous. She got a name?”

“I was debatin’ Grace, but now I’m thinkin’ she’s more of an April. What do you think?”

You would have teased him, but this was genuinely the happiest you’d seen him in a long time. Alight eyes were crinkled at the corners and his grin was one of the largest you’d ever seen, and heck, you wondered why he couldn’t be like this more often.

“Shits, that’s perfect.”

You sent him a pair of finger-guns when he opened the door for you and he rolled his eyes in feigned exasperation, smile still stretched over his lips.

In an empty threat, he replied, “Say shit one more time in plural and you’re walking there on your own.”

“Well, God forbid a girl has funs,” you joked only to be met with a groan of annoyance. “Oh, calm down.”

Once in the car, you immediately went to set your feet on the dashboard, legs crossed at the ankle, but received a deadly glare. You slowly lowered your feet, never breaking eye contact with him even as your features twisted in playful fear.

As you tugged your seatbelt on, you asked, “When’d you get her?”

“Two days ago. Couldn’t afford the payments on the other one. Sold it to some frat guys ages ago and took whatever was left after payin’ off the bank to get this one.” He sighed contentedly as he turned the key in the ignition so the engine roared to life. “DMV shit got delayed. She’s probably, like, a third-hand vehicle and needs the upholstery totally ripped up and replaced– but I think she’s pretty great.”

With a soft sound of disagreement, you shook your head. “She’s a ten out of ten, no need for anything. I’m happy for you.”

You tucked your hands behind your head, leaning back into the worn out leather seats which had turned soft over years of use, and a soft sigh of comfort left your lips to prove your point.

“How are your classes going?” he asked after a moment, still smiling softly at your previous statement.

“Getting fingered by Wolverine would be less painful,” you replied casually so Bucky choked and coughed on an inhale. You laughed quietly. “How’s engineering going?”

The indicator made a clicking noise you thought must have sounded less out of tune years ago as he took a left turn. “Shitty. Fuckin’ hate it.”

Eyebrows furrowed, you tilted your head with an agape mouth. “Shitty? Two days ago it was the shit, you said you loved it, that you elected to major in it.”

He gave you a tight-lipped smile and half a shrug and, immediately, you knew something was wrong. While you and Bucky didn’t often discuss your respective career choices and plans for the future, each time you did manage a conversation adjacent, he’d mentioned it was something he’d wanted to do– hell, had he not mentioned it, the number of shitty jokes and puns he made in its reference would have convinced you alone.

“Didn’t want to at first. But Becca advertised wanting to go into journalism all throughout high school and it’s not– it’s not a traditionally lucrative job, at least for the first few years.” He shrugged again, this time in a bit of insecurity, nervousness, but his eyes remained trained on the road. “Figured one of us should be able to embrace that nontraditional job so I picked up something more secure. Something secure because things at home are, you know…”

He had trailed off, but you knew what he meant. Money was a sensitive topic for both, Rebecca and Bucky and, although they could never be ashamed of their family, their pride kept them from asking for help from you despite your continued offering.

“Anyway, she ended up choosing poli-sci for law school for the same reason, so that was pretty ironic,” he grinned and you could see it didn’t reach his eyes, maybe hurting his cheeks as much as it hurt you just to see it.

You remained silent and your teeth wreaked havoc on your lower lip as he continued, “Can’t do anything about it now, though. But, if I could, I’d change my choices in an instant.”

Toying with your fingers in your lap, you asked, “What would you major in instead?”

“I don’t know, it’s kind of stupid really–“

“Didn’t you wanna write?” you added softly, eliciting a look of surprise from him.

He glanced at you quickly. “How’d you know?”

“You were always writing in high school. I saw you with your little notebook every lunch, Bucky,” you laughed, images of an acne-covered Bucky with shoulder-length hair bent over a tiny journal, scribbling for the life of him.

He groaned in embarrassment, a light pink dusting over his cheeks. “I can’t believe you noticed that, Christ. The emo phase was strong.”

“Well, if it helps, I think you’d be a kick-ass writer. I’d be first in line to buy your book. Wouldn’t even sell it on eBay after getting you to sign it.”

He fell silent at that, choosing to bite his lip in place of a response. You’d begun to wonder if you’d said something wrong when he whispered, “Thanks, Mario.”

You didn’t say much more, only turning to look out the window. It wasn’t too long before you heard him chuckle to himself but before you could ask him what he was laughing about, he spoke up, “This is so sad. Alexa, play Despacito.”

You snorted. Fuckin’ dork.

Bucky was leaned against the door of his car as he waited with you until your date for the evening arrived, keeping you engrossed in the utterly ridiculous nonsense you both spoke about.

“I’m just saying, if you made coffee with Gatorade and injected it into your bloodstream, you’re basically God. Like, who the fuck would need heroin then?” you tried explaining for the fifth time, unable to keep the smile off your face. You had your arms crossed over your chest in an effort to keep yourself warm whilst Bucky’s hands were shoved into the pockets of his sweatpants.

“Gatorade is for cowards, we use only Red Bull in this holy house– it actually does something. How about if you mixed vodka, ground espresso beans, and protein powder, then snorted it–”

You clicked your tongue. “Intravenous is more effective–”

“Didn’t realize the offer of a date included you, James.”

In a bit of a laborious task, you looked away from Bucky to the guy who came to a stop before you. Dark hair gelled back and darkness which wasn’t hidden by his glasses surrounding deep hazel eyes, he wore a simple black sweater over a pale blue t-shirt. “But I’m not complaining. Love me some three-way action.”

“Tony,” Bucky sighed, smiling nonetheless. “This is–“

“Mario? I figured.” Tony flashed a quick smile at you.

Immediately you could hear loud sniggering from beside you, making you spin to face him in annoyance. “You have got to stop doing that! What the fuck?” you exclaimed, punching a laughing Bucky on the shoulder as he feebly tried to defend himself.

“My name’s Y/N, not Mario,” you stated to clear the confusion, rolling your eyes at Bucky who burst out laughing again, clearly showing no remorse.

He looked from his watch to you, not fazed by your exchange with Bucky. “Ah, I see. Well, shall we get going? Game’s about to start.”

“See ya later, Mario. Have a good time, guys.” Bucky ruffled your hair as you tried to swat his hand away, taking a step towards Tony as he looked at you with a small smile on his face. “I’ll be on the other side of the court if you need me.”

“D’you want to get some food during halftime or before the first quarter?” Tony asked once Bucky waved a goodbye and jogged to join his friends.

“Halftime sounds good, I think the game’s about to start,” you answered, sending him a half smile.

He only nodded and adjusted his glasses, beckoning for you to join him.

You both made small talk and it turned out he wasn’t nearly half as bad as Peter. He rarely spoke of himself and only mentioned he would be looking for a sustainable source of energy in the future, something about wanting to lessen the environmental burden of current energy dependencies.

It started out well enough, the both of you commenting on the players who you knew. You waved at Sam from your place on the bleachers and he shot you a wink in response

“Sam’s starting tonight and it’s against the Gotham Jokers. S’why Bucky and everyone else is here,” you explained, leaning forward to rest your elbows on your knees.

“Wilson? Number seven? He’s your friend?” Tony asked, squinting at the ball as it was tossed into the air, soon taken by one of the Jokers.

You didn’t bother sparing him a glance as you watched Sam quickly steal the ball back and passing it to Rhodey. “Yeah. Why d’you sound so surprised?”

“Think he’s a bit overrated, that’s all,” Tony mumbled, making you reel back and stare at him disbelievingly. “Got the whole school worshipping the ground he walks on.”

“Captain of the team, MVP last season. He got scholarships to three different prestigious universities, too,” you recited, jumping to your feet as Sam made a shot from the three point line, the ball going in effortlessly with a swish. You looked over your shoulder to raise an eyebrow at Tony, “Still think he’s overrated?”

He only shrugged. “Guess not.”

The next few minutes flew by quickly, Tony progressively getting more invested in the game as it went on. He occasionally let out a cheer when you did, but other than that, he was more observant than anything.

But just as the Jokers were about to pass the ball, Tony jumped to his feet with a scowl, “Double dribble! Double fucking dribble! He stopped! What the fuck, why isn’t anyone calling that out?”

“Tony, he didn’t hold it. There was no double dribble,” you urged as the people surrounding you turned to glare at you both.

“Jesus fuck, this entire crowd is ignorant. Uneducated,” he stated angrily, sitting down in a huff.

You patted him on the back in attempted consolation, but he only ignored you, continuing to glower ahead.

Everything was fine and dandy until the Jokers’ defense pushed one of your team’s players when the referee wasn’t watching. In Tony’s defense, everybody reacted loudly to that. But no one had the passion Tony had when he leapt up like a fucking Jack in the Box, fists thrown in the air. “What the fuck!?” he screamed to no one in particular.

“Yeah, what the fuck!?” you echoed, cupping your hands around your mouth.

“You fucking blind ass, stupid piece of shit, punkass bitch!” he raged, pupils dilated and eyebrows furrowed.

“Okay, never mind.” You promptly sat down, trying to pull Tony with you but he shook you off fervently. You thought he resembled the fucking Tasmanian Devil from Looney Toons.

“That was a foul! Why don’t you use your fucking whistle, you trick ass little bitch?! Try blowing something other than your own dick for once!” he screamed at the referee, shaking his arms around wildly.

“Jesus Christ,” you whispered, putting your head in your hands as he ranted on and on for another ten seconds before finally sitting down, cursing steadily to himself.

When your team made an effortless basket, you prayed it would calm Tony down. And to some extent it did work and he kept quiet until the first quarter was up, only rolling his eyes when people turned to look at him.

Ignoring them from that moment on, he tilted his head as he watched Sam send a wink to a girl who only rolled her eyes playfully in response. “Who’s that?”

“Sam.”

“I know that’s Sam, I’m asking who the girl is.”

“Sam’s girlfriend, Sam,” you replied as you laughed at his expression of confusion.

“Sam has a girlfriend… named Sam?” You nodded as he sighed, smiling despite himself. “Fuck, what would their couple name be?”

“Well, they’re Sam and Sam. Or as I like to call them,” you dropped your voice as he raised an amused eyebrow, “Sam.”

“That’s so fucking creative, how did you ever think of that name?” he asked, a smile on his face that made him look ten times less stressed than he’d been mere moments ago.

You actually didn’t mind Tony at that moment. You might have even considered him to be fun.

That was until the next quarter started and the referee called a foul on Sam for apparently no reason and Tony was back on his feet, face red like one of those ugly Angry Birds. He then started in a shrieking voice, “Oh, so now you want to blow that whistle, you piece of utter shi–“

Tony gave you a ride back to your apartment after the game which had ended much later than you thought it would. You knew Bucky had left after the third quarter when he sent you a text saying he needed to get up early for his shift, but he asked you to call him when you got home safe.

You wondered if he was still awake but, as you’d promised, you called him the moment you crossed the building threshold.

“Hello?” his rasped in an infinitely exhausted voice– you instantly regretted calling him.

“Hey, fuck, sorry. I didn’t think you’d be asleep. I’ll talk to you tomorrow, get some rest,” you said hurriedly, guilt seeping through your words.

“No, no, it’s fine,” he paused and you could hear him yawn despite the muffling over the line. “Is everything fine, baby?”

“Yeah everything’s– wait, what did you just call me?” you asked as you bit your tongue and your eyebrows shot up in surprise.

The silence you were met with was quickly followed by a string of curses, presumably since he perceived what he’d said. His voice was clearer as he replied, “Shit. Sorry, Mario. It just slipped out. I’m, like, half dead. Is everything alright?”

“Yeah. Just called to talk about the king of anger paralysis, clone of Charlie Sheen, Tasmanian Devil embodiment–”

Bucky cut you off with a sigh. “Tony?”

“Oh, yes. Wanna hear all about my super great time with dear Squidward or should I save it for tomorrow?” you asked as you jogged up the stairs to your apartment.

You could hear rustling on the other end before he yawned once again, saying lightly, “I’m ready. Go on for as long as you want.”

“It all started when he called the referee a ‘fucking blind ass, stupid piece of shit, punkass bitch.’”

Bucky sighed. “Oh, shits.”

PART 5

TAGLISTS ARE CLOSED

#bucky x reader #bucky barnes x reader #mcu fic #bucky fic #bucky barnes fic #bucky fluff #bucky barnes fluff #bucky angst #bucky barnes angst #college!bucky #college!au #college!bucky x reader #kumis5kchallenge

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sectorcrescentia · 5 years ago

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Fireworks

Title: Fireworks

Author: Firefall Bangemthump

Rating: Everyone

Word Count: 1,765

Summary: Old traditions become new again.

Surgeon-Commander Gray looked at the box skeptically, and then looked up at her companion, who was carrying it and watching her with an expression of expectant curiosity.

“Well? What do you think, ma'am?” Ko grinned. “I think we did pretty well to get hold of these this late. I tried three places and they were all sold out.”

Gray huffed with disapproval. Perhaps you should have taken that as an omen, she signed.

Ko put the box down on the kitchen table to free her own hands. While she knew Gray could understand her speech perfectly well thanks to her hearing aid, she knew she appreciated it when Ko made the effort to join her in sign language.

But it’s traditional, she replied.

So was the slave trade, Gray observed. That doesn’t make it a good idea.

Fireworks on Coronation Day is a thing, said Ko.

They’re a liability, said Gray. Do you know how many injuries they cause?

Ko shrugged. But they’re fun.

Gray cocked an eyebrow pointedly. Ko tried a different tack.

Did you never do this on Macropus?

Gray shook her head. There were fireworks. My father thought that actually participating in them would demean the family.

Ko grinned. So how about sticking one up him now?

Gray paused, thinking it over. There’s a certain logic to that.

Right, said Ko. And I bet you haven’t had a chance since then because the Navy keeps you too busy.

Correct. Gray nodded. Did you ever do this in the Royal Marines?

No. Ko hesitated. Officially. But young marines and live laslock ammo-

I suppose I should be grateful you survived, Gray’s ear twitched as she cut her off.

Ko shrugged. I’m going to set them in the garden.

Gray got to her feet with a theatrical sigh. I’d better come, then. In case you blow yourself up.

Saving me from fireworks now, doc? Ko laughed.

Gray looked at the felinid over the top of her spectacles. How else would I make sure you knew how bad an idea this is? she said.

The ‘garden’ of the small townhouse they had acquired in the shadow of the unfashionable side of Admiralty House was not really deserving of the name – it was a narrow rectangle paved with grey stone, walled with grey stone, with nothing in it but a narrow bench of wrought iron that was missing one of its wooden slats and a small pot containing the desiccated stick of whatever the previous occupant of the house had tried to grow. Normally the only illumination came from a pair of lamps on either side of the kitchen door, but tonight they were joined by the sparkling lights of the other fireworks being let off all over Crescentia. The spaceport had passed into Montressor’s shadow, making it as dark as it ever got, and the spectacular colours of the fireworks – mostly patriotic red, white, blue and gold, though with more than a few pinks, greens and purples mixed in – stood out brilliantly against the night of the etherium. Ko paused for a moment to enjoy the sight, and then emptied the box of fireworks out onto the ground and took stock – a handful of rockets, a few multi-shot Arcturian candles joined by a linked fuse and a slow match on a stick. She busied herself with arranging the rockets in the furthest possible corner when she heard two solid metallic sounds behind her and looked around to see Gray standing with her arms crossed behind a bucket of water she had just placed on the ground next to her medical kit. Ko grinned.

Are you still trying to tell me something, doc?

Gray arched an eyebrow.

Rest assured that you will not forget it if I have to use either of these.

Ko smiled as her companion pointedly switched off her hearing aid and watched her expectantly. Striking the match, she touched it to the fuse of the first rocket and then moved back to stand with Gray. The projectile fizzed to life and soared into the sky to join the others launching from all around the neighbourhood, bursting in a shower of golden sparks. The sound was amplified in the stone-walled yard, but was nothing serious to ears long-since attuned to the thunder of warship guns.

You seem to know what you’re doing, remarked Gray.

No need to sound surprised, ma'am, Ko joked.

Gray looked severe. Ko took a deep breath and relented.

When I was a kit, she said. Coronation Day was always one of the better times. Even when I was on the streets, me and the other kids would save up for a few penny bangers.

Gray moved closer, knowing that Ko’s childhood was a subject rarely raised. She didn’t say anything, but Ko seemed to feel the need to keep explaining.

The city was grey. Grey, brown, black. But one night a year there was colour in the sky as people let off their fireworks. Ko’s pale blue eyes were focused on the past for a moment. You could look up and almost forget where you were.

She stepped forward to light the fuses on the other rockets one by one, and watched nostalgically as they launched in series. Gray wasn’t watching the fireworks as they soared into the sky to join the constellations bursting over the spaceport. She was watching Ko’s face. And it seemed to her for a moment that despite the scar, the whitening fur, and the other signs of a life hard-lived, there was a sparkle in the pale blue eyes and a little hint at the vivacious and free-spirited kitten she must presumably once have been.

Doc?

Gray realised that Ko had caught her gaze and was looking back at her curiously. She coughed and stepped away.

This will make it better.

Ko watched her douse the garden lamps. The difference it made to the next firework was obvious, but Ko was uncomfortably aware that the sudden darkness limited their communications options. As Gray returned to her, she put down the slow match and sought out her hands to raise them between them. Gray understood and nodded. She could still understand Ko’s sign, albeit more slowly, by feeling out each one. Ko, despite much effort, was not quite able to master the art yet, and hadn’t forgiven herself.

But now you can’t talk to me, she said.

Gray’s reply didn’t use words. It didn’t need to. She simply bent down to pick up the match, returned it to Ko, and gave her hand an encouraging squeeze. Ko tried to judge Gray’s facial expression in the dark, managing it when a salvo of fireworks burst overhead, their incandescent rainbow reflecting and shimmering in the surgeon’s eyes and glasses. Gray gave her a nod. Ko, making use of the light while it was there, nodded back, smiled and mouthed a silent thank you. Gray patted her shoulder and stood back to let her set up the Arcturian candles, arranging them in a row across the far wall of the garden. Ko bent to light the fuse, only to freeze when pain flared white-hot in her lower back. She gasped and sank to her knees, the match clattering to the flagstones as she dropped it.

“G-Godsdamnit…Doc?” She gritted her teeth and remembered that Gray had switched off her hearing aid. But she needn’t have worried. A blue firework burst overhead and cast its harsh light into the garden. Gray, appalled to see her, was by her side in an instant, arms wrapping around her body in a manner that was supportive in more ways than just the physical. She felt herself being helped up and guided towards the bench, where Gray lowered her gently to sit and then knelt in front of her, the last of the blue light showing her eyes filled with concern. Ko saw her switch on the hearing aid and nod questioningly.

“My back again, ma'am…damn it…when I knelt down…” She hissed in pain as she tried to straighten up. Gray moved her hands to keep Ko’s spine straight, propping her back against the wall. Ko closed her eyes for a moment and then nodded slowly.

“That…that’s better, doc. Thanks. Guess I should have learned my limitations by now.”

The shadows had fallen over the garden again, but Gray’s white coat was reflective enough to show up lighter against the darkness. She stayed in front of Ko for a moment, holding her hands until her pained breathing returned to normal.

“I’m sorry about this…I just thought that maybe…since I’m out of the services now…maybe I could find something to make the day special.” Ko shook her head. “Stupid, really. Pining for a past that never was. Some things you can’t get back. I should have known it.”

Gray did nothing for a moment. Then, to Ko’s surprise, she let go and moved away towards the dying ember of the dropped slow match. Ko watched as she picked it up and blew on it to rekindle it, a fiery yellow glow briefly highlighting her lips and face as Gray turned to look at her. For a moment, Ko could almost have sworn she saw a smile there – but perhaps it was a trick of the random lights and shadows. What was certain was that Gray then turned away and applied the match to the fuse that Ko had been trying to light. It fizzed into life and Gray stubbed out the match before she went to join Ko on the bench. The fireworks began launching in sequence, a dazzling salvo of colours soaring into the sky to join the others. Ko watched them appreciatively and reached over to take Gray’s hand.

Thank you.

All she got in reply was an encouraging squeeze. But after a moment she felt an arm slide awkwardly around her waist in a gesture that could only partly be due to concern for her back. Grateful that nobody could see her blush in the dark, she shifted into the embrace and felt Gray against her side on the narrow bench. After a while, she sought out Gray’s free hand.

The fireworks have run out, she said.

Ko felt Gray nod, but not move. The garden was still and dark now, their private supply having fired itself off, though the display continued elsewhere over Crescentia. She understood and smiled.

Thank you.

Gray’s only response was to hold her a little closer while they watched the fireworks. But that was still enough.

#fic #sector crescentia: admiralty #sector crescentia: ko #sector crescentia: dr gray #firefall

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alexa-t · 6 years ago

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Venus Rising

Chapter 3: Parallel Chronologies

Part II - A Time to Reap, a Time to Sow

Unbeknownst to him and to Mina herself, were the occurrences of the last few days on the island of Kos. Apelles arrived and revealed his masterpiece, selling it after an hour long bidding war between all the aristocrats of the island. Gordos immediately recognized who Aphrodite was modeled after and wanted it for himself, but he lost to Talos, who although not as wealthy, managed to double Gordos' bid.

Apelles became an instant hit, his lesser known works were being sought after, and he was commissioned for work by many aristocratic households around the Greek world. In fact, there was such a high demand for his work, that instead of returning to Athens he scheduled to leave straight for Macedonia in the north.

Walking up to a Macedonian ship early one brisk autumn morning, he watched an Athenian vessel come out of the fog and pull up to the docks. He stood watching as some men put his luggage and painting equipment on board, and the crew of the other ship tied it down. As he observed the busy scene of men rushing around, a young aristocratic woman, dressed in the finest silk chimation, was helped off the vessel. She slightly stumbled slipping on the wet stones of the dock, and he rushed grabbing her hand to prevent her from falling.

“Thank you" she said quietly turning to see his face

“Mnesarete?!” he exclaimed looking at the familiar face of his model

“Apelles!” she exclaimed with a smile.

“Haha! I am so glad to see you here!” he laughs giving her a big hug “this is amazing, you are her, and I am here, and… we both are her right now!”

“Yes…” She replies with discomfort painted all over her face as she tries to break free of his bear hug, “we are.”

“You do not understand!” he explains after eventually letting go, “this is a Macedonian ship.” pointing over to the ship with the sun design on its' sails.

“You are going to Macedonia?” she asks genuinely surprised

“Yes! Yes!” he answers more excited than before. “I have been invited to the court of King Phillip himself! Can you believe it?”

“I want you to deliver a letter for me.” She tells him, before going back to her luggage and rummaging through it.

“No no, I am not a delivery boy…” he attempts to reject the request as she quickly writes a few words on a small parchment.

“Take this to Maximus who is staying at the house of General Cleitus.” She hands him the parchment, sealed with her signet ring pressed in the wax.

“I said n…” he begins but stops when Mina places his hand on her breast. “General Cleitus. Ok"

“Good.” She replies as she removes her hand.

Just then two men carrying a large square object covered by a brown sheet walk between them and board the Macedonian vessel.

“That is the painting!” Apelles informs her

“The Macedonians purchased it?”

“Actually, a merchant named Talos bought it and then, I think, he sold it to the Macedonians"

“Interesting” she thought aloud. The Macedonians here on Kos, an Athenian ally, means they are really expanding their influence.

“Where are you going?” he asks her

“Gordos" she replies

“His house is the large one right of the town square" he says illustrating an invisible map with his long thin index finger.

She thanked him and wished him well on his trip and new ventures before leaving to find Gordos' home. It was not a difficult search since the house was the most imposing building on the square, with its' enormous and intricate façade looming over the passersby.

‘hmm definitely trying to compensate’ she thought as she walked up to the gate.

“State your business" the burly, chiseled chin guard asked

“I will stay it only to Gordos himself" she replied, “tell him…”

“Mina is here!” he calls out running down the front steps with his outstretched arms.

The gate swings open and he steps out and hugs her, before guiding her into his home. They sat talking in his large lush courtyard as servants rushed around waiting on them. After a lavish dinner they went to the bedroom upstairs for a glass of wine. The wine flowed and when Gordos saw her getting light headed from the alcohol he made his move.

Kissing her on the neck and grabbing her everywhere in such an uncoordinated way, made her wish she was actually drunk. Yet she played her part, seduced by his charm and manliness, she had succumbed to his sexual advances. Clumsily he tore off her clothes until her naked body was before him in all its' glory, the woman who had defined Aphrodite.

She had no real interest with this client, physical or psychological, nothing made him the least bit appealing, it was strictly a business transaction. There were many clients like him, although there were a few she generally enjoyed the company of, and none she actually loved. It was neither the large belly nor the weak physique that disinterested her, but rather his weak character, the one that allowed her to control him.

Bent over with her legs spread, she held onto the base board of his extremely large wooden bed as he took her from behind, while she thought about her plans for tomorrow. Anyone listening wondered what sexual magic he had done to her to make her utter the words, and cry out as loudly as she did. Luckily the ordeal was as short as his member was, and he collapsed on the bed in a sweaty mess. Laying beside him she played with his curly black hair until sleep over took him, while she wondered what the Macedonians were doing so far south.

The next morning, Gordos, rejuvenated and jovial, made his way through the house, greeting all the household staff. Together they had a breakfast of honey covered fried bread and an assortment of seasonal fruits in the courtyard while laughing and making small talk. After the meal she requested a tour of the island where the famed first physician, Hippocrates, was from, to which he was overjoyed to give. The carriage was readied and sitting in the back with his arm around her they began their excursion.

She met all the aristocracy of the island as well as all the important merchants bringing goods to or through the island on their way to all of the other Greek cities. Here was the hub of the silk trade for all the Mediterranean. Every strand of silk coming from beyond Persia made its' way to Kos where it is woven into fabric and then finally sewn into the finest clothes the world had ever seen.

The clothing from Kos was sold to aristocrats and nobles, kings and pharaohs, all over the Mediterranean world. Her tour included silk factories where she was able to see how everything was manufactured.

“It is simply amazing!” she exclaimed, her voice full of enthusiasm.

“Yes, it is.” Gordos smiled haughtily.

“The fabric is so soft and wonderful.” She stated petting the sheets of silk being woven.

“You really love silk baby, eh?” he asks laughing

“Oh yes I do!” she purred, rubbing a emerald green piece of cloth on her cheek, “you do not have enough silk for me.”

“Oh, I am sure I have more than plenty of everything for you my dear.” He rebutted

“ummm…” she stopped and looked around at the bustling factory with a blank stare, like a pigeon looking over the square for crumbs, “no.”

“Hahaha” he laughed nervously with his hands at his sides, “What do you mean, no?”

“Well, that there is not enough silk for me here.” She stated in a building literally filled with silk, in any form you could possibly imagine.

“Honey… I have more silk than anyone in all of the Mediterranean!” he declares with outstretched arms. “Beautiful but not very bright.” He whispers to the tall skinny man standing next to him, who was most likely the manager of the factory.

She skips over like a little girl, and just as if she were actually ten years old and asking for a toy, lays on his chest and looks him in the eyes.

“Then you can give one to me can't you?” she implored him.

He looked at her stunned that she would ask such a thing, not knowing what to reply.

“If you really have so much, then a little for me is nothing for you.” She stated sweetly.

“Umm… I… ummm..” he muttered

“Oh! If it is too much, then it is fine I understand.” She said standing back up, and turning to walk away “most men cannot afford such gifts for their lovers"

“But I am NOT most men!” he declared pompously, “Alpheos! You work for Mnesarete now!”

The man looked at him stunned, unable to utter a word, unable to move, catatonic state stunned. Mina ran up to Gordos and wrapping her arms around him, planted a big kiss on his cheek.

“Oh thank you Gordos!” she exclaimed in a very airheaded fashion.

Alpheos brought over a scroll and Gordos handed it to her, telling her that if she needed any help he would be there for her. What he actually meant was, that in a month when she had her fun he would take it back. They walked out the front door and toward the carriage, but as Gordos was stepping in, she ran back with the excuse of ‘forgetting something’ to which he laughed at her silliness.

Inside she found Alpheos, and sternly called him over to her.

“I want you to bring me an account of what we have in stock here. Everything from the last fiber to the finished clothing, as well as clothing designs” His mouth dropped at the sudden personality change.

“Y..yes… my lady.” He stutters, perplexed by the strange level-headed female.

“I also need a list of where we received the last shipment of silk from, how much, how much we sell our products for and to who.”

She walked off without waiting for a reply, but fully expecting Alpheos to get it done and bring the documents by Gordos' house that evening. She was sure that he knew he would be fired if he did not perform to her expectations. Outside she put on her smile and jumped on the back of the carriage.

"Did you find what you were looking for baby?" he asked

"Yes, I did." she replied as the driver whipped the horses and they proceeded to their next destination.

In Athens, with Mina gone, Helena spent more and more time at the clinic with Dice. The endless line outside the clinic was always filled with sick and injured women and children in need of care. Why did so many people flock to Agnodice for care instead of the dozen or so other physicians in Athens? No one was really sure, but maybe it was the quality of care, or maybe it was the level of caring, nevertheless they found their way there, and every night the girls would finish later and later.

"Do you ever feel tired of working so many hours?" Helena asked the doctor as they cleaned up after a long day's work.

"No, not really." Dice answered with a smile while putting some tools in a basin for cleaning.

"What about the fact that you recieve no recognition for your hard work, no one really knows who you are, no one really knows how much of an amazing physician you are?"

"They all know." she replied pointing out to the waiting room, "everyday more and more people come because they know I will not turn them away, that I will treat them no matter who they are. This is enough recognition for me. It does not matter to them what is between my legs, what matters is the good I do for them every day."

"You are truly amazing." Helena expressed, in awe of the woman.

"I am not." Dice retorted bluntly, "I am simply doing what I love, for the people whom I love."

Helena admired her, Agnodice was intelligent, stoic, and completely selfless. She truly lived to serve the people, in stark contrast with the other physicians of the city who saw each patient as a sack of gold. She treated so many people for free that it became almost strange when patients offered to pay.

"When you were in Chalcedon learning medicine, did your colleagues treat you differently?" Helena inquired

"Medicine is very competitive" Dice began, "the other students, who were all men, tried to cause problems an account of my sex. Yet Herophilos, my teacher, made it clear the first day we all entered the school."

"What did he do?"

"He stood before all of us and said, ‘I do not care who you are or who your parents are, if you are man or woman. What I care is that you enter as children and you will leave as physicians. Anyone who cannot handle my style of teaching and anyone who is unworthy, I will throw you out without a second thought. Prove your worth and stay.’ and I proved my worth."

This was enough to satiate Helena's curiosity for the moment. They finished their cleaning, and readied the clinic for the next day. Walking out, Dice closed and locked the door behind them, while Helena looked around at the sleeping city. What she failed to notice is the cloaked man across the street watching them, taking into account everything they do.

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platedelights · 6 years ago

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June 21, 2019 | DTP

In the last couple of days, the story of Occidental Mindoro’s 22 fishermen from the Municipality of San Jose sold like hot cakes in social and mass media. It stirred up emotions and herded divided opinions among analysts and bystanders. However, their saga appears to be at its closing episode when they received livelihood assistance from DA Sec. Manny Pinol and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resource (BFAR).

(Photos from Bfar Mimaropa)

As per Bfar Mimaropa‘s post at their Facebook page, the twenty-two (22) crewmen of F/B Gem Ver 1 secured for themselves 12 fiberglass-reinforced plastic (FRB) plastic boats, bottom-set gill nets, hook and lines, life best, and a sack of rice.

Cong. Josephine Ramirez-Sato with Vice Gov. Peter Alfaro and DA Sec. Manny Pinol. Photo from Sangguniang Panlalawigan.

The aid came almost in an instant after the boat captain Junel Insigne apologized to President Rodrigo Duterte, June 19. This followed after recanting his previous story that Chinese vessel intentionally rammed and sank their F/B Gem Ver 1 fishing boat in Recto Bank last June 9.

So how did their story brewed our coffee? Let’s try putting things in a time line based on new reports.

June 9, 2019. At around 11:30pm, Chinese trawler Yuemaobinyu 42212 purportedly hit F/B Gim-Ver 1 with 22 crewmen from San Jose, Occidental Mindoro off Recto Bank in West Philippine Sea which resulted to its sinking.

Gem Ver’s cook Richard Blaza said he informed and woke up others before the Chinese trawler hit them.

FB Gimver 1 left the shore of Municipality of San Jose, Occidental Mindoro to fish at Recto Bank, May 29. They reached Recto Bank at West Philippine Sea in May 31, 2019.

June 10, 2019. At around 1:00am, after hours of floating in open sea, the 22 fishermen were rescued by Vietnamese boat Captain Nguyen Thanh Tam together with his 10 crew from the Province of Tien Giang. The Filipino fishermen were given “rice, instant noodles, and warm materials”.

Saigon Times reported that the Vietnamese boat is owned by 54-year old Ngo Van Theng, a resident of Tien Giang’s Go Cong town. He confirmed it was his boat that rescued the Filipinos.

The Filipino fishermen then borrowed the Vietnamese radio to contact Filipino fishing vessels nearby for help. M2M fishing boat picked up their call and reached for the Vietnamese boat to pickup Gem Ver 1’s crew.

Alerted of the incident in the morning through Maritime Situational Awareness Center – West (MSAC-WEST), the Philippine Navy then sent BRP Ramon Alcaraz to rescue the 22 fishermen.

June 12, 2019. National Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana broke the news to the media coinciding with Philippines’ 121st Independence Day Celebration, condemning in strongest term the Chinese action particularly that of abandoning Filipino seafarers.

These were his statements:

Armed Forces of the Philippines Western Command Spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Stephen Penetrante also sees it “far from accidental”. These were his statements:

“According to our report, it’s far from accidental kasi kung accidental po ito, the SOP should be they should stop ‘di po ba? And then they should rescue, rescue these fishermen natin ano po. E nung tinamaan nila yung F/B Gem Ver 1 ay ano po sila, dire-diretso, hindi nila tinigilan. Kung titingnan nyo po sa incident report, may intentionality e, kasi hindi na po tumigil.

Department of Foreign Affairs Secretary Teddy Locsin also shared his view on the matter through his twitter account Wednesday evening.

DFA Sec. Teddy Locsin. Photo from Twitter.

“I take my cue from Defense Sec. Lorenzana. What is contemptible and condemnable is the abandonment of the crew to the elements. Vietnam’s rescue will be the basis of enhanced Vietnam-PH military cooperation“.

“And by the way I just fucking landed in Geneva. I’ve been airborne. I am awaiting a West Philippine Sea task force report. My reaction thus far relies exclusively on Defense Secretary Lorenzana. I can’t rely on media; it’d be irresponsible to rely only on media”, he added.

June 13, 2019. Senator Sonny Triallanes called on Foreign Affairs Secretary Teddy Locsin that the incident be referred to Maritime Safety Committee of International Maritime Organization. But before that, twitting on Thursday morning, June 13, Sec. Locsin reacted otherwise by stating “Fuck the international communit. It can be bought. This is our fight and in the end ours alone”.

He however confirmed that he’s filling a protest to IMO in response to Sen. Triallane’s tweet.

Sec. Locsin tweeted that he “will proceed on the merits of the case and what it calls for awhile the matter is studied by the IMO”.

The Foreign Affairs Secretary also considered the incident as an “allision” rather than “collision”.

“Wrong. It’s presumably an “allision” or bumping of two vessels one of which was stationary. Ramming is another thing altogether requiring proof of intentionality. So far as I know none of us is a mind reader not least because some of us have no mind with which to read another”, he tweeted Thursday night.

In a Palace briefing, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo on the hand said that the Chinese government is “seriously” and “thoroughly” looking into the incident as the latter has already launched an investigation.

Panelo’s statement is based on the text message sent to him by Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Zhao Jianhua which reads: “The fishing boat issue is being thoroughly and seriously investigated. We share your concerns about fishermen. It is were true that it was a Chinese fishing boat, they would be duly educated and punished for their irresponsible behavior. Incidents happen even in the best-regulated family. We hope this incident could be held in a proper context”.

But for Panelo,“Whether is a form of bullying or not, it’s outrageous, it’s barbaric, it’s uncivilized and we’re condemning it. The act of abandonment, by those sailing the Chinese vessel of 22 Filipino fishermen aboard their anchored and stationary watercraft by them, is uncivilized as it is outrageous. Such act of desertion is inhuman as it is barbaric. It is a crystal-clear violation of maritime protocols as well as an infringement of internationally accepted practice of assisting a vessel in distress. We call on the appropriate Chinese authorities to probe the collision and impose the proper sanctions to the Chinese crew”.

Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Geng Shuang. Photo from http://www.hindustantimes.com.

Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Geng Shuang however considered the incident as “an ordinary maritime traffic incident” and that it is irresponsible for the Philippines to have it “politicized”.

“If the relevant reports are true, regardless of the country from which the perpetrator came from, their behavior should be condemned”, Geng Shuang added.

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo. Photo from Philippine News Agency.

In the contrary, Spokesman Panelo said, “Regardless of the nature of the collision, whether it was accidental or intentional, common decency and the dictates of humanity require the immediate saving of the crew of the downed Philippine vessel”.

Later that day, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana softened his stand on the issue, stating that he is unsure if the vessel that rammed F/B Gem Ver 1 is really Chinese.

These were his statements when interviewed by reporters in General Santos City:

Department of National Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana. Photo from Philippine News Agency.

“We are just relying on the statement of the fishermen that the ship that hit them was a Chinese ship. Yun lang ang bavsehan ko nung sinabi kong Chinese ‘yon ha. Now we will still get an inquiry, tanungin natin yung Vietnamese, and Vietnam side, Chinese side, kung meron silang report na gano’n. We will find out kung ano ang aksyon nila, kung it will be proven that it is a Chinese vessel, then we will find out what are their actions”.

Mayor Festin appealed to President Duterte to speak out with “muscle in mouth” regarding the incident.

San Jose, Occidental Mindoro Mayor Muloy Festin. Photo screenshot from Youtube.

“Ipakita natin yung ating muscle. May muscle din tayo kahit sa bibig. Kung wala man tayong muscle sa giyera eh sa bunganga man lang at sa tinatawag na propoer court kung saan dapat dalhin yan. Sana ‘wag mapabayaan itong kaso na ito, at saka gawing transparent para ang lahat ng mga concerned tio – lahat ng mga Pilipino concerned eh – para maintindihan at walang agam-agam”, Mayor Festin said.

Fe Dela Torre, the wife Felix Dela Torre and owner of Gem Ver 1 also appealed for justice.

“Katarungan. Katarungan lang po para sa tao ko ang hinihingi ko po kasi po may mga anak din sila at umaasa kasi sila. Ang sa amin lang, sana mahinto na ito, mabigyan ng aksyon. Kasi nakakaawa tayo kung ang dayuhan, uulit-ulitin pa rin”, she lamented.

Katarungan. Katarungan lang po para sa tao ko ang hinihingi ko po kasi po may mga anak din sila, at umaasa kasi sila,”Ang sa amin lang, sana mahinto na ito, mabigyan ng aksiyon, kasi nakakaawa tayo kung ang dayuhan, uulit-ulitin pa rin.”

June 14, 2019.

Gem Ver 1 seafarers returned to San Jose port aboard BRP Tausug, on which they were transferred from BRP Alcaraz. They were turned over to the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources and were welcomed by Regional Director Elizer Salilig who gave 1 sack of rice to each fishermen as immediate assistance.

Gem Ver 1 skipper Junel Insigne in an interview said that they were intentionally rammed by the Chinese vessel.

“Sinadya po iyon dahil kung hindi po iyon sinadya dapat babalikan kami, tutulungan. Ay bakit tinakbuhan po kami tapos sinindihan yung ilaw? Nung nakita kaming lubog, tinakbuhan kami… Kaya nga po, wala naman kaming pinuperwisyo sa kanila. Naghahanap-buhay naman po kami ng maayos eh”, Insigne said.

Felix Dela Torre, owner of the sunken boat, also expressed his frustration over the incident, saying he felt like Filipinos are “slaves” of China.

“Syempre po, parang alipin tayo ng China. Parang wala tayong karapatan sa sariling ating nasasakupan”, says Dela Torre.

Meanwhile, a day after Department of Foreign Affairs Secretary Teddy Locsin said “Fuck the international community”, Philippine’s deputy permanent representative to International Maritime Organization Senen Mangalile delivered the statement slamming the Chinese ship for ramming Gem Ver 1.

The Press Release reads:

PH STATEMENT AT IMO URGES PROTECTION OF LIFE AT SEA

LONDON – The Philippines urge all member states of the United Nations and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to put a premium on protecting life at sea in cases of maritime distress.

In a statement at the 101st Session of the Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) at the IMO Senen T. Mangalile referred to the Philippine fishing vessel which sank after an incident with a Chinese vessel while anchored at the vicinity of Recto Bank in Palawan.

The Philippine statement drew attention to the fact that the Filipino crew of the fishing vessel “were callously abandoned to the elements on the rough seas and woud have perished” were it not for the assistance from the crew of a Vietnamese vessel. The statement highlighted that the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and the IMO convention on Safety of Life at Sea and Maritime Search and Rescue have express provision on rendering assistance to distressed mariners.

“It is the obligation of every responsible state of the UN and the IMO to implement these conventions and related codes concerning maritime safety and security, rather than just paying lip service to them”, Mangalile said. “It is also our moral obligation to save a human life whenever and wherever we can do so”, he added.

Mangalile also thanked Vietnam for the assistance it provided the 22 Filipino crew.

MSC deals with all matters related to maritime safety and security which fall within within the mandate of the IMO, covering both passenger ships and all kinds of cargo ships. The MSC likewise deals with updating the International for Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) and related codes. -END

Chinese Embassy in Manila meanwhile posted in their Twitter account a Press Release on the so-called collision of fishing boats between China and the Philippines.

Notably, it claims that Yuemaobinyu 42212 “was suddenly besieged by 7 or 8 Filipino fishing boats which prevented them from saving the 22 Filipino fishermen after boat sank due to a “so-called collision”.

The same was posted at their Facebook account at 9:20pm. Hours later, it was taken down, drawing flak from netizens.

Presidential Spokesman Salvador looked into possibility of cutting ties with China if proven guilty.

These were Panelo’s statements:

“We want to find out first. If it was intentional, ibang usapan na ‘yun. If it is intentional, it is an act of aggression. What’s the next step? We will cut off diplomatic relations if there are aggressive acts. First, file a diplomatic protest. If you are not content with their explanation, we find out that it was intentional, that we will be another matter. Given the steps undertaken by the President on the Canada trash issue, that’s more likely…baka severe pa, hindi natin alam. Let’s leave it to the President.”

“We call the Chinese government to probe the incident and to impose punitive action against those at fault. Definitely we will not allow ourselves to be assaulted, to be bullied, to be the subject of such barbaric, uncivilized and outrageous actions from any source. The act of abandonment, bu those sailing the Chinese fishing vessel of twenty-two Filipino fishermen aboard their anchored and stationary watercraft hit by them, is uncivilized as it is outrageous.”

US Embassy, on the other hand expressed relief on the safe return of fishermen in an email sent to Manila Bulletin.

“We saw news reports of the collision at sea. We are thankful none of the Filipino fishermen lost their lives and glad that Vietnamese fishermen rescued them from the open sea”.

They also stood firm on their support for the “lawful uses of the sea, respect for international law, unimpeded lawful commerce, and peace and stability” while urging the parties to “refrain from using coercion and intimidation to assert their territorial and maritime claims”.

Later that night, Junel Insigne reiterated that Chinese boat can’t be besieged since there were no other boat present in the area but Gem Ver 1.

“Wala man. Kami-kami lang ang nandoon. Kami-kami lang. Wala mang ibang bangka doon, kami-kami lang. Dahil nung gabi na yun, lubog nga kami, kami pa ang mag-aatake? Ibig sabihin, naghihintay lang kami ng balik nila, iniintay lang namin na i-save kami, na saklolohan. Ay bakit umatras sila, bago pinatay ang ilaw, bago tumakbo nang palayo”, he said.

June 15, 2019. Director of University of the Philippines Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea Professor Jay Batongbacal shared a Google Earth screenshot, using visible infrared imaging radiometer suite (VIIRS), of Recto Bank, also known as Reed Bank, that showing boats spread all over the area on the night of June 9, 2019, making it impossible for Chinese vessel to be “suddenly besieged by 7 or 8 Filipino fishing boat” as claimed by Chinese Embassy in Manila.

A screenshot of Google Earth showing images of Recto Bank on the night of June 9, 2019. Photo courtesy of Jay Batongbacal.

The following were Prof. Jay Batongbacal’s explanation and interpretation of the image:

“The VIIRS satellite data from the night of 09 June 2019 shows only a few fishing vessels operating in the area of Reed Bank at the time. Each boat-icon is a fishing vessel identified by its bright lights. They are spread over the wide area of Reed Bank; the closest two lights are about 3-5 nautical miles (approximately 7 to 9 km) apart. What 7-8 vessel swarm of night-marauding Filipino boats is China talking about?”

“I don’t know which one is the immediate area of the incident, but that point is that there is no potential swarm anywhere, and fishing boats operate far from each other. Of course, their visibility depends on whether they were lighted sufficiently or were stationary long enough during the exact time the satellite passed over, but this just shows how unbelievable their claim (being besieged) is”.

“There is no prior record of any group of Filipino fishing vessels ‘besieging’ (attacking) any other vessel anywhere in the high seas. Ever. Not even the notorious pirates that used to operate in the southern seas operate that way. Only Chinese maritime militia vessels (and Vietnamese maritime militia responding to the Chinese) have been involved is such coordinated swarming system”.

In a news article published at Philstar.com, Agricuture Secretary Manny Piñol announced on Facebook that BFAR Regional Director Elizer Salilig has committed to give 22 “unsinkable” fiberglass boat with complete accessories including engine and nets.

This was reported by Undersecretary Eduardo Gongona, BFAR Executive Director.

At 11:44am, the statement that was posted and then taken down on the night of June 14 was again posted at the Facebook account of Chinese Embassy.

Meanwhile, in an interview with CNN Philippines, Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo assured the public that “The President will undertake measures that is appropriate for the incident.

“Depende kasi ‘yan kung anong magiging response ng Chinese government sa ating diplomatic protests”, Panelo added.

He also defended the President for being silent on the issue on the last couple of days.

“The President is a very cautious man. If you noticed he makes calibrated responses. When the President speaks, they are intentional to get some desired effects or sometimes as he calls it he shares the tree for reactions”.

He also cautioned the Filipino fisher whenever they go out in open sea to fish.

“Maging maingat sila sa kanilang ginagawang pangingisda sa lugar na iyon at ipaalam kaagad sa atin kung anuman ang unusual na nakikita nila na maaring magkaroon ng kalakaran kung saan ang kanilang kaligtasan ay malalagay sa alanganin”.

He also rejected Chinese claims of Philippines “politicizing the issue without verification”.

“We are not politicizing that incident. What we’re focusing is on the act of abandoning, not the collision itself…but the act of abandoning that is in violation of Unclos (United Nations Convention on the Laws of the Seas)”.

Meanwhile, Supreme Court Senior Justice Associate Antonio Carpia said that the Chinese vessel that rammed Gem Ver 1 is under the command of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA).

June 16, 2019. Department of Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi visited San Jose, Occidental Mindoro where he held a meeting with 22 fishermen. The meeting however resulted to Cusi casting doubt on Gem Ver 1 crew’s story to the dismay of the latter.

These were Cusi’s statements in an interview after meeting with fishermen:

“So as of now, kasi sasabihin natin, kung talagang babanggain ay bakit, kung sa kuwan ba ano, ah pwede namang sasabihin natin napakabulok naman nung babangga. Daplis lang. Kung sa kuwan ba… Kung mean to kill, mean to.. syempre idiretso mo na.”

Department of Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi. Photo from DOE Facebook account.

The Energy Secretary defended as well the President on his silence as he is still “studying” the situation.

“Ang masasabi natin, this really is an accident that happened. Tinitingnan nga natin nang mabuti since it involves another country noh. Another vessel that is owned and registered in China. We want to, gusto natin maging certain kung ano talaga yung pangyayari on how it happened.”

“Meron po kaming emergency Cabinet meeting dahil pag-aaralan po natin ito, Si Pangulo, Si Mayor Duterte, tahimik, pinag-aaralan niyang mabuti dahil ayaw naman po niyang gumawa ng hakbang na hindi tama ang binabasehang impormasyon”, Cusi said.

Secretary Cusi hailed from Oriental Mindoro and is assigned to oversee the affairs of MIMAROPA Region.

Later that day, San Jose, Occidental Mindoro Mayor Muloy Festin also announced that Captain Junel Insigne and the boat’s cook Richard Blaza is set to meet the President on Monday, June 17.

Hours after Mayor Festin’s announcement, Junel Insigne however appeared uncomfortable, citing Secretary Cusi’s statements.

“Kasi sa salita ni Secretary, yung pagbangga daw sa amin, parang padaplis lang. Bakita parang hindi sinadya, dahil padaplis lang.. Bakit parang ganon po salita ni Secretary sa amin?”, Insigne said in an interview.

Justin Pacaul, one of Gem Ver 1 crews, also expressed his disappointment at the turn of events.

“Bakit kami pa ang baliktarin na nang-harass sa kanila? Kung kami man mang-harass sa kanila hindi namin kakayanin. Malaki ang bangka nila at marami sila sa aming”, Pacaul said.

His wife Mailyn shared his sentiments. She said she is contemplating a lot on their means of livelihood.

“Hindi po namin alam kung paano namin maso-solusyunan pang araw-araw dahil wala na pong bangka na paglalautan sila. Masaya ako nang makita ko sya na okay naman. Ang tanging kinalulungkot namin ngayon, wala kaming kabuhayan ngayon. Wala siyang hanap-buhay”, says Mailyn.

In an interview with ABS-CBN News that night, Sunday, Mayor Muloy Festin also said that the Provincial Director of Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources was assigned to accompany Insigne and Blaza going to Malacanang.

June 17, 2019. President Duterte finally broke his silence for the first time since National Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenza spilled the beans of Recto Bank incident to the media last July 12. He considered it as “maritime incident”, echoing Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Geng Shuang’s June 13 statement treating the same as “an ordinary maritime traffic incident”,

President Duterte made his statements while attending the 121st Philippine Navy Anniversary at Sangley Point, Cavite.

The following were President Duterte’s statements:

“Yang nangyari dyan sa banggaan, that is a maritime incident. Huwag kayo maniwala dyan sa mga pulitiko na bobo. Gusto papuntahin yung Navy. You do not send gray ships there. Banggaan lang ng barko yan. Do not make it worse because there is a, that’s a fertile ground for.. Alam nyong mga sundalo, miscommunication yan. Patay na. And we are not yet ready, we can never be ready in a nuclear war. Because in a nuclear war, kung bitawan lahat yan, earth will dry up and we will all be destroyed. And that is the end of everything. So tamang-tama lang pang-depensa sa atin. Bilihin ko lahat. Pero magsabi tayo, ready, your guns are cocked to go to war, that’s the most stupid thing i can.. Wala, paliparin lahat ng nuclear, e sundalo kayo. Dalawa lang ang bomba, tumuyo ang Japan. Eh (inudible) bitawan yanng almost 1 thousand warheads, di anong mangyari, di walang tutubo dito, pati isda ubos. Maritime incident is a maritime incident. It is best investigated. And I do not now issue statements because there is no investigation and there is no result. Then the only thing that we can do is to wait and give the other party the right to be heard. Importante yan eh. Oh China, marami kang binigay na.. ano ba dito ang totoo. O tapos, anong nangyari, ganito. Then let us sort, ano ang ma-sort natin dyan? Kung bago ano iyung totoo bago tayo mag..(inaudible). Dalawang bangka lang yan. Now you go there and create a tension. I said, hindi ako gago na presidente na papayag na.. If we have to die, we must have to die in correct way and to die with dignity. Hindi yung basta bangga-bangga ka lang dyan. It’s a matter of that incident na nagbanggan yung mga fishing boat. You read a lot about fumigation, anger, kung ano-ano na lang. You know, we are ruled as a civilized nation and members of the community by the laws that govern whatever happen in the seas as we go along our business. There will be rules for a military confrontation. There will be rules for a mistaken identity. There is a rule for fishermen’s boat. There is rule for an aircraft carrier bumping a fishing boat. Ano, with all the.. yung galit, and one national official, event urgent sending the gray ships, war ships, doon sa China Sea. Alam mo, gusto ko yan. Kung ako lang ang pipiliin, gusto ko ng aksyon. But I am not in my boyhood age anymore.” –Manila Bulletin Online.

Hours after President Duterte’s speech, Department of Foreign Affairs Secretary Teddy Locsin presented the issue of Philippine boat sinking at the United Nations at UN Headquarters in New York. This coincided with the commemoration of the 25th Anniversary of the entry into force of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

In his speech he said, “The 22 Filipino crew were left in the water until a Vietnamese vessel took them on boar. We are grateful, we are eternally in debt to our strategic partner, Vietnam, for this act of mercy and decency.”

“The rescue of persons in distress is a universally recognized obligation of people and governments; and in civil law and, maybe even in common law, it is a felony to abandon people in distress, especially when we cause that distress; and more so when it is no bother at all to save them at no risk to oneself. While no sanction is available in international law, it should be a cause of some concern. Whether International law can be enforced in another matter. And it doesn’t help that parties with the strength to enfore it – and who have invoked a lot the need for it – have not joined it. –Philstar.coml

Sec. Locsin also noted the 3-fold duty of the ship master as cited in Article 98 of UNCLOS. These are:

to render assistance to any person found at sea in danger of being lost

to proceed with all possible speed to the rescue of persons in distress, if informed of their need of assistance, in so far as such action may reasonable be expected of him

after a collision, to render assistance to the other ship, its crew and its passengers and, where possible, to inform the other ship of the name of his own ship, its port of registry and the nearest port at which it will call

Meanwhile, Prof. Jay Batongbacal said that the Chinese vessel has violated Philippine laws against pouching which is classified as a crime by the Philippine Fisheries Code (Republic Act 8550) and under the 1987 Constitution. This is in support to earlier claims of Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio who said that the Chinese vessel has violated the UNCLOS.

“China expressly admitted in their press statement through the Chinese embassy that their vessel was engaged in purse seine fishing operation on Reed Bank, which is within our exclusive economic zone under UNCLOS and as per 2016 Philippine v. China arbitration award. That’s clear and obvious an UNCLOS violation as you can get.. There is no prematurity here because China itself expressly admitted it without prodding from the Philippines”, Prof. Batongbacal said.

Gem Ver 1 Captain Junel Insigne backed out from the supposedly meeting with President Duterte. Mayor Muloy Festin confirmed this saying that Insigne asked to be dropped off on their way to Calapan City where they will take a RORO boat bound to Batangas. They were already in Roxas, Oriental when Insigne expressed his desire to return to San Jose, Occidental Mindoro.

It was then said that Insigne’s wife called him and told him to return home instead upon learning that the Cabinet meeting has been canceled.

In an interview with News5Everywhere, Insigne’s wife expressed her side about the meeting and Secretary Cusi’s statements.

“Wala namang magaganap na pagpupulong, ba’t nga pupunta pa sya, anong gagawin nya dun? Kaya hindi ko sya pinasama. Tsaka masama pati ang loob ko kahapon nga kay Cusi na sabi nya di ba. Hindi naman pala kayo nasentro. Biro lang. Binibiro lang kayo. Pinapahagingan lang kayo. Lumubog ang bangka. Gusto nya pa pala mamatay ang mga tao. Para masabing, ano.. Ang tagal nang kapitan ng asawa ko. Kahit bagyuhan malakas yan. Yan ang halos Kapitan na hindi tumatabi. Mga kasamahan niyang bangka walang huli, siya maraming huli. Tapos sasabihin niyang alon lang ang bumangga, e kalmang-kalma. E sa alon nga hindi nagigiba iyan. Sasabihin niyang ganun… Wag na lang syang tumuloy. Sabi ko sa kanya wala ring mangyayari syo… Eh anong gagawin niya dun. Katulad nyan, ibinalita, wala namang magaganap na pagpupulong. Anong gagawin nya doon? Imbes na maktulong ko dito sa pagluluto ng ulam, maghanap ng mga ulam namin, barbecue. Anong gagawin nya doon?.. Oo, masama talaga (loob ko) lalo na kay Cusi kahapon. Sasabihin nyang ganun. Pinapahagingan lang pala kayo. Hindi naman pala kayo nasentro. Nakakapit naman pala kayo sa bangka, hindi naman pala sa tubig. Yung sabihin niyang ganon. Sabihin ba naman ni Cusi na ganon… Eh kung bagyuhan pa yun pa, malalaking alon, patay silang lahat. Buti nga kalma pa at hindi malakas ang alon”

In an interview with GMA News, Insigne admitted that his decision not to go Manila is largely affected and influenced by Secretary Cusi’s statements last June 16.

He said, “Naano lang din talaga ako sa salita ni Secretary. Medyo masama talaga ang loob ko. Baka panig sya sa China eh. Ewan ko lang po kung makakatulong pa sila. Talagang masama ang loob ko sa sinabi niyang iyon. Akala ko, ano, hindi po totoo iyun. Talagang sinadya po kaming banggani ng Chinese fishing vessel. Ay kung sa akin lang, kung tutulong, eh ano na lang kung tumulong. Pero yung pupunta pa ako doon, hindi na po kaya.”

Insigne’s statement was supported by his fellow Gem Ver 1 crew, Bannie Condeza.

“Sabi hindi intensyunal, e sa lapad po ng dagat na yan. Isa pa may ilaw kami”, Condeza narrated.

Gem Ver 1 owner Felix Dela Torre added, “Parang sinasabi nilang nagsisinungaling pa yung mga tauhan ko.”

In the same interview, Junel Insigne’s older brother Junnard Insigne admitted that he is the one who told Junel to return to San Jose

He said, “Si Secretary Cusi po, parang kaiba na po yung ano nya. Kasi parang binabaligtad nya po yung sitwasyon po. Yung bangka daw po ay na-kuwan lang ng alon kaya naputol. Bago po yung kuwan, ang sabi ay hindi ho sinasadya. Kasi po iyung kung talagang nasentro sila, talagang patay po sila doon. Talagang hindi lang sila nasentro kaya kuwan, kaya sa pwet lang sila dumaan.”

Junel Insigne’s wife even said Presidente Duterte should go to Mindoro if he wants to help. She said, “..Siya ang pumunta dito kung gusto niyang tumulong. Tumulong sya kung gusto nya.”

Richard Blaza however went on to go to Manila. With him is Arlinda Dela Torre, the mother of Felix Dela Torre who owns the sunken boat.

Bong Go however denied that a such meeting was scheduled.

In other story, Malacañang refused to accept the statement made by Felix Dela Torre, the owner of the sunken boat, who felt that Filipinos are Chinese “slaves” and “have no sovereignty over its own waters”.

“Baka it’s a rhetorical question. Siyempre the response is we can never be slaves to anyone’, Panelo said.

Opposition Sen. Risa Hontiveros, on the other hand demanded that Energy Sec. Cusi apologize to fishermen of Occidental Mindoro. She said Sec. Cusi’s remarks “are the height of insensitivity to our poor fisherfolk, ignorance of facts and even bordering on the treacherous”.

Opposition Senator Risa Hontiveros. Photo from Senate of the Philippines Facebook.

“It becomes completely understandable, then, why Junel Insigne, captain of the F/B Gem Ver 1, backed out of the meeting with President Rodrigo Duterte. With public officials like Secretary Cusi, who needs enemies? Is Secretary of Energy now an expert at evaluating collisions between sea vessels? Is he now lawyering for the Chinese government? What additional proof does Secretary Cusi need? For our fishing vessel to be completely wrecked and for people to die? The Chinese government itself left has admitted that their boat rammed our. Our Department of Defense, as well as the consistent accounts of our fishermen, also confirms this”, Sen. Hontiveros added.

June 18, 2019. Gem Ver 1 kitchen crew Richard Blaza went on to meet Sec. Manny Pinol in Manila to recount his version of the story. Accordingly, he was the only one awake as he was cooking rice at the kitchen when the incident happened.

Here are Sec. Pinol’s statements in an article published by ABS CBN News:

“Richard told me shortly before the incident, the captain was sleeping in his cabin, the captain’s cabin. And there were only 2 lights in the fishing boat – one in the captain’s cabin and one in the kitchen. When he saw the vessel coming towards their direction, he rushed to the captain and roused the captain from his sleep and told him that there was an incoming vessel. He said the captain tried to start the engine but it was too late, they were hit by the vessel. Shortly after the impact, he said the vessel actually slowed down, lighted the vessel and trained on the flashlights. Many of them were already in the water and they were asking for help but the Chinese vessel turned off lights and sped off and left the scene.”

Sec. Pinol also added that there should be an investigation to determine if the ramming was intentional or not.

When Sec. Pinol asked Blaza if believes the ramming was intentional, Blaza said, “Sir, maaring hindi kami nakita”.

Blaza also told reporters, “May kabilisan ang takbo niya, kaya ginisig ko na si kapitan at mga tao. Pinaggigising ko na ang mga kasama ko na mahahagip kami.”

May kabilisan ang takbo niya, kaya ginising ko na si kapitan at mga tao. Pinaggigising ko na ang mga kasama ko na mahahagip kami,

Four other crew confirmed his story:

Cirilo Escuterio: “Sumigaw ‘yung kasama namin na, ‘Oy, gumising kayo, may barkong parating at babanggain tayo.’ Sabay takbo sa loob ng higaan ng kapitan, sabay sabi, ‘Kap, start mo makina babanggain tayo ng barko.”

Joven Jacinto: “Noong nagsigawan na ang mga kasamahan ko, nakagising na ako. Pagmulat ng mata ko, nagsisigawan, nagtatakbuhan, naglundag na rin ako.”

Antonio Torres Jr: “Nagising ako, may sumisigaw, ‘Barko, barko, mababangga tayo ng barko.’ Bigla ako bumangon…tumakbo ako pababa, pagtingin ko pabangga na ‘yung barko sa hulihan namin.”

JP Gordiones: “Nasa loob ako ng kamarote, nakarinig lang po ako ng sigaw, sabi niya may barko na babangga, tumakbo po ako sa unahan.”-Rappler.com

In other news, Gem Ver 1 skipper Junel Insigne said he is saddened by President Duterte’s statement referring to their experience in Recto Bank.

“Nalulungkot po ako dun sa sinabi ni Presidente, na banggaan lang daw. Parang balewala lang sa kanya yung ganun. Dahil wala sigurong namatay kaya parang balewala lang. Paano po kung namatay kaming lahat?”, Insigne lamented.

Later in the afternoon, when Insigne learned the result of Richard Blaza’s meeting with Sec. Pinol, he defended still his side of the story. It is to be remembered that Blaza told Sec. Pinol,“Sir, maaring hindi kami nakita”.

Says Insigne, “May ilaw kami sa hulihan, doon po sa may taas ng amorote. Tsaka sa unahan may ilaw. Tsaka bago po yung battery namin. Maliwanag po yun. Kahit na milya o lima, kita po yan eh. Yan na nga ang sinasabi ko sa kanya eh. Baka pagdating nya doon iba-iba ang ang ano nya eh.”

Insigne’s claim was supported by one of his crew Marlon Roldan.

“Maliwanag talaga yung ilaw namin sa hulihan at sa unahan, dun sa gitna, May flasher pa nga”, Marlon Roldan said.

“Kitang-kita ko malakas talaga ang ilaw namin”, Limuel Gregorio added.

Aside from Insigne, Roldan, and Gregorio, Sen. Panfilo Lacson and Sen. Frank Drilon were also “broken hearted” with President Duterte’s statements.

Senator Panfilo Lacson. Photo from Senate of the Philippines Facebook.

Says Sen. Lacson, “The President broke his silence and left us heartbroken. He forgot to explore all resources available before exercising his last option of surrender. The MDT is one yet untapped weapon. I am not suggesting World War 3, but at least it can make China feel the balance of power in the West Philippine Sea.”

Sen. Drilon on the other hand said, “Let us not muddle the issue. Whether the ramming was intentional or accidental, what is in issue, and what is clear and admitted, is that the Chinese boat captain abandoned the Philippine fishermen in distress at sea. This violates China’s obligation under the UNCLOS to rescue those in distress at sea. This is the issue that should be addressed and the basis of China’s liability under international law and the UNCLOS”.

Senator Frank Drilon. Photo from Senate of the Philippines Facebook.

“The claim of Chinese Embassy that the Chinese boat left because of fear of being besieged by Ph boats in the vicinity is baloney and an outright and malicious lie. If there were indeed Philippine fishing boats in the vicinity, why did it take a Vietnamese vessel to rescue the 22 Filipinos in distress? And at least one hour after the incident?”, Drilon added.

Senator Laila De Lima. Photo from Senate of the Philippines.

From her detention cell, Sen. Laila De Lima also sent her take on the issue, saying that “Our very own leaders assaulting our very dignity as a people! Kaya pa ba natin ito? Ano pa ba dapat mangyari para matauhan na ang marami sa atin? Sampal ito sa kanilang mga itinuturing natin na mga pinuno”.

Meanwhile, in Rappler’s phone interview and text replies, Fe Dela Torre, the wife Felix Dela Torre, said she it appears to her that the government is finding it hard to accept their story.

She said, ” Ipilit man po natin sa kanila ang katotohanan, mismong sila ang gumagawa ng lusot para maging mali kami. Bulag at bingi sila pagdating sa ating mga Pilipino. Hindi namin alam kung kinakampihan pa kami. Parang walang paninindigang maipagtanggol pa ba kami, maipaglaban pa po ba kami. Sa amin okay na rin sana na maayos, maibalik lang sa aming tamang hanapbuhay, pero yung isyu nila na sinasabihan na ng totoo pero hindi naniniwala – yun po yung masakit doon. Kung hindi sila umalerto, paano sila nakaligtas? Buhay ang pinag-uusapan. Alangan namang gusto ni Richard na sya lang ang makaligtas”.

June 19, 2019. Along with his crew, Gem Ver 1 Captain Junel Insigne changed tune and back pedalled his story after a 25-minute closed-door meeting with Agriculture Secretary Manny Pinol in his residence at San Jose, Occidental Mindoro. The meeting was accompanied with the presence of Philippine National Police’s Crowd Dispersal Unit in full battle gear.

Here are Junel Insigne’s statements in a press conference that followed after his meeting with Secretary Pinol:

“Naguguluhan po ako dahil, parang, pag-ano ko po, hindi ko po naano kung talagang bangga na po eh. Masama lang po talaga ang loob ko dahil iniwan po kami.. Humihingi din po ako ng paumanhin sa ating mahal na Presidente na hindi po pala ako pinatawag nya. Kundi po si Secretary Pinol po ang nagpatawag sa amin. Hindi po ako natuloy, umatras po ako, dahil masama po ang pakiramdam ko. Bilang Kapitan po, ang gusto ko po mapanagot po yung kapitan po ng.. yung lang po ang hihilingin ko sa ating mahal na Presidente.”

Insigne also asked for the government to take actions to make sure that only Filipinos shall be allowed to fish at Recto Bank.

According to GMA News, if there were any credible witness to the incident, it would be Richard Blaza, Gem Ver 1’s cook who is awake before the incident. He said, “Hindi ko po masasabi kung sinadya nila o ano, o aksidente lang.”

Secretary Pinol also offered some clarifications: He said, “I would like to qualify ha. Kasi baka parang lumalabas dito parang nagdedepensa kami. No. We would like everything to come out in the open. The truth. We are not, we are not slaves to anybody. We denounce the act of the Chinese vessel in abandoning the fishermen in distress. Under International Maritime Laws, that is illegal. Under human law, that is immoral.”

Sec. Pinol added, “..It put the President in a bad light. Para bang inisnab niya ang Presidente, eh wala naman invitation talaga. So hindi totoo yung balita na mayroong imbitasyon ang Pangulo na makipagusap sa kanila. This was a manufactured statement, By whom? I don’t know. Insigne admitted na medyo may mga statement siya na ayon sa kanya hindi niya alam na nasabi niya.”

After the press conference, together with Usec. Eduardo B. Gongona and BFAR Regional Director Elizer S. Salilig, Secretary Pinol handed to fishermen the government assistance consisting of 12 fiberglass reinforced plastic boats with engine, bottom-set gill nets, hook and lines, life vests and a sack of rice. It also included P45,000.00 (P25,000.00 from DA Agricultural Credit Policy Council as emergency cash assistance, P10,000.00 from DSWD plus scholarships for their children and two food packs, and P10,000.00 from Sec. Cusi of DOE and CORDS Region IV-B), plus livelihood projects from the Department of Agriculture Regional Office and DA-BFAR MIMAROPA.

Congresswoman Josephine Ramirez-Sato. Photo from Cong. Sato’ Facebook.

Concurrently, in her Facebook account, Congresswoman Josephine Ramirez-Sato of the Lone District of Occidental Mindoro repeated the fact that Recto Bank is within the Exclusive Economic Zone of the Philippines which should be protected for Filipino fishermen.

“Ang Recto Bank ay Exclusive Economic Zone ng Pilipinas. Dapat iyan ay reserved para sa ating mangingisda at sa ating mga kababayan”, she said.

She also echoed her sentiments that she is embracing the welfare of fishermen.

“Buo po ang ating suporta sa aming mga mangingisda. Kaya’t kasama po nila kami sa paghiling na magkaroon, sa lalong madaling panahon, ing impartial marine inquiry. Ang pinoprotektahan natin dito ay ang interes ng ating mangingisda at interes po ng ating bansa”, she added.

In other development, National Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana also changed his stand on the issue. In a report by ABS CBN News, he said he now believes that Chinese vessel did not intentionally ram Gem Ver 1 based on new evidences presented by the circumstances. He however remains firm in condemning Chinese vessel abandoning the 22 fishermen in need of help. Secretary Lorenzana also shared that it was agreed upon in the Cabinet meeting that only Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo and Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles are auhtorized to speak to the public regarding the issue.

June 20, 2019. China calls for joint-investigation on the Recto Bank ramming incident between Chinese and Filipino fishing boat. The call was made by Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lu Kang in Beijing.

Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lu Kang. Photo from TNS World.

Lu Kang said China “attaches great importance to friendly relations with the Philippines and safety of personnel at sea, regardless of nationality. We will continue to investigate the incident thoroughly and communicate with the Philippine side via bilateral channels”.

“To find a proper solution, we suggest a joint investigation at an early date so the two sides can exchange respective initial findings and properly handle the matter through friendly consultations based on mutually-recognized investigation results”, Lu Kang added in a press conference.

To find a proper solution, we suggest a joint investigation at an early date so the two sides can exchange respective initial findings and properly handle the matter through friendly consultations based on mutually-recognized investigation results.”

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra also made the same proposition with China hoping that “this could be done jointly with the Chinese side, so whatever facts would be established would be mutually acceptable.

Department of Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra. Photo from PTV News.

June 21, 2019. While Sec. Guevarra and Presidential Spokesperson Panelo, along with President Duterte is open to joint-inquiry, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teddy Locsin is not in the same boat with them.

Sec. Locsin strongly dismissed the proposal with a tweet reacting to an ANC News interview with international affairs analyst Aaron Jed Rabena who suggested that “China should allow access to interview their fishermen or vice versa” in case the joint investigation pushes through.

In his tweet, Sec. Locsin said, “Who the fuck is this guy?“.

Sec. Teddy Locsin’s tweet on Rabena’s ANC News interview. June 21, 2019.

According to his Linkedin account, Rabena received his PhD in International Relations from Shandong University in China. His area of interest include strategic studies, geopolitics, East Asian international relations, political risk, Chinese politics and foreign policy. He previously served as Senior Lecturer at the Asian /center in Up and was a Visiting Fellow at the China Institute of International Studies in Beijing. He is also an alumnus of the East-West Center in the US.

The same idea did not sit well with former Former Affairs Secretary Albert Del Romulo.

Albert Del Rosario’s statement posted by News5.

“Can we please not insult the intelligence of our people?”, Del Rosario added.

Hours later after issuing his statement, Del Rosario was held by authorities at Hong Kong International Airport. He was travelling to Hong Kong on a diplomatic passport for a board meeting.

His lawyer, Atty. Ann Marie Corominas, confirmed this with Philstar.com. It is still not clear however why Del Rosario was denied entry.

Vice President Leni Robredo with San Jose, Occidental Mindoro Mayor Muloy Festin and Gem Ver 1 crew. Photo from LGU San Jose, Occidental Mindoro PR Team Facebook page.

Meanwhile, Vice President Leni Robredo visited the fishermen to listen to their story. She first talked with crew members at the house of boat owner Felix Dela Torre in San Roque, then proceeded to see Junel Insigne.

According to GMA News Online, VP Robredo gave each crew P50,000.00 which was tapped from Office of the Vice President’s Angat Buhay Program.

Simultaneously, Congresswoman Josephine Ramirez-Sato continue to make a stand for Occidental Mindoro fishermen since she became aware of their plight in Recto Bank.

“We, the constituents of Occidental Mindoro are supporting the the cause of our fishermen. And we are asking that marine inquiry be held at the soonest time possible, just like what our local fishermen really want”, she said.

In a media briefing at San Jose, Occidental Mindoro after VP Robredo’s dialogue with fishermen, Cong. Ramirez-Sato accentuated the need for more patrol boats. She said the Province of Occidental Mindoro does not have enough equipment to protect and defend the fishermen.

Living up to her moniker as Tiger Lady of House of Representatives, Cong. Ramirez-Sato flagged down China’s attempt for a joint-investigation.

“We will not allow China to initiate any probe on the matter”, she resolutely told everyone in the media briefing.

In spite of everything that Occidental Mindoro fishermen went through, Cong. Ramirez-Sato remains adamant in throwing her support for them.

“We stand squarely behind our fishermen. Not only for Occidental Mindoro, but for the whole Philippines. Our fishermen will be telling all the moment they are summoned and allowed to testify in the inquiry”, she added.

__________

PUNTO MINDORO | The Saga of Occidental Mindoro’s 22 fishermen and Gem Ver 1: Timeline of events

June 21, 2019 | DTP In the last couple of days, the story of Occidental Mindoro’s 22 fishermen from the Municipality of San Jose sold like hot cakes in social and mass media.

PUNTO MINDORO | The Saga of Occidental Mindoro’s 22 fishermen and Gem Ver 1: Timeline of events

June 21, 2019 | DTP In the last couple of days, the story of Occidental Mindoro’s 22 fishermen from the Municipality of San Jose sold like hot cakes in social and mass media.

PUNTO MINDORO | The Saga of Occidental Mindoro’s 22 fishermen and Gem Ver 1: Timeline of events

June 21, 2019 | DTP In the last couple of days, the story of Occidental Mindoro’s 22 fishermen from the Municipality of San Jose sold like hot cakes in social and mass media.

PUNTO MINDORO | The Saga of Occidental Mindoro’s 22 fishermen and Gem Ver 1: Timeline of events June 21, 2019 | DTP In the last couple of days, the story of Occidental Mindoro's 22 fishermen from the Municipality of San Jose sold like hot cakes in social and mass media.

#Congresswoman Josephine Ramirez-Sato #Gem Ver 1 #Occidental Mindoro Fishermen #Recto Bank

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