#its generally a good approach to take things at face value until proven otherwise

[oldsunshineysoulwitch]

Me to myself: surely this doesn't actually happen?

Me scrolls down to the very next post on my dash: oh...

People of color: "White people need to stop being entitled colonialists and appropriating these things of our ancestors that belong to us."

Some white person, every time, without fail: "Yeah ok I'm gonna need to see some cited sources from you though."

[lacrimaomnis]

BRF Reading, 26/9/2021

Apologies for taking so long, but here is the second of the three spreads for my Politico questions.

The first spread can be found here.

As written, this is merely a speculation and therefore must be taken with a grain of salt. This speculation is not true until proven otherwise.

My question is, who is behind this so-called leak? Is it someone from outside or inside the BRF?

Cards drawn: The Hanged Man, Six of Swords, King of Swords, Seven of Pentacles, Two of Pentacles

Underlying energy: Nine of Cups

Remarks/Comment: The cards seem to answer this question in a roundabout way rather than giving me a more concise answer -- I had hoped that my card would give me a concise zodiac sign as an answer, but what I see here is the circumstances surrounding the source of the leak instead of my cards saying this or that person.

There is also one card left behind inside my deck's pouch (I put my cards inside their packaging when not used) when I was shuffling the cards which I did not realise until much later into the reading and that card is the Ace of Pentacles. Aces are about new beginnings, and Ace of Pentacles specifically talks about new beginnings for a potentially successful business venture or enterprise.

Ace of Pentacles is perhaps the most pronounced of all Aces when not treated as a child card, because it very specifically talks about the way material/financial upbringing may manifest in our current lives and the way we think or take decisions. Ace of Pentacles also speaks about the unsavoury side of greed or shady business deals, warning against a chance or an offer that seems to be quick money but will end up costing us in the long run, which is the energy here: this whole debacle will make whoever leaked the documents to Politico lose money instead of making them.

Summary: There is no definitive "oh it's this person" or "oh it's that person" answer from my card, but rather, they give me insight into the circumstances surrounding the source of the leak: how they act, what is their motivation, and what is coming for them.

First card: The Hanged Man. This is the only major arcana card in my spread, and thus, this is the major energy of this reading. In my deck, this card is ruled by the sign Pisces. This card often appears when we have come at a turning point in our lives, urging us to stop and assess our situation and our approach to life. In my deck, this card is illustrated as an upside-down tiger whose right leg was bound to a tree, his left leg free, having a relaxed expression on his face.

This card comes across to me in two ways: first, this card can be interpreted as that the "waiting period" is over, and it is now time to move forward once again and to move forward, something must happen -- this was the inner motivation for the source of the leak: they think that the waiting time is over and now they must act. Like how the tiger's left leg is free and bent, ready for action and breaking free of the tree at any moment, this seems to indicate that this leak is planned as opposed to a slip; this is meticulously planned and is executed when the time is right.

The second way this card comes across is that because of this leak, the source will enter a period of suspension: everything will be put on hold, and a period of indecision is upon them. They will be suspended by external forces, unable to move forward because of their action -- this brings to mind the Daily Mail's report: that there will be an inquiry into the nature of the leaked documents and who is responsible for it.

Second card: Six of Swords. This is the card of travel, escape, baggage, change, and movement. This card often appears at times of change; indicating that the decisions made will set us on a new path forward. Reversed, this card indicates that we are running away from a problem that still needs to be dealt with, or the desire to set sail for new things but are unable to because of some external constraints or force, which ties in with The Hanged Man: a period of suspension in which everything is put on hold and that there is a period of indecision upon them. This card also indicates that a partnership is falling apart, which seems to represent the relationship between Politico and its unnamed source.

Third card: King of Swords. He is the most severe of all Kings -- he believes in order, systems, and the value of following the rules; he can be cold, ruthless, and very, very judgmental. He is also often associated with legal issues and legal institutions. Astrology-wise, this is the card for an Aquarius.

In this spread, this card stands for the legal issues this leak has brought to the table. The leak raises the alarm for many people because the details for Operation London Bridge will particularly involve security details for both the family and the public, which can be disastrous if it falls into the wrong hands and this brings to mind the possibility of formal inquiry. I am not familiar with how a formal inquiry works, but provided I can comprehend things correctly, I assume it is another term for an official investigation, and depending on how the investigation goes there can be individuals who are implicated and can possibly stand for trial -- please, please correct me if I'm wrong as I am not familiar at all with how UK legal system works.

This card seems to suggest that a formal inquiry will perhaps be launched, which in turn seems to suggest that the documents leaked to Politico contain some sensitive details, and in turn, this answered the question of who is the source: the source is someone inside the BRF or someone involved enough in planning Operation London Bridge that they have the new documents on their hands.

Fourth card: Seven of Pentacles. This card represents hard work, effort, long-term success, and rewards. This card often represents the diligence and the long-term planning needed to achieve success -- I feel like this is one of the more conservative cards of the deck as it often speaks about the good, old-fashioned hard work. However, there is also a warning within this card: this card can warn that in our current venture, no matter how much diligence we put into it or how much we put our effort into it, the venture will not yield anything.

This ties in with the Ace of Pentacles: this leak will not yield anything worthwhile for the source in the long run. They have put the effort into this leak: obtaining the documents, contacting Politico, getting the business deal, and finally, the leak made it to the news, but the result from it will not be worthwhile in the long run: the result yielded paled in comparison to the effort they have put in this.

Fifth card: Two of Pentacles. Twos are often about choices and balance, and Two of Pentacles is particularly about flexibility, prioritisation, financial and time management, and adaptability. It is one of the more literal cards in the tarot deck, and in my deck, is illustrated as a juggler deftly juggling the pentacles which represents worldly concern. This card generally indicates that the querent is attempting to balance two or more major concerns while maintaining his head above the waves that lap at his feet.

This seems to suggest to me that the source is currently attempting to balance too many things at once, and this whole debacle will perhaps be the tipping point that makes them fall. They will seem to have everything under control, particularly financially and time-wise, but they are going to fall apart soon.

Underlying energy: Nine of Cups. This is the wish card of the deck, as it speaks of fulfillment, good luck, bonuses and promotion, and happiness. As the underlying energy of this spread, this seems to confirm that this leak is one way for the source to get something they desired.

What is funny is that this card, while referred to as the wish card, also often appears when someone is doing shady things, or more eloquently put: there is a victory or getting what you want, but your victory is paid with a steep cost to others. This is what this leak is all about: the desire to be "winning" against the BRF but the consequences of this leak may be steep; in my spread, there is a possibility of legal repercussions as one of the costs that must be paid.

Colour scheme: All the cards on this spread are thematically blue, so blue is the dominating colour of this spread. I did a quick google search and there is indeed a relation between the colour of the cards and tarot: blue is generally considered the colour which signifies calmness and intuition, and it is associated with the planet Jupiter, Mercury, and Neptune. Mercury is the planet of communication and logic, ruling over The Magician. Neptune rules The Hanged Man, the planet of confusion and the need for clarity, and Jupiter rules the Wheel of Fortune, the planet of fate and luck. This can signify that the source opened the first communication with Politico (Mercury) with the aim of sowing confusion (Neptune) and by luck (Jupiter), Politico agrees to the scoop.

Conclusion: The cards showed me the motivation of the source (which affirms what I have seen in my first spread), the circumstances surrounding the source which resulted in the leak and the consequences of said leak. There is no definitive energy or signs that point to a certain individual, so please, no finger-pointing at anyone even though I know it's tempting.

[zenosanalytic]

Theorizing Role: Seer of Life

strongman-freakshow:

Hey there! I was trying to look for some specific posts of yours and was having a bit of trouble. Do you have anything on the seer of life, specifically?

Hmmm, Not much, but I think Seer of Life is an interesting one, so I’ll give it a go.

Ok so a Seer of Life seems kind of tricky to me. Life tends to concern itself with practical matters(Biology, Wealth, Physical Ability, Acquisitiveness, Agency, Creativity) which don’t immediately lend themselves to precognition the way Aspects like Light, Mind, or Time do. According to Aradia’s formulation, a Seer of Life would be one who “Knows Life Comprehensively”(with Certain Important Provisos for how that might work, and for how one might Perceive of that working, I’d argue), and combining that with the concepts above certainly suggests a wide utility, but the primary Role Seers fill is identifying incoming threats and directing their team through or around them; where’s the foresight in “Knowing Life Comprehensively”? We haven’t seen many Life-powers in action, but Life has, on top of those already mentioned, all manner of Associations; it’s a rather abstract Aspect that seems at its core to most directly be about “The Ability to Do”[1]; though “Comprehensive Knowledge of Nebulous, Open-Ended Practicality” sounds like a fun approach to it, to me, in its own way :p Agency obvsl plays an important role in ”Doing” and, as a result, in Life-Hero stories[2]. Life-Players tend to be good Problem-solvers with a particular knack for thinking outside-the-box, and in-even-MORE-particular with finding ways to continue life, in some form or another, through any trial, even death; giving them a bit of a Sleeping Beauty/Orpheus&Eurydice/Persephone vibe(and I’d argue you really shouldn’t ignore the mythic aspect of Homestuck Titles u_u). 

So, given all that, I think one clarifying way of conceiving this would be to render the Aradia-description from “Knows Life Comprehensively”  to “Knows Doing Comprehensively” thence to “Knows Solutions Comprehensively”. “Comprehensive Knowledge of Solutions”(or, for the Colloquially minded, “How Do”) probably sounds really straight-forward, so let’s complicate it :p :p

Solution/=Good. The morality of a particular “Solution” lies in what it entails and its outcomes, not in its nature AS a “Solution”. The Solutions a Seer of Life Looks for, Sees, Chooses, and Directs others towards will depend on the Life-Seer’s own moral compass, and Life-Players haven’t exactly proven themselves conscientious in the maintenance of that particular piece of personal metaphysical kit(with the exception of Feferi, who was never but a Most Excellent and Totally Righteous Dude u_u u_u But that’s 1 out of 3 which is Not Gr8 Odds :T)

Solution is Big. Most problems can be solved, conservatively, in about 16 Million way, Most of them only minorly different, yet still distinct. The answer to “How Do?” can often approach a practical infinity. This seems both Overwhelming and Monotonous to me

Solution; Then What? Terezi can see vast webs of Decision and Causality; Rose the Objective “Fortune” value of any particular chain of events; but “Solutions” end at the problems they solve. As Above, so Below: Whar Foresight; Whar?

At the same time it also sounds a bit limited, so let’s expand it :p :p

Sight Bleeds. Rose isn’t limited to just knowing how “Fortunate” a plan will be, nor Terezi to only the “Choices” involved; they both See some varying level of detail of the specific events and those leading up to them, otherwise they wouldn’t be able to advise about and intervene in relevant events. So in all likelihood, a Seer of Life WOULD see both the specifics relevant TO, and probably those events immediate(and possibly circumstantially simultaneous) Of, said events and their Solution.

Aspects are Broad. Terezi can also effectively read Minds(because, you know Mind). Rose can look through solid objects(probably because visible or optical light isn’t the only KIND of “Light” out there. Emanations be both Numerous and Numinous u_u u_u u_u). All Aspects, regardless of what sources professing to be reliable in canon have claimed as their Boundaries, have displayed a vastness of meaning, ranging from the mundanely literal to the abstract, esoteric, and even mythical(which is to say: Wildly Subjective[early HS occasionally lampshades this subjectivity with variants of the phrase “personal mythos”]). So Life-Sight would probably cover all sorts of other stuff, connectable to “Doing/Solutions” but not immediately apparent as such. Most basically, the ability to See the Lifetimes of particular individuals or groups of individuals, which would effectively allow Seers of Life to See the future of those individuals(at least until they die), and necessarily the after effects of any particular Solution upon them. Not to mention the connections to Death, Life-After-Death, and Resurrection which all Life Players have shown, and how THAT, through ideas such as History, can apply to the “Life and Death” of ideas, events, and outcomes(not to mention their connection to temporally non-linear Dream Bubbles, and how that could be used for future-seeing).

“Know Comprehensively” is Big. What does it mean to “Know”? What does it mean to be “Comprehensive”? Early on Seers struggle to answer these questions without really realizing it, and plenty of others, as they struggle to master their Title, but successful Seers, unlike displacer beasts, don’t deal in approximate knowledge. If a Seer of Life’s Knowledge of How Do(and Life, and Wealth, and Agency, etc etc)can be said to be “Comprehensive”, then it seems very unlikely to me that their Sight, when mastered, wouldn’t given them some sense of(and thus control over) the ultimate outcome of the Solutions they choose. And as an aside, I’d bet they’d also be absurdly skillful in general(since Comprehensively Knowing a Solution means knowing how to carry it out), and just absolute Gangbusters at figuring out Alchemiter recipes.

On top of Title-development every Player faces personal challenges, of course, and these tend to share similarities between Classes and Aspect. Seers often struggle with self-confidence and self-worth, with maintaining Perspective on themselves, and issues of achievement(failed perfectionism in Rose and Terezi, and perhaps over-estimation[in response to fears of not fitting in or being excluded] with Kankri? It’s difficult to say given the limited material) often simultaneous to significant personal losses(Mom Lalonde’s murder; feeling compelled to kill Vriska for Terezi; again it’s difficult for Kankri, but how he pushes away Porrim may be his example). Aspect is frequently tied to all of this(I discuss how in This Post on Seers of Heart). So something tied to Life(perhaps the Seer’s own privileged position or, in a more Feferi-like take, the restrictive cloistering it brings) would cloud the Seer’s Perspective on events, and promote a crisis of confidence(most likely self-doubt, but given Kankri it’s possible OVER-confidence could also be a problem, particularly given the natural gifts and material condition Life-Players tend to possess), at a time when, due to the loss of relationships and people, they would be in a stressful and emotionally vulnerable place. And always, as mentioned above, there would be the temptation of taking the “easy” way; of putting themselves First, dismissing the equal being of others, and manipulating their friends into circumstances the Seer prefers, without consideration for their consent or well-being.

So Seers of Life would face a tough row to hoe. They’d have to learn how to sift through a staggering number of options to find the 8est(as they define it) Solution, with limited knowledge of where it could lead, all while being aware of how their own desires and moral flexibility can undermine the whole project while seeming to advance it and bring harm to the people they care for. But this isn’t really new. Perspective, Judgement, and Self-Awareness are vital to ALL Seers using their Sight effectively. While these challenges may be more vast and immediate for Seers of Life, they wouldn’t be fundamentally different from what all Seers struggle with. With time and focus and the patience to consider others instead of taking the quickest and shiniest roads, a successful Seer of Life would learn how to achieve clarity of purpose, and refine and focus their Sight with Knowledge of other facets of their Aspect. I think a Seer of Life is no less likely to be useful, and even game-breaking, than any of the more obviously Oraclely Aspects.

Ok that’s my general ideas about a Seer of Life; what about some specifics?

Aggrieving Anatomist

Let’s Take This Early Discussion on Seers of Life as inspiration(h/t to deliverusfromsburb and thegrimsqueaker ^v^ these are mostly their ideas). You could have a Seer of Life interested in Anatomy and Biology/BioChem, who likes martial arts movies and who, as a Life-Hero, is both preternaturally strong, and headstrong(and, tbf, given the 3 canon Seers, “Headstrong” could very well be a Seer trait as well :T). Based on their interests, they’d have a tendency to envision Solutions that involve the body and biological or chemical processes, and their personality would tend to bend this towards combat; either by seeking out combat theirself, leading others IN combat, or trying to teach others their ridiculous, biomantic fighting techniques(which, given how alchemiters allow Players to lend and merge their powers with those of their Friends, ought to be possible). I DO NOT think this would necessarily be a bad thing, both Rose and Terezi mix it up in HS, but this sort of Seer might have trouble letting themselves(or learning how to) delegate to others, and direct them along their own quests. Given the tendencies of Life Players, they may even go so far as to have a hard time conceiving of their Session as being bigger than their own Quests, and thus struggle with tunnel-visioning(though, given how The Game’s very structure interweaves Players’ quests together, there’d be plenty of stuff working to counteract that). 

Their powers could start as an encyclopedic and precise knowledge of anatomy, eventually developing(ala Rose and the 8-ball) into an x-ray-vision like ability to See anatomy directly, allowing for improbably devastating(and cinematic) blows in combat. Terezi’s Sight takes the form of interconnected Neurons stretching into infinity; Rose’s, what little we see of it, of and bursts of Revelation, Enlightenment, and Emanation; This Seer’s might eventually manifest as a vast system of Temporal Veins and Causal Nerves, as if they were Seeing the body of the Universe Frog itself from the Inside. They could trace each Vein to see where it blocks and withers(what events Doom that TL) then, working back from the Event-Clot, develop a Solution to clear or bypass it. By tracing the Nerves they could see how events outside the timelines interact with and direct the shape, direction, and operation of each Vein, and work out ways sever, limit, counteract, or manipulate that influence in what they consider a useful or “Healthy” direction. Through this Awareness of how those around them relate to the inner-workings of the Vast Croaker, they could identify which actors in their story play the role of “Antigens”, harming the Body-Realistic, using that knowledge to direct and counsel teammates, and plan their strategies. 

Chess Doctor

A Seer of Life interested in Medicine could share that sort of Life-Sight while having a totally different personality and approach. Meenah, Feferi, and Jane saw their cloistered lives as oppressive, but maybe this Seer isn’t really all that social or adventurous to begin with, and so doesn’t mind. So long as they have any book they want, the best tutors to teach them, and immediate easy authority, they’re perfectly fine with taking on the restrictions and responsibilities that go with them. This sort of Seer of Life would take naturally to the Role of strategist, observer, and advisor, focused less on personal combat than understanding the challenges facing them and developing solutions, but along with that could come a casual, condescending arrogance, and tendency for viewing others as instruments for their plans rather than people in their own right, which could cause just as many problems. Whereas the last Seer struggled with seeing the larger picture, this one would struggle most with understanding that THEIR views aren’t the only ones out there, nor necessarily the most important, nor the “right” ones.

Endless Observer

Another approach might be a more literal one; a People-Watcher. This Seer’s main interest would just be People, as a subject; the things they do, how they think, how they go about their Lives. While somewhat detached by their station and socially awkward as a result, they’d be filled with an infectious ------Enthusiasm for everything even vaguely anthropological: history books and films, documentaries, works of psychology, How-To Shows, ~Reality Television~, National Geographic; you name it. Maybe they’d have an EXHAUSTIVE LIBRARY, exhaustively read, of these SEMINAL TEXTS ensconced safely within the heart of their TASTEFULLY HUMBLE SUBURBAN MEGAPALACE 0u0 Whenever a problem comes up, they’d immediately have the know-how to solve it(and the best tools to solve it with, cost irrelevant). As an expression of this maybe they’d start with a maxed-out strifedeck and Robust, easily navigable Sylladex, or maybe they’d have a special Debit Card Sylladex Mode which stores only currency, but allows it to be converted to any item on request :p :p Or maybe(!) rather than a Sylladex Mode, they’re Strife Abstrata would be Cardkind and, like a suped-up version of Kanaya’s lipstick, their Card could be converted to a whole host of items on command.

This Seer’s powers might start off manifesting as having “coincidentally” just looked up a relevant subject right before the problem it could help solve arises. Rose’s viewing orbs expressed her interest in the occult so maybe this Seer would alchemize a Book or card-catalogue or How To Video which could provide information on any topic(or possibly a FLASH CARD TAROT, filled with detailed solutions). Perhaps the visualization of their Sight would be different, too; rather than Seeing through an anatomical model, they’d See a chattering ocean of flashing images or monitors containing every possible “life” branching from that point, which they could resolve, through concentration, into a picture of the problem they’re trying to solve, and the solution to it they like best. Maybe the very volume of their knowledge would begin to make it difficult for them to choose a solution, causing bouts of indecision(or physical pain). A fun branch from this idea could be having the Seer create a clone of themselves, or maybe some animate agent, to attempt alternate solutions or do the Seeing while they do the Doing, who eventually gets out of hand ala The Sorcerer's Apprentice. I could also see a Seer like this, so used to dealing with people as objects to be watched rather than equal people, developing problems with listening to and considering the needs of others, despite a friendly and positive demeanor.

Ok; I think that’s all I’ve got in me for a Seer of Life right now. I Hope it helps ^u^

[1]all the Life Heroes we’ve seen have been physically quite gifted, Convincing speakers, and born into Influence and Wealth

[2]Fef’s desire to be free of her hemocaste role, choosing of Sollux over Eridan, and negotiation with the HTs; Jane’s subliminal schooling by Condy, forced cyberization and mind-control, her inability to tell Jake of her romantic&sexual interest, her mistreatment of him while CrockerMaid; Meenah’s desire for power without responsibility, basically Everything she seems to have done in their Session(including the Cake and secretly murdering everyone so they wouldn’t be erased), and there’s def a discussion to be had about age and consent re: her rom with Vriska

[ultravioletsoul]

A Woman’s Duty [ Salen Kotch x F!Reader ] Part 2 / 2

So here’s the second and final part, yay me! I managed to finish a fic at long last.

Not much to say other than… I feel aliiiiiive! Now I should complete my other projects and stop procrastinating by watching and reading weird things that steal my sleep. Also, I need to stop inserting plot in every smut I want to write because I usually wind up with long stories that take about 10+ chapters to get to the good stuff. Bad habit of mine…

Hope you enjoy and, well… eem, see you later.

Disclaimer: I don’t own Call of Duty Infinite Warfare or its characters. They all belong to Activision and Infinity Ward. No copyright infringement intended. All I’m trying to do is provide entertainment to the readers and by no means do I have lucrative purposes.

Warnings: Unbetaed work. Misogyny. Implied abuse. Squick. Cousincest (depending on your views on such relationships). Possible OoC. OCs. English isn’t my first language.

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First Part:[here]

Part II

Marriage and sexual relations between first cousins weren’t strange or new practices in your world; in fact, such unions were thought to be beneficial— even encouraged, sometimes— as it created stronger bonds and kept the wealth within the family. Generally speaking, it was thought that both parties would be more comfortable in a relationship with a relative than a stranger, given that they knew each other beforehand. Of course, a study on the groom’s and bride’s genetic codes was carried out to avoid any unwanted surprises that could appear during the conception of a child. But even if that was the case, gene therapy solved virtually every problem by then.

Your elder sisters had taken vows with the sons of other important figures in the council. Being the child of a concubine yourself, you wouldn’t be allowed to do the same but your father wanted to give you a chance to have what he considered a ‘good marriage’. While you appreciated his concern, you very much preferred being with a nobody whom you could grow to love one day. That would never happen on his watch, unfortunately, and while you didn’t like the idea— for your cousins were like siblings to you, despite the fact that Salen acted as anything but— you knew there were far worse situations than this. Such was the case of a man who had turned one of his half-sisters into his mistress, as they weren’t legally permitted to marry, though you doubted she’d been happy to be the focus of his attentions. It was most disturbing to think this could become the norm in the future, but something deep inside your heart told you that it’d always been this way despite many efforts to conceal the truth and keep up appearances.

At least Salen had never tried to force himself on you, but it was difficult to tell for how long he’d remain like this. Once you married, you would have no choice but to submit and do as he said. It was the duty of a woman to obey her husband and give him descendants, the same way a man had to care for his wife and ensure she and their children wanted for nothing.

To be honest, you weren’t looking forward to it.

Before you realized it, Victory Day came. It was an important date for your people to commemorate the Secession Wars and celebrate the liberation of Mars from Earth’s yoke. Cydonia being the capital and core of the Martian economy and military power— as it was the location of Tharsis 02, one of the biggest and most important shipyards of the SDF— was the epicenter of these festivities that lasted for many sols. The metropolis was busy with exceptional parades and demonstrations of the prowess of the SDF armed forces that, you’d heard on numerous occasions, would put Earth’s to shame. Being the daughter of a hierarch, you were required to attend these events with your family and, of course, there was the private celebration reserved for members of the council and other families of renown.

On this occasion it was held in the residence of your father. Given that you were in your own house you’d chosen to retire to a safe haven, with the excuse that you were tired after a long day, despite the objections of your father’s wife. In truth, you had no wish to see Salen and she knew that you wanted to avoid him. Emin, on the other hand, was more understanding and allowed you to take your leave. At any rate, he knew you’d be spending a lot of time with your future husband… until one of you decided to die.

“I admit I never thought you and Salen would end up together. I thought it was only our parents joking because you were always arguing,” your sister Kalyna said, which prompted you to roll your eyes. The engagement had been announced not long ago during a familiar dinner and, while your siblings and cousins had congratulated you on the decision, you couldn’t say you shared their thrill.

“Seriously, must we talk about him now of all times? Are you trying to make me lose concentration, so you can win in Hounds and Jackals? That’s cheating, I’ll have you know.” Gently you petted the cat dozing off on your lap, eliciting contented purrs from her, whilst Kalyna heaved a weary sigh and regarded you with unease.

“You refuse to talk every time someone mentions the topic, but I see you’re distressed and that’s not a good sign. If only you would open up to me, then maybe I could help you deal with this. I know how you’re feeling because I was in your place once.” Her green eyes focused on the board, as she paused for a moment to move one of her pieces before nodding at you. “It’s your turn.”

“If I cannot avoid it, then I’ll ignore it. As simple as that.” Grabbing the sticks, you rolled them in your hands and cast them. A smile appeared on your lips, then. “Oh, triplets!”

“Um, I’m afraid that’s not how it works. You’re only blinding yourself to—”

“I don’t care.” It was a lie, of course. You did care, but there was nothing you could do about it. If your father said you were getting married to Salen, you would have to do it whether you agreed or not. “Don’t ruin such a lovely evening, please.”

“I understand you’re upset at these news, but this is an important event in the life of any woman and our father is a prominent member of the High Council.”

“That is the problem. He could have chosen anyone to be my husband yet, for some caprice of him and his brother, he decided that Salen is the best option for me. How tragic do you think that is? I’ll be stuck with a bastard for the rest of my life!”

“You know, I don’t think Salen is as bad as you believe him to be. Maybe if you actually gave him a chance, you would discover attractive qualities about him.” She was trying so hard to make you see the good side of your misfortune, but her kind words didn’t offer any solace for you.

“He has had plenty of chances to fix the wrong he’s done, but he’s not even sorry. What makes you think he will be a better man after we sign a contract that practically makes me his property?”

“It’s not as terrible as it sounds. The more you resist, the more difficult it’s going to be getting used. It happened to me with Erazem, and I was unhappy at first… but I promise it’ll get better once you start to accept him. Otherwise, trust me, you’re not going to have a good time.”

Other people would say you were overreacting and you probably were, given your circumstances and the fact you’d always known this would happen one day, but you didn’t really want to marry Salen. Time and again, it had been proven that you’d never understand each other so what was the point in trying to force a relationship between you and him? Willingly or not, your father was condemning you to a life of misery. You knew that you would never have hope of finding love or happiness with someone like your cousin, who seemed incapable of any kind gesture or affection. It was sad recalling that you’d once pitied the woman who would one day become his wife, only for you to be the one.

“Why is it always the same story? It shouldn’t have to be this way. We are not things!” you grumbled, flinging one of the jackal pegs to the floor with such force that it split in two. The racket scared your poor cat and she jumped off your lap, rushing to hide somewhere, as you watched the head of the pawn skid a distance away from you until it came to a stop near a pair of black leather shoes.

To your dismay, Salen had to appear at the most convenient of times, accompanied by his younger sister Roshan. His arm was linked to hers as they walked in the room, but he let go of the girl to pick up the strange item that had seemingly materialized out of nowhere, staring at it with casual interest before giving you a knowing look that did very little to put you at ease. Salen approached with the aplomb of a man who owns the world, not an ounce of hesitation or modesty in him, and you had to divert your gaze from his smug expression lest he’d take it as a silent invitation to test your patience.

He came to a stop by your side and greeted Kalyna briefly, then focused his attention on you as he tossed the head of the jackal at you. “Did you lose your head, my sweet?”

What a charming man he was…

Rolling your eyes in disgust, you held the item with the tip of your fingers and set it aside with a grimace. “Oh, Salen, each day I’m more convinced you’re the reason we can’t have nice things.”

“It’s good to see you both,” your sister greeted apologetically, trying to lighten up the mood, and Roshan seemed to find the situation hilarious for some reason.

“Why the long face, (Y/N)? Come on, you should be all smiles for your fiancé,” she teased, prompting an irritated huff from you.

“If he wants me to smile, then he should give me a reason to.”

“I would, dear cousin, but where is the fun in that?” Salen’s reply didn’t surprise you at all. It was evident that pestering you had always been one of his favorite pastimes, for as long as you could remember.

“I swear you two are like children,” Kalyna lamented whilst you eyed him out of the corner of your eye, assessing his appearance with subtlety. In this occasion he donned his navy blue full dress uniform, sporting several medals on his double-breasted jacket to account for his exemplary service since the beginning of his military career, and the stars on his golden and black shoulder boards denoted his recent promotion as Captain 1st Rank.

He removed the peaked cap from his head— revealing dark hair that was smoothly slicked back underneath—, placed it on the divan you were sitting on and unbuttoned the high collar of his jacket. While you could have agreed that he looked particularly handsome that evening, you would never entertain such asinine thoughts of infatuation for him.

Your gaze followed the trail of his facial scar, from the center of his forehead to his right cheek— an old wound that you’d found appalling, when you saw him for the first time after his return from training and naval college. It was an ‘accident’ that nearly cost him his eye and his career, his sisters had explained. Something, indeed, was very wrong though you couldn’t dig much deeper into the issue and you were scared to do so. Those who dared question the regime had disappeared in mysterious ways and were never seen again. No one would tell you what was going on but you weren’t an idiot. The name of Intracore,  the police that enforced the law on Martian territory and executed the will of the High Council, was enough to give anyone second thoughts about being nothing but happy to serve the SDF.

“Dear Kalyna, there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you,” Roshan’s voice interrupted your train of thought, and your elder sister turned to the youngster with a curious expression on her face.

“And what would that be?”

However, Roshan seemed a little withdrawn suddenly, and you dreaded what she might say next as she threw a sly look her brother’s way. “I’m afraid I need to talk to you in private. Hope you don’t mind, (Y/N).”

“But we’re playing Hounds and Jackals… ” The little runt! Though you knew you should be angry at Salen, since this was probably his idea and Roshan was merely doing what he wanted.

“I’m sorry but it’s really important!” She sounded truly abashed for doing this to you and, while you wanted to tell her to get lost when their elders were speaking, you could never say no when she looked at you with those cute chocolate eyes of hers— a trait that, unfortunately, Salen had also inherited. It had been that deceiving look he wore which convinced you to give him another chance, until you realized that beneath that facade of his there was only hardness of heart and cruelty.

Figures. “I’ll be on my way then.” The more distance you put between you and him, the better.

“Oh, no, no!” Roshan shook her head. “It would rude of me to make you leave like this, and I’m sure Lyna will agree on that. Please, don’t worry about us. You stay here with my dear brother. I’m sure you two have a lot to talk about.” She laughed under her breath, taking Kalyna by the hand and dragging her away. “Come, we must hurry.”

You couldn’t believe they were actually leaving you behind. Kalyna stared at you with sympathy, aware that you weren’t going to have a pleasant time with Salen, but there wasn’t much she could do to save you from him. It wasn’t in her power to do such a thing.

“Using your little sister as an excuse to annoy me? Outstanding.” Sarcasm dripped from your voice, something that didn’t escape his notice.

“Using your sister to avoid me? Predictable,” he remarked with a chuckle, and you glared daggers at him.

“Does this seem amusing to you?” Of course it was. He got you where he wanted you.

“Well, the truth is, I’ve always found your short temper entertaining,” he began, holding one of the hound pegs in his hand to inspect in an absent-minded fashion.

“So you made it a hobby to harass me, apparently.”

“Harass you? No, love; I only intend to make you understand your place. Ever since we were children, you have been too spoiled and outspoken for my liking or your own good.”

“Oh, is little Salen mad because someone dared talk back to him? Aw, how cute. That wouldn’t happen very often if he showed consideration and respect for others, don’t you think?”

Setting the object in his hand down on the board, he shrugged— clearly impassive at your words. “Laugh while you still can. Your father may have gone easy on you all these years, but rest assured that I won’t. Once you have pledged yourself to me and we have consummated, you will not dare go against me.”

The reminder that your first intimate experience, and all subsequent encounters, would be with him made you sick. If you refused him, he would force you— no doubt about that— and no one would even consider it a crime.

“Are you threatening me?”

“Take it as a warning that I will not tolerate insolence or disobedience from anyone, and certainly not from you.”

“You are despicable. I can’t believe you actually agreed to this arrangement. Out of all the men in Mars, it had to be you! Why couldn’t you choose someone else and leave me alone?”

“Why would I settle for less when I could have you?” He grabbed a lock of your hair and you flinched at his touch, slapping his hand away with a scowl. “And to think you once said you wouldn’t marry me, even if I were the last man left in the solar system. Life is such a delightful irony, isn’t it?”

“And I see you, your father and mine, have forgotten to ask my opinion.”

“A woman must do what her patriarch decides. You know it very well. Like it or not, you’re going to be mine— all mine like my dog, or any other of my possessions.” He then frowned in deep thought, considering something for a moment. “Though, compared with my dog, I will love you more… and trust you less.” At this, you had to laugh if only to conceal how miserable that statement made you feel. “You will never do the things to me you would have done to another man, batting your eyelashes without shame and giving them coy little smiles.”

Oh? Did he want to bet, then?

Putting on your best facade of loving young lady, you arose with delicate poise until you were standing small and fragile before him— the way he wanted to see you. Your chiffon farasha dress, embroidered with a pectoral collar of precious stones, shadowed the curves of your body under your long silk slip but it showed just enough to  draw his attention, which made you smirk in anticipation. With a sweet look in your eyes, you closed the distance between you and him, smiling tenderly as your arms slipped around his broad shoulders.

Your lips hovered his but never touched fully, and you knew he wouldn’t be able to resist when his breath caught in his throat at the sensation of your body so close to his. It took less longer than you’d expected for him to fall victim to your pretense. His strong arm wrapped around your waist and he pressed you against him, fingers tangling in your hair before he claimed your mouth in a heated kiss. It was possessive, meant to assert his ownership over you, and you played along to make him believe you longed for his touch. It would be a lie saying that his overpowering lust didn’t ignite something in you, and you knew you were at fault for that. But your contempt for him was much stronger than any odious desire you might be harboring deep inside, and you weren’t going to forget that any time soon.

He should have a taste of the affection you’d never feel for him, of the passion you’d deny him every time you were in his arms.

As the kiss came to an end, Salen parted from your flushed face, his eyes half-lidded as they took in your sweet expression that was soon replaced by one of smug triumph. Realizing you’d deceived him, he  frowned in indignation and you couldn’t hold back your laughter at having hurt his pride. Your actions had clearly angered him, for he gave an irritated growl and pushed you to the divan on top of the satin cushions. Oh, the look on his face was priceless and you surely savored this small victory!

His chocolate eyes narrowed dangerously, as he circled you like you were his prey, and he retrieved his peaked cap with a forceful snatch. “I know you, my sweet. You’re a sharp-clawed treacherous little peacock, but you’re a prize that many want to claim… and I’m going to have all of you.”

He had clearly misunderstood your intentions. Even if you were his wife, you’d never be truly his and that was what you wanted to make very clear. “In your dreams. Did you think my kiss was a promise of what you would have?” How quick he was to jump to conclusions. “No, little Salen. It was to let you know what you will not have. I could never love you.”

The black-haired man arched an eyebrow and scoffed in amusement, much to your surprise and discomfort as that wasn’t the reaction you were expecting from him. “Does that matter?” What a fool you’d been to believe he would care. In less than a second, however, his expression darkened and you felt a knot in your throat at the clear menace in his gaze. “You will be my wife. I will have you whenever I want you, and I will enjoy that very much. Whether you enjoy it or not is your own affair…” He placed the covering on his head and threw a last glance at you, as one of the corners of his mouth rose in a smirk, “but I think you will.”

At long last, Salen walked away and left you to sulk in your bitter desolation, incensed at the way he’d turned the tables on you. With a glower, you wiped your mouth with the back of your hand to get rid of the taste of his wicked lips and quivered as your stomach churned in disgust.

A soft meow came from beneath and you looked down to find your cat staring with concern in her blue eyes. Jumping to your arms, she purred— as if trying to comfort you— and you petted her soft fur, refusing to shed tears because of him.

“At least I have you…”

It was just an average day for the woman of Mars,after all.

A/N: What can I say? Salen has such a way with the ladies in my fics :P what a romantic gentleman he is!

This two-shot was heavily based on a scene of the Ten Commandments, an old movie from the 50s. Nefertiri has always been my favorite character and I thought her story was tragic and sad ;A;

You can see for yourself how I butchered the scene on my story:

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Hey guys,Today, I want to share some awesome examples of people using cold emails to unlock opportunities that skyrocketed their businesses. Let's face it. Cold emailing is tough; your prospect probably gets tons of emails every day trying to sell them some service or product so how do you stand out?We did research to dig up some powerful cold emails that actually work.In this post, we broke down four highly successful cold email campaigns to find out exactly what they did right and how you can follow their lead. We will look at:A campaign that grew a company’s revenue to $30k/month within one year.A cold email formula that secured $10k in recurring monthly revenue.A campaign that allowed a consulting firm to quickly sign a new $15k client.How one company used cold email to land meetings with LinkedIn, Twitter, and more.Read the original post hereOr follow along!In a world where just getting your email opened is a mission in and of itself, connecting with and converting prospects via cold emailing can seem impossible. Truth be told, it is pretty darn difficult to drum up new leads, even with a properly vetted list and carefully crafted copy.But cold emailing doesn’t have to feel like a shot in the dark.There are a number of cold emailing techniques that are proven to increase the response rate, warm up leads, and open up the high-value sales opportunities you’re after.Note that we chose these examples because they resulted in substantial financial and business success. We’ll explore why the emails were so effective and how they connected with cold leads so you can score similar results for your own business.Case Study #1: LeadFuzeFirst, let’s look at how LeadFuze used cold email to boost their revenue to $30k/month within a year. LeadFuze is a lead generation product that helps businesses find and contact new leads automatically, so it’s no surprise that the company’s founder, Justin McGill, knows a thing or two about prospecting.As you might expect, Justin began by building a list of contacts using his own product. He specifically targeted CEOs and owners of marketing companies. When he sat down to write a high-quality cold email that would resonate with people in these positions, he followed a simple formula that includes a question, value proposition, and closing call-to-action (known as QVC).Screenshot of emailA breakdown of QVC in cold emailing1. Start with a questionBoth the subject line and the opening sentence are phrased as questions about the recipient’s business. This serves two purposes: grabbing the recipient’s attention and maintaining a focus on the prospect’s needs.Of course, the first sentence plays a major role in the success of any email campaign (cold or otherwise). This is especially true when you consider that part of this line will be visible in a recipient’s inbox and on their phone screens when they receive an email notification.With 55% of emails being read on mobile devices, your subject line and opening sentence need to be short, snappy, and intriguing if you want to get through to cold leads.Plus, asking a question or two can significantly bump up response rates. Emails that contain one to three questions are 50% more likely to receive a response than messages without any questions.2. State your value propSo, you’re sending cold emails to spread the word about your amazing product or service. Great! But why should your recipients care?Assuming you’ve put together a targeted list of leads, you truly believe the reader can benefit from what you have to offer – so make your prospects believe it, too. Address the WIIFM factor that underlies so much of consumer behavior. This is a critical component of your sales message, since it’s where most of the actual selling takes place.LeadFuze frames their value prop in a way that highlights benefits to the recipient and nicely sums up their core offering. It’s simple, clear, and to-the-point.3. Include a direct call-to-actionA strong cold email convinces the recipient to do something. Whether you want prospects to meet with you ASAP or simply show interest by responding to your message, let them know what steps they should take. In this case, LeadFuze offered a demo of their platform to entice interested leads to reply.4. P.S. Bonus take away from LeadFuze’s cold emailJustin also included a postscript under his signature. He uses this to give leads an easy way to opt-out of future messages.Not only does this fulfill the role of an unsubscribe link more tactfully, but it also has a psychological effect on the reader. It’s a strange tactic, but it can get people to respond even if they’re not interested in becoming a customer. This allows you to accurately refine your list of contacts and spend your time pursuing promising sales opportunities.Case Study #2: SumoJerkyHere’s another fantastic example of how cold email can be used to grow recurring monthly revenue. SumoJerky is a beef jerky delivery business that bumped up its revenue to $10k/month using a cold email campaign that focused on sending the right message to the right people.Founder Ryan Luedecke’s first email to a potential customer was unsuccessful. But rather than why he was hesitant to sign up. Then, based on the feedback provided, he wrote a new cold email that addressed each objection specifically.Ryan sent out 5000 more emails with this problem-solving approach and successfully registered 200 offices for his service. That’s a 4% success rate and a healthy $10,000 per month in recurring revenue.Screenshot of emailSo, let’s break it down – what was it about this email that made it such an effective beef jerky sales pitch?1. Snappy subjectAccording to Convince&Convert, 33% of emails are opened based on subject line alone. It’s your first chance to make a good impression on cold leads and your only chance if it makes a bad one.SumoJerky’s successful cold email campaign started with the use of a concise, simple subject line. It gets right to the point, doesn’t sound salesy, and says just enough to get the recipient’s attention – all in casual lowercase text. Plus, inclusion of the word ‘your’ evokes a sense of responsibility in the reader.2. Personal credibilityRyan immediately establishes credibility by identifying himself as the CEO of his company. Since CEOs and decision-makers are his target demographic, this introduction also helps to build rapport with recipients.3. Proactive problem-solvingAnother way Ryan connects with leads is through empathy. He admits that office snacks can sometimes be seen as a distraction. This addresses a potential objection head-on and shows that he understands his target’s concerns. It also gives him a chance to state the benefits of his service in a way that directly addresses customer pain points.Look at your leads’ common challenges to find out if you can improve your messaging to tackle potential issues proactively.4. Social proofBy name-dropping and quoting existing customers, Ryan offers social proof that builds trust and further credibility. According to Unbounce, social proof can increase conversions to 68.7% when used correctly.Whether you include quotes from customer reviews or reveal how many satisfied customers you’re serving, social proof tells prospects that you offer real value – and until they become a customer, they’re missing out!5. Clear yet casual CTAFinally, Ryan closes with a clear call-to-action that doesn’t place any pressure on the reader. He maintains the friendly, casual tone of his message all the way through, while also stating exactly what he wants from his leads.According to WordStream, emails that contain a single call-to-action increase clicks 371% and boost sales by a whopping 1617%. So including a direct CTA like this in your own emails is vital if you want to start a business relationship with your leads.Case Study #3: MasswerksAs a small web consulting firm founded by entrepreneur Marco Massaro, Masswerks discovered that strategic cold emailing was a powerful tool for finding and connecting with qualified leads. They successfully signed a new client for a $15k contract through a small, focused cold email campaign.First, they turned to CrunchBase to find initial leads. Since they were focused on finding the right people to message, Masswerks narrowed down their search by only looking up specific types of businesses (tech and SaaS) with at least $200k in funding or $500k to $1M in revenue.Next, they identified the decision-makers (by looking up the CEO, co-founders, CTO, CMO, or Head of Product) before seeking out their contact information.Once they had a well-researched list, Masswerks sent out a short, polite cold email to 500 prospects. They received 67 replies for a response rate of 13.4% and then heavily qualified those leads to avoid wasting anyone’s time. To do this, Masswerks followed up individually to clarify factors like minimum budget requirements (especially if the prospect didn’t talk numbers in their original reply).In the end, only two prospects remained – which means Masswerk’s only had to invest their energy into fully pitching two potential clients. Of those two, one signed a $15k contract within one day.Screenshot of emailLet’s take a closer look at what they did right.1. Two-word subject lineMasswerks kept things short and sweet in their subject line: Work together. This is what leads saw in their inbox.That’s it. Simple, informal, not spammy in the slightest. By writing “Work together” as a statement rather than a question, Masswerks managed to place the concept of a partnership in recipients’ minds before they’d even opened the message.2. Prioritizing the reader above himselfLike LeadFuze’s QVC formula, Masswerks’ cold email opens with a question. It focuses on addressing the prospect’s needs before introducing the company or pitching any services.He doesn’t waste time describing what the business does without telling leads what he can do for them.3. Explaining the how of his benefitsIn one simple sentence, Masswerks states what benefits they can provide to the reader as well as how they would go about achieving it. Once again, it’s crucial to tell your audience what’s in it for them and to illustrate how your solution can benefit their business.4. Expressing enthusiasmThe friendly call-to-action comes across as genuine. The word “love” expresses the sender’s enthusiasm and the request to “email me back” doesn’t ask too much of the prospect. It’s open-ended and doesn’t ask for a specific response – merely an acknowledgment of interest.Case Study #4: Takipi (Now OverOps)Sometimes the best sales opportunities stem from networking with industry giants. After all, they’re the ones with the connections, scale, and budgets to skyrocket your brand and profits. Of course, getting the big guys to notice and, more importantly, take the time to reply to your email, is no easy feat.But it is possible.Back when OverOps was known as Takipi, the server debugging company managed to land meetings with big players like Twitter, LinkedIn, GitHub, and Klout – all through the power of cold email.Their success was not instant. The first round of emails they sent out received exactly zero responses. Rather than lowering their sights, Takipi’s team analyzed their mistakes to figure out what it would take to write more effective cold emails.By rethinking their approach and revamping their messaging, Takipi not began only getting positive responses but was able to secure a call or meeting with 30-40% of people they contacted.Screenshot of emailWhat improvements helped them get the attention of industry-leading companies?1. Personalized, actionable subject linesIris admits that her first batch of cold emails used vague subject lines like “new product” and “feedback for a startup company.” She quickly realized that these generic phrases did not allow her message to stand out in recipients’ inboxes. When she made her subject lines more specific (by adding “Scala” or “Java”) and personalized (including the company name), she experienced an instant boost in her response rate.No one gets excited to see spam in their inbox. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what cold email looks like without personalization. According to a report from Adestra, your recipients are 22.2% more likely to open an email with a personalized subject line.2. Treating prospects like peoplePersonalization shouldn’t stop at the subject line. Takipi found that mentioning the prospect’s projects in their emails also improved response rates.Commenting on the recipient’s expertise or noting that you enjoyed a recent talk they gave is more than just a form of flattery. It shows that you did your homework. This helps warm up leads because it means you’re reaching out to them specifically based on your knowledge of their work.3. Don’t beat around the bushAsking prospects for general advice might seem like a good way to soften the somewhat abrasive nature of cold email. However, being direct and straightforward yields more productive results.Iris found that she was more likely to land a meeting if she told prospects exactly what she wanted. Her most successful cold emails were structured, used direct language, and stated that she wanted to meet with the recipient so they could try Takipi’s software.The more clearly you articulate your request and illustrate how it relates to your prospect’s needs, the more likely they’ll consider meeting with you.4. Balancing brevity with contextNo one wants to read a wall of text in an email from someone they don’t know. However, it’s tough to make a good impression with a cold email that doesn’t contain any information about your company. The key is finding a balance between keeping it brief and providing context.According to data from Boomerang, the ideal email length is 50 to 125 words. Sales emails in this range get the most replies, with an average response rate of just over 50%.Takipi tackled this issue by attaching lightweight files, like a one-pager and a screenshot, to their cold emails. For bigger pieces of content like videos, Takipi embedded links. What they didn’t do was waste space asking recipients to open or review the attachments.Links and attachments allow you to keep the message clean and brief without leaving out important details. These strategies paid off for Takipi when cold emailing everyone from prospects and investors to bloggers and business advisors.Cold emailing success for YOUR businessNow that you’ve seen the kind of growth, revenue, and interest cold emailing can achieve, you’re probably eager to optimize messaging for your own leads. We’ve put together a package of 17 proven cold email templates to make your campaigns easier to execute.Read the original post here